Common CBT Techniques Used During Addiction Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment option for people who suffer from addiction. However, there are various branches off of the CBT tree. Professional therapists use a variety of CBT techniques to ensure that individuals get the most customized treatment possible. Through this branch of psychotherapy, individuals are able to get the most from their treatment and work towards their goals of long-lasting recovery.
What Is CBT?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses mainly on people’s actions and perceptions. While the theories behind CBT run deep, the main idea is that people’s feelings and thoughts affect their behaviors.
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The overall goal is to change how people think and feel, which leads to more positive thought processes. In the case of addiction, therapists try to change thoughts and behaviors that lead to addiction. This technique often involves finding the root cause of the problem. Studies show that CBT is an effective type of addiction therapy with a high success rate.
CBT techniques are also effective when pairing them with other addiction treatment programs for the most effective treatment plan. Programs can include the following:
- Residential addiction treatment program
- Intensive outpatient treatment program
- Partial hospitalization treatment program
- Outpatient treatment program
By pairing these programs with common CBT techniques make for a more effective treatment plan for clients in a rehab center.
CBT Techniques
Therapists use various CBT techniques to help people overcome addiction. Behavioral experiments help therapists test thoughts and reactions in patients. During these experiments, qualified therapists determine if their patients respond better to praise or criticism.
Thought records help people determine how valid their thoughts are. The idea is to take negative thoughts and determine whether there’s evidence to back them. For example, there’s no evidence to support thoughts such as, “Everyone hates me.” To have the necessary evidence, patients would have to know everyone in the world.
Another method is situation exposure therapy. During this type of CBT, therapists help patients make a list of all the things that they normally avoid. After creating a list, patients put each item in the order from the most distressing to the least distressing. Starting with the least distressing, therapists work with patients to overcome these situations.
Imagery exposure uses pictures of situations instead of making patients recall experiences. The goal is for these pictures to evoke strong emotions or negative behaviors. Imagery exposure works well when people have negative feelings about situations that therapists can’t recreate safely.
Use CBT to Overcome Your Drug Addiction
Because addiction is a serious mental disorder, people should never attempt to overcome it themselves. At Serenity Lodge, we work with clients to ensure that they remain comfortable and safe during treatment. Along with cognitive behavioral therapy, our comprehensive treatment programs include:
- Individual counseling
- Group sessions, including family groups
- Dual diagnosis
- Substance abuse
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
Take your life back with reliable addiction treatment that you can count on. Contact Serenity Lodge today at [Direct] to learn more about our amenity-rich facility and how our programs can help you achieve your goals of recovery.
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