People often think that rehab is the only solution when dealing with addiction. They might imagine using heavy drugs to detox or spending time in isolation while in recovery. But that is not how recovery works, and an important component of addiction treatment involves therapy. One of the most common types of therapy used to help people overcome addiction is cognitive-behavioral therapy, also known as CBT.
Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery offers cognitive-behavioral therapy in Colorado. CBT is a type of talk therapy that looks at how thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors interact to influence feelings and actions. We understand the importance CBT can be for a patient’s addiction recovery. If you think CBT could be beneficial for you, please get in touch with us at 833.448.0127 to speak with one of our team members about how CBT can be effective for addiction.
What Is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a type of therapy that leads people through problematic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so that they can learn new patterns of behavior and overcome addiction. CBT helps patients discover connections between their thoughts, feelings, and actions and increases awareness of how each impacts their recovery. Armed with this knowledge, individuals in recovery can begin taking steps toward a healthier life.
CBT is commonly used to treat other disorders that can co-occur with addiction, including:
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety and depression
- Attention deficit disorder
So, you’re probably wondering, “Is CBT effective for addiction?” The answer is yes. Studies have shown that CBT is an effective form of treatment for addiction and helps individuals develop healthier coping skills to cope with their cravings. With the proper guidance from a therapist, people can gain the tools they need to break free from their addictions and make lasting changes in their lives.
How Does CBT Work?
By engaging in cognitive-behavioral therapy, patients learn that many of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are not rational. Many stem from environmental factors, past experiences, or current stressors. Understanding these things and how they relate to addiction empowers them to be more successful in the recovery process.
Therapists help patients identify their automatic, negative thought patterns and discover where they originate. These subconscious thoughts are often based on misconceptions and lead to impulses that are hard to control. Those dealing with addiction will then self-medicate to avoid the pain that comes with it.
CBT is based on the belief that facing these negative thought patterns and the subconscious reasons behind them helps reduce the pain associated with them. When the pain is lessened, patients can replace the negative behaviors associated with addiction with new, positive approaches and techniques they learn during treatment.
How Does CBT Help Those with Drug or Alcohol Addiction?
There are many benefits to using CBT in addiction recovery. Because CBT deals with thought processes and how they affect behaviors, changes in how patients deal with negative thinking bring about positive results. CBT essentially equips patients with the tools needed to sustain lasting results. There are several other benefits of CBT for addiction recovery:
- Teaches patients how to communicate effectively
- Gives patients a healthier way to handle negative emotions and situations
- Equips patients with tools to improve their moods and handle stress
- Helps patients resolve the negative or false beliefs that led to addiction
- Provides patients with ways to deal with triggers and cravings
- Helps patients recognize and identify what led to their addiction
Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery offers cognitive-behavioral therapy services that are tailored to each individual’s needs. To learn more about how cognitive-behavioral therapy can aid your recovery journey, please get in touch with us at 833.448.0127. We would be more than happy to discuss the effectiveness of CBT for addiction with you.
Various CBT Techniques
Each therapist will have a different approach, but many of the techniques used are similar. A therapist who uses a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach might ask a client to keep a thought journal to disprove their negative thoughts. They may work on behavioral experiments with the client where negative and positive thought patterns are compared to determine which is more effective.
This reframing of thoughts helps the client take a more positive approach. Another approach is to create a self-care list. This is a list of healthy, enjoyable activities meant to encourage positive emotions and break up the day’s routine. Imagery-based exposure is another technique that involves recalling painful memories in detail to eventually reduce the pain they cause. These are just a few techniques therapists can draw from to help with addiction treatment.
Benefits of CBT in Combination with an Addiction Treatment Program
Is CBT effective for addiction?—the truth is that cognitive-behavioral therapy has been proven to be effective for addiction recovery. Research shows that people have higher success rates when CBT is combined with other therapies and treatments, such as 12-step programs or medications.
CBT helps those dealing with addiction by providing them with the tools needed to identify negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier actions. When combined with other treatments, it can provide an even greater benefit to those recovering from addiction. Some other significant benefits of CBT in combination with an addiction treatment program can include :
- Reduction of cravings and relapse risk
- Improvement in self-control and decision making
- Increase in social skills
- Enhancement of stress management techniques
- Increase in motivation for recovery and long-term abstinence from substance use
Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery is devoted to helping those struggling with addiction. We understand how difficult it can be to break free from addiction, and we offer cognitive-behavioral therapy as one of the tools that can help you.
Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery Uses CBT in Addiction Treatment
Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery can help patients looking to use therapy in their addiction treatment. Whether dealing with alcohol dependence, opioid withdrawal symptoms, or another type of addiction, we work toward a complete recovery for patients using CBT and other therapy methods. Options include telehealth and outpatient programs to meet a variety of needs. Visit our website or contact us at 833.448.0127 for more information.
