Overcoming an addiction is a challenging process that requires strategic effort, but it is possible. In fact, 4.3 million Americans received treatment in 2022 for addiction to alcohol alone, and of these, more than 3 million achieved recovery!
The type of treatment that works for one person might not be a good fit for another, but one thing is certain: some types of addiction treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), have a consistently high rate of effectiveness.
If you are new to CBT or don’t know whether it will work for you, the first step is understanding what is involved in this type of treatment.
Here’s what you need to know about how CBT offers practical solutions for overcoming addiction and why it is so effective.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of therapy that includes both talking with a therapist and practicing real-life applications of lessons and tools learned in sessions. Unlike regular talk therapy, in which the patient shares information and the therapist helps the patient to gain insight or understanding,
CBT does this and focuses on problem-solving and solution-oriented approaches. The inclusion of potential applicable solutions is what allows cognitive behavioral therapy to function so well for addiction treatments.
How CBT Offers Addiction Solutions
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a customized process—the therapist adjusts their approach to each patient’s goals, habits, worldview, and interests. Some of the ways that CBT equips you to overcome addiction include:
Establishing Awareness and Connection
One of the pillars of CBT is teaching patients to be self-aware. This means identifying how their thoughts inform and compel their actions. Before a person can recover from addiction, they need to know why they are making the choices they make.
For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy can help a person realize that they are afraid to fail. In order to ease their fear and bring it down to a more manageable level, they use substances. Thus, CBT illuminates the connection between how a person feels and their addictive patterns. From there, they can begin to reshape those patterns.
Addressing Comorbid Conditions
Another challenge that many in rehab face is comorbid conditions. These are other mental health struggles that exist alongside addiction, such as anxiety or ADHD. Without addressing the full scope of someone’s behavior, addiction recovery can be more challenging.
Cognitive behavioral therapy works well on many disorders, offering treatment of the whole person. Some common comorbid conditions that can be addressed alongside addiction include:
- Eating disorders
- OCD
- Depression
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- PTSD
- Bipolar disorder
Teaching Self-Help Strategies
The lynchpin of CBT is its ability to offer not just contemplative reflection but also actionable insights. People can learn new tools and skills to apply to their lives that bring greater fulfillment and joy while crowding out addictive tendencies.
Some people respond well to exposure therapy, either through images or discussion. In this CBT method, a person repeatedly revisits situations or concepts that they find challenging.
Over time, they become used to these scenarios, and they stop experiencing the negative emotions (such as anger or fear) that push them toward substance abuse as a coping mechanism.
CBT also helps people fill their lives with activities and interests that serve them. Whether these are alternative coping methods such as meditation and journaling or ways to make new friends who do not pressure them to use substances, these skills serve to create a new lifestyle that can thrive without substances.
Each person’s self-help strategies to soothe, redirect, and overcome will differ because each person is unique. Part of CBT is learning what works well for you; your therapist will help you do that.
Managing Triggers
Cognitive behavioral therapy equips participants with the skills they need to manage their triggers and stop a relapse before it occurs. They practice identifying the circumstances that direct their thoughts or actions toward using, then develop strategies for removing themselves from that situation.
Alternatively, if they must continue to be present, CBT teaches coping mechanisms to alleviate the emotional pull of substance abuse.
Try CBT to Overcome Your Addiction
An addiction is not something you need to accept as a part of your life. The majority of people who struggle with substance abuse do make a recovery, but in order to succeed, you need to set yourself up for success from the start.
The therapists at Aquila Recovery Clinic welcome you to try cognitive behavioral therapy to see what a customized approach to addiction can do for you.
Contact Aquila Recovery Clinic in Washington DC to schedule a CBT session and meet our experienced team. We are happy to answer any questions so you can confidently start on your road to recovery.