Therapy is an important part of any rehab experience. However, studies show that some types of therapy have higher success rates than others. One example of this is cognitive behavioral therapy. What is cognitive behavioral therapy, and how does it relate to addiction?
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy or psychotherapy. While it’s helpful for treating a range of mental disorders, it’s extremely effective in treating addiction. For example, it can help with eating and post-traumatic stress disorders as well.
How Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work?
This therapy follows the fundamental idea that people’s feelings and thoughts play a big role in how they act. For example, people who think a lot about getting sick may not go out in public to avoid germs.
During behavior therapy, people talk with counselors to better understand their thoughts and feelings. In return, the counselors do two main things. First, they get to the root or source of the problem. They have to determine what causes their clients to think or feel that way.
Second, they attempt to replace these negative thoughts and emotions with positive ones. If thoughts and feelings influence behavior, then replacing the negative ones should result in positive behaviors. This theory is the basis of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Behavior Therapy and Addiction
How does behavior therapy relate to addiction? What most people don’t know is that addiction isn’t a choice. It’s a mental disease. When people cross the line between substance use and addiction, they no longer have control over their actions.
Using behavior therapy, therapists can get to the root cause of people’s addictions. Through understanding the cause of an addiction, they can put a plan into motion to replace negative behaviors.
For many people, this treatment is effective because it brings unknown problems to the surface. The underlying cause of an addiction often remains hidden, even from those who suffer from the disease. It also differs between people. However, some of the most common causes include:
- Trauma
- Interpersonal relationship issues
- Other mental disorders such as anxiety and depression
Since returning to the underlying problem is the most common cause of relapse after therapy, people who don’t deal with these issues often turn back to drug or alcohol abuse. If a certain social situation causes addiction, for instance, returning to that situation will likely lead to relapse.
Overcome Your Addiction With Professional Help
At Pinnacle Peak Recovery, we strive to put your needs first, always. We provide around-the-clock support and a number of addiction treatment programs such as:
- Extended care
- Intensive outpatient treatment
- Family therapy
- Partial hospitalization
What is cognitive behavioral therapy going to do for your life? Learn to take control of again with the help of our friendly staff. Reach out to us today at 866-377-4761.
