Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used for the treatment of many issues, such as addictions and traumas. It is known to have high success rates. Due to its remarkable success, it is now replacing psychotherapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works by helping the patients reconsider their behavior and how they can bring improvement to live a healthier life. It is known to work in a shorter time frame as compared to other types of therapies, making it very effective and fast-paced. CBT is said to help a person improve his/her habits and providing the patient with a better quality of life. CBT is a better alternative to several addiction treatments currently.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

How CBT Works?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is done with a trained therapist; this person should be certified to give treatments to the patients. CBT works by teaching the patient to stop engaging with self-destructive behavior and thoughts. Instead, it promotes better decision making and choices. It helps the patient to recognize problematic behavior and how to deal with it. Once a patient learns to deal with his negative thoughts and behaviors, he can easily create positive outcomes by blocking those thoughts. This way, the person learns to remove bad habits and thoughts with better and healthier ones. An example of how CBT works can be of a person who has trouble opening up to people due to instances of betrayal in the past. The person no longer associates with his friends and family as he believes that they will also betray his trust. These thoughts cause the patient to become anti-social and lonely. However, if he takes sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, he will understand that these negative thoughts are ruining his relationships with people who are sincere and loyal to him. The person will then try to maintain better ties with his loved ones and avoid negative thoughts.

Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

There are 4 different methods of CBTs available; these are used while keeping in mind the patient and his needs. Some sessions can be in groups, while others are individual. People getting CBT usually visit a therapist weekly and receive outpatient services. The different methods that are commonly used for cognitive behavioral therapy are:
  • Cognitive Therapy
  • Multimodal Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  • REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy)
Before a person can start CBT, he/she is taught how to do a functional analysis; this involves self-reflection. Most people find it hard to do a self-analysis as they are not used to thinking about their thoughts. Professionals help patients deal with these issues. After a patient learns this, he can identify harmful thought patterns. Many tools are also used in CBT; these are tools to distract the mind, to relieve stress, and deal with it. Journaling is also a good method that is sometimes used.

CBT for Addictions

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for substance use disorders and cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol use disorder are the types of CBT therapies used to treat addiction. CBT is considered as a powerful tool that can help addicts recover. Addicts recognize their self-destructive behavior through CBT and work to fix them. In CBT, an addict learns why they are indulging in addiction and whether they are using a substance as a coping mechanism. Addiction is often linked with other mental health issues; these are also treated when a person undergoes therapy. Through CBT, addicts learn to recognize patterns that cause addictions; they also learn how to deal with these patterns and issues. This helps them to steer away from addiction and live a healthy life.
CBT Addiction

Getting CBT for Addiction

When a person decides to get CBT for addiction, the process involves a medically assisted treatment, where one reduces the amount of the substance he consumes over several weeks instead of quitting completely at once. CBT usually takes place after the person has detoxified from the drug. It has been proven by research that CBT helps in addiction treatments.

The effect of CBT usually lasts less than other therapies, and most patients feel better after 12-20 weeks of therapy. The time frame varies for each person and is influenced by several factors such as lifestyle, the extent of the addiction, and what substance was being abused.

CBT can be used as addiction treatment, but it is also very crucial and helpful when dealing with traumas. If you think you have negative thoughts that are controlling the way you behave, you should think about getting help. We provide many different types of therapies and are willing to help you figure out what type of therapy you need. Our trained therapists will help you cope with your negative and destructive thought patterns and behaviors. It will help you in leading a much better life that is not controlled by bad thoughts but instead is driven by positive thoughts.