What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Tackling substance disorders requires a broad range of therapies. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT) is an evidence-based, goal-oriented therapeutic approach. By identifying the thought patterns that drive negative behaviors, CBT participants learn to take control of those behaviors and replace them with fulfilling, healthy habits. As part of a well-rounded treatment program, CBT can help you chart progress toward specific goals like:
- Avoiding destructive behaviors
- Managing the negative thoughts that accompany the cycle of addiction
- Building self-confidence and self-esteem
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy achieves these goals by teaching us the ways that our behaviors are driven and shaped by our cognition. Behind the things that we do and say are a range of learned emotions and thought patterns. Negative, irrational thoughts that form at a young age are often a part of the substance abuse cycle. Most of the time we don’t pay attention to those thoughts, but they determine how we feel about ourselves and how we think about recovery.
By identifying harmful thoughts and exploring alternative ways of thinking about their lives, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy participants break free from the cycle of negativity. Pursued along with supporting therapy programs like Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, CBT replaces destructive patterns with a healthy, optimistic outlook.
