4th October 2019 • Sticky Post

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

When we picture psychotherapy or counseling, we often tend to conjure up a Freudian therapist in our mind’s eye. The patient lying on a leather couch and delving deep into their childhood memories and traumas. The psychiatrist asking in a sonorous baritone, “How did that make you feel?”. But for most patients, particularly those partaking in therapy as part of an addiction recovery program, the reality of addiction treatment is completely different from our preconceived notions. Today we’ll be taking a look at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and the benefits it can offer to individuals struggling with addiction.

The History Of CBT

CBT has its roots in two intellectual traditions. The first, Stoicism, has been cited as an inspiration by two of the pioneering psychologists whose theories and findings led to the creation of modern CBT (Dr. Albert Ellis and Dr. Aaron Beck). A quote from the ancient Roman philosopher Epictetus sums up a core belief: “men are disturbed not by things, but the view they take of them,” meaning that the way in which we think (cognition) determines the way we react, feel, and behave.

The second intellectual tradition to inspire CBT was Behaviorism, a school popularized by Pavlov and Skinner. The behaviorists would claim that behavior could be learned or unlearned depending on the consequences associated with it and that the best method of intervening with psychological problems was to focus on shaping healthier behavioral patterns.

In the 1960s Drs. Ellis (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy or REBT) and Beck (Cognitive Therapy or CT) developed therapeutic approaches that would gain popularity throughout the coming decades. Both psychologists “emphasized the role of cognitions or beliefs as underlying emotional and behavioral disturbance”, and a movement was born. By the 1990s, elements of each system had been woven together by therapy practitioners under the umbrella of cognitive behavioral therapy.

How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Works

One of the first steps in cognitive behavioral therapy, according to the NHS, is to “help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.” A cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner will try to guide you through the process of changing negative patterns in both thought and behavior to improve the way you feel. Rather than focusing on painful memories or past traumas, cognitive behavioral therapy aims to deal with your current problems and behaviors on a daily basis.

Most patients who partake in cognitive behavioral therapy will have a treatment session lasting from 30-60 minutes once every week or two. The NHS recommends 5-20 sessions during the course of treatment, depending on the severity of your problems. During treatment, your therapist will work with you to isolate the components of your psychological or physical issue, separating thoughts, physical feelings, and actions. Your therapist will then work with you to determine the interactions between these separate parts of your issue, and try to distinguish between thoughts and behaviors that are realistic and helpful and those that are not.

At this point, you and your therapist will work to begin the process of changing negative or harmful thoughts and behaviors. The aim of the therapist is to provide you with skills that you can use to manage problematic thoughts and behaviors in real-life. After therapy concludes, you should have the ability to manage your issues and stop them from having substantial negative impacts.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Addiction

Addiction in itself is a negative and self-destructive form of behavior. It is self-reinforcing, creates anxiety and depression, and leads the addict to the self-defeating conclusion that they cannot function without the substance that they habitually use. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps those in recovery to break free from these harmful patterns of thought and action. It breaks down the seemingly insurmountable affliction into individual parts and offers skills and strategies for dealing with them in positive ways.

Cognitive behavioral therapyoffers addicts tools for assessing the accuracy and reliability of their thoughts. Practically, this is an excellent way to build your ability to resist cravings. Sometimes, asking yourself if a drink or drug is actually the best way to deal with a trigger or stressful situation is all it takes to avoid using. Similarly, as you develop mental skills for handling triggers, you can become confident in your ability to deal with cravings and bouts of anxiety, rather than attempting to make them go away with substance use. Cognitive behavioral therapy employs “habituation”, the idea that experiencing difficult feelings and situations without compensating (having a drink or using a drug) or fleeing can teach you that your anxieties are manageable and will become less intense over time.

Cognitive behavioral therapy also helps you to explore your emotions. Through it, you can come to terms with the way you’re feeling, and how those feelings impact thoughts and actions. Knowing that you’re scared, angry or sad can help you to recognize that the thoughts currently running through your mind should be handled with care, and not immediately acted upon. A key facet of cognitive behavioral therapy is “emotional regulation,” a concept defined by some practitioners as “ 1) the ability to shift attention away from the things that are likely to kick up intense negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, shame, and anxiety; 2) the ability to inhibit acting on an emotion when desired; and 3) the ability to decrease the intensity of emotions without drugs and alcohol.” This skill is exceptionally helpful for individuals in recovery!

Following detox and withdrawal, we would strongly recommend that you explore Cognitive behavioral therapy as a way to build the skills you need on the journey to recovery. One way to take advantage of what it can offer is to try out SMART Recovery programs, based on the REBT methodology. Along with evidence-backed holistic practices such as mindfulness and meditation, Cognitive behavioral therapy is a way to get in touch with your true self and learn to manage the stresses and trials of sober living. If you’re interested in putting these principles to work, get in touch with Iboga Tree Healing House today!