Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) And Recovery

Many people who want to change their lives must take time to learn more about themselves. For people with addiction, cognitive behavior therapy helps them make better choices.  A lot of recovery is about making better, healthy choices. These choices enable you to live a more fulfilling life and can also help you achieve long-term sobriety. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, also known as CBT, can help you learn to live without the use of substances successfully.

Understanding Yourself and Your Behaviors

CBT is a tool that can help you understand your thoughts and your feelings. These often are things that you react to with specific behavior. For example, many people will have specific situations that are a trigger for using substances or drinking. For example, if you used to stop by a particular bar on your way home from work every day, it may be a big challenge to walk by without stopping. Passing by that spot now that you are sober is a dangerous trigger that you need to eliminate from your routine.

By recognizing triggers that cause a desire to use, you can start learning to respond with different behavior. In the example above, that would mean learning a new route to and from work.

CBT: Changing Your Thoughts, Actions, And Life

CBT is used in a variety of therapy settings. Therapists can use it to help people with mental health disorders and substance use disorders begin to change their behaviors.

Many people who struggle with addiction also have trouble with negative thinking and low self-esteem. These thoughts and feelings can lead to depression and self-destructive behaviors. Many people with a substance use disorder can feel stuck in a spiral of painful thoughts and self-destructive action. But you may feel like there’s nothing you can do about it.

Changing your thinking is essential to achieving mental health and your overall well-being. CBT can help you abstain from alcohol and drugs and help you discover a better way to live. You’ll learn about how you can challenge your negative thoughts and feelings.

Here are some other things CBT can help with:

• Recognizing self-destructive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• Challenging and changing negative and painful thought patterns.
• Discover triggers and provide alternatives.
• Create ways to cope with upsetting life situations without using substances.
• Create new strategies for coping in challenging situations.
• Learn to achieve goals through new behavior patterns.

Getting Help for Addiction

Getting clean and sober is the first step to a new life! If you or somebody you know needs help getting sober, we’re here to help. We provide a safe, therapeutic environment to detox from substances and start to reclaim your life. We’re here to help! Call us with questions at 619-363-4767.