Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Drinking: How to Curb Your Alcohol Dependence
Breaking the cycle of alcohol addiction requires several key steps. The first involves interrupting the supply of the addictive substance and clearing its remnants from the addicted person’s body. This detoxification happens over hours, days, and sometimes weeks. The second part of the process can take much longer, as it involves healing the person’s psychological and emotional dependence on alcohol. For that challenge, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has become a tried and true treatment tool in the fight against substance abuse.
CBT for Drinking Problems
CBT has been in use as a therapeutic tool for decades. It focuses on the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, a relationship called the CBT Triangle. Developed as a method to change the negative thought patterns common to people diagnosed with a variety of mental health conditions, it has been used effectively to treat anxiety, depression, and addiction, among others.
Negative thoughts can occur spontaneously and typically fall into three general categories: thoughts about ourselves, the world, and/or the future. When the people who experience these negative thoughts are too young or ill-equipped to deal with them, they often develop maladaptive coping processes that may include self-medication with alcohol or drugs. These unhealthy coping strategies may lead to addiction.
As part of a comprehensive treatment program, CBT can boost the healing process of neuroplasticity, the reshaping of the brain that occurs post-addiction. CBT talk-therapy supports the development of new neural connections as healthy coping strategies take the place of ineffective ones. Under the guidance of a trained therapist, clients are encouraged to accept and cope more effectively with situations they cannot control and change the behaviors they can control. CBT, along with other therapies, offers real hope for long-term recovery.
Benefits of CBT
When administered by specially trained and licensed professionals, CBT offers many benefits in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Some of the major advantages include:
- Developing self-compassion—When negative thoughts occur, CBT helps us to recognize and alter self-critical reactions, and instead, to talk to yourself as you would a loved one in a similar circumstance. Developing compassion for yourself and focusing on self-care is essential for long-term recovery.
- Getting in touch with your strengths—With help from a therapist, CBT can help you to recognize and apply personal strengths to solve problems and develop resilience.
- Identifying healthy coping strategies—According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a coping strategy is “an action, a series of actions, or a thought process used in meeting a stressful or unpleasant situation or in modifying one’s reaction to such a situation.” Substance abuse represents an emotion-focused coping strategy that may provide temporary relief but does not solve the problem. As part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program, CBT can help you develop more effective emotion-focused strategies like meditation, as well as problem-focused strategies such as creating an action plan. These can replace ineffective and unhealthy strategies as you focus on changing your reactions and behaviors.
- Stocking your toolbox—Under the guidance of a licensed therapist, CBT provides a wealth of accessible tools to help you navigate the long road from addiction to sobriety. As a chronic illness, curbing alcohol dependence necessitates sustainable strategies. Stocking your toolbox with versatile and user-friendly tools is a proactive method for avoiding addiction triggers and minimizing the risks of relapse.
- Finding a community—One of the strongest supports you can have for long-term recovery is to find a caring community of like-minded individuals. The mutual benefits of participating in peer support groups include boosting participants’ self-efficacy, maintaining engagement, promoting abstinence, and reducing relapse.
How To Find a CBT Provider
When selecting a rehab center for your recovery, it is necessary to do your homework. Curbing your alcohol dependence will require safe and supervised detox stabilization. Once the physical addiction is broken, the task of reordering your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors must begin. Choosing a treatment center that emphasizes CBT is a proactive strategy for changing negative beliefs and destructive behaviors and promoting long-term success. By helping you reshape your thinking and behaviors, CBT equips you for a healthier future. When this therapy is enhanced by other supports, such as targeted nutrition and physical activity, and accompanied by group participation, your chances for healing and long-term sobriety are greatly improved.
