Drug abuse changes a person. You’ll do things and cross lines you never thought possible. However, there is always the opportunity to recover. Behavioral therapy is an integral part of this experience. Soledad House offers a cognitive-behavioral therapy program in California and other therapies to help those with a drug or alcohol addiction recover.
What Is Behavioral Therapy?
In many ways, behavioral therapy helps you regain control of your recovery. A therapist works with you to uncover the reasons why you use. The typical approach counselors use to accomplish this is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This therapeutic method thrives on pattern recognition.
To explain further, during one-on-one talk therapy sessions, you work on identifying dysfunctional thought processes and behavioral patterns. Addiction specialists understand that using is a learned response, and you often repeat substance abuse behavior as a way to cope with particular stressors or triggers. However, it’s always possible to interrupt the behavior by making changes to core problematic, repetitive thoughts.
Furthermore, another approach is dialectical behavior therapy. When you’re in a situation you can’t change, you must alter your response to it. Sometimes, emotions may threaten your logical thought processes. As a result, you might react strongly to something that might not merit such a response.
In dialectical behavioral therapy, a counselor helps you take control of your emotions. Additionally, you develop tools that allow you to be present in a moment and evaluate a situation more calmly. Because you apply this approach to various conditions as they occur throughout the day, you’ll have numerous small victories. Do this for several days in a row, and you build incredible success.
Why Does This Therapeutic Approach Work Well in Addiction Counseling?
In addiction counseling, there’s no general curriculum you have to follow. Instead, you’re confronting feelings, thoughts, and behaviors you identify as problematic. Overall, by investing in recovery, you’re more likely to continue.
Moreover, you’ll be working on changing problems that significantly impact your future. Doing so allows you to see new attitudes evolve and cravings lessen. There are now new approaches for dealing with stressors or triggers. Reaching for drugs or alcohol is no longer the only coping mechanism you have to handle troubling thoughts.
Combining Behavior Therapy with Other Approaches
In spite of its importance, this behavioral therapy isn’t the cure for addiction. It only approaches dependence from one perspective. Because the disease model of addiction teaches us that the disease is complex, it’s important to receive comprehensive treatment. For example, additional treatment methods include:
- Group Therapy
- Family Therapy
- 12-Step Program
- Exercise Therapy
The goal of these programs is to help you be present in daily life without drugs or alcohol. For many, it’s almost impossible to envision their lives without reaching for a drug or drink. However, by living a sober lifestyle with the help of therapists, you’re learning how to enjoy yourself. Living sober shouldn’t lead to suffering. Positive lifestyle change leads to happiness and fulfillment.
Getting Help Today at Soledad House
Don’t undermine your ability to heal by entering a nongender-specific program. Instead, choose a women’s rehab program that focuses on your personal needs with respect. You don’t have to keep using and hoping for change. Make it happen with the help of therapists at Soledad House. Call 866.314.3222 now to set up an intake interview today.
