Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT for Addiction Treatment in New Hampshire

It is a major achievement to kick the habitual use of drugs or alcohol. You have a lot to be proud of, yet there is still some work ahead of you. Beating the physical dependency that comes from addiction to a drug and/or alcohol is a momentous accomplishment. Detoxing from drugs and alcohol is only the start of a long process through which you will learn to deal with your cravings and avoid a possible relapse. Upon completing an inpatient drug and alcohol detox program in New Hampshire, your body is no longer chemically addicted to a substance. However, addiction is far more than just a physical dependence on drugs or alcohol. If it were as simple as detoxing from the substance, we would have already found a cure for drug and alcohol addiction a long time ago. There is a psychological component to addiction that needs to be addressed. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a way to deal with these psychological issues.

For those struggling with substance use disorder in New Hampshire, it is crucial to not stop at the detox process. Treatment outcomes for addiction are far more favorable if group and individual therapies are included. In fact, those individuals who find themselves addicted to drugs and alcohol that attend an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab program in New Hampshire are far more likely to achieve recovery from drug or alcohol abuse. Therapy has been found to be a crucial part of an addiction treatment plan in a drug and alcohol rehab program. Psychotherapy helps to treat many of the mental health conditions that often play a role in the addiction process. While there are various therapeutic modalities that have been applied to those individuals suffering from a substance use disorder, one that has proven to be highly effective is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that modifies thought patterns to change behaviors and the mood of an individual. CBT focuses on the individual’s negative thought patterns and responses to stressful stimuli. By understanding the faulty thinking and irrational behaviors that individuals thinking leads them to, an individual can then create new and healthy thought patterns and more appropriate responses to stressful stimuli. A therapist utilizing CBT may ask their patient to keep a journal, where the individual will write their thoughts and responses to certain things in their life. This journal will allow the individual to see how their thought process changes over the course of their addiction treatment into more healthy beliefs and thinking. CBT has been found to be crucial in combating the negative thoughts and behaviors in individuals struggling with addiction to alcohol or drugs. The faulty thought patterns that many individuals that suffer from substance use disorder experience are:

  • All or Nothing Thinking: black and white view of the world.
  • Magnifying: making a big deal out of seemingly unimportant events.
  • Minimizing: downplaying the severity of things.
  • Overgeneralization: drawing conclusions based on one single event and applying the result to similar circumstances.
  • Mental Filter: focus on a specific negative detail and dwell on it.
Welcome to Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire

CBT and Addiction in New Hampshire

The psychological grip that addiction has over an individual is so strong that it can feel like there is no escape from it. At Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire, we understand that the reality is that this type of thinking is a part of the disease of addiction. The thinking and thought process of the drug or alcohol-dependent individual is so warped at times that they cannot seem to break free from certain beliefs. If the behaviors that led to the addiction remain unchanged, what is to stop a person from eventually returning to the substance that brought them a form of relief?

It is for this reason that therapeutic methods are used by the addiction treatment team at Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire. Using these modalities to help treat individuals with substance abuse disorder in New Hampshire. Our counselors utilize CBT to help drug and alcohol-dependent individuals change their perceptions, break away from faulty belief systems, and find a new way of thinking. By applying these therapeutic methods that encourage dynamic results, the drug or alcohol-dependent individual will be able to develop coping skills, understand thought patterns that lead to certain negative behaviors, and recognize triggers to their cravings for drugs or alcohol. By challenging and replacing the drug or alcohol-dependent individual’s distorted thoughts with more constructive thoughts, they will effectively change how they behave in response to triggers. The following are some of the benefits of CBT:

  • increased self-esteem
  • lessened anxiety
  • the ability to recognize triggers
  • coping mechanisms
  • reduced stress
  • and more.

For more information about Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) contact us today.  Call  (603) 808-0185 to speak to one of our team and begin your journey on the road to recovery.

Welcome to Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire