Cognitive Treatment For Substance Abuse Problems

By Author: jill cohen
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Cognitive treatment for addiction is an extension of this school of therapy that is used in psychotherapy generally. Cognitive behavior therapy has been used in the past for patients suffering from certain types of phobias, depression and anxiety. In the context of a drug or alcohol problem, it aims to identify the pattern of thoughts in an addict’s brain that lead up to substance abuse and helps the addict to recognize those thoughts, and change their actions accordingly.

It is based on the concept that the addict’s thoughts and feeling play a large role in his behavior, and that he can learn to intervene in his own actions. CBT is very effective for those with an inclination towards self-reflection and analysis. It work well for those who are willing to take the time to understand their own addiction and spend time carefully trying to understand their own thoughts and feelings. Certain sets of skills can then be suggested to the client, who is by that time aware of their own cognitive thought processes and patterns that lead them to self-destructive behaviors. Fear, anxiety and addictive behaviors are all controlled ...
... by the same area of the brain.

With certain phobias, such as flying, the client imagines all kinds of hypothetical situations that could happen with the aircraft, and they convince themselves that they can’t possibly take an airline flight, so they don’t. The cognitive reasoning is often similar with a drug addict, who convinces himself that there is no reason why he should not take his drug of choice in a certain situation. He is finding excuses by using faulty reasoning. Cognitive behavior therapy teaches patients that they can take control of how they interpret and deal with things while being fully aware that they cannot be in control of everything within their environment.

In order for a client to recognize and contend with his destructive thoughts, a therapist starts by helping the client identify his reasoning process. During this functional analysis, it is important for the client to learn how his thoughts contribute to his own addictive behavior. With clients who cannot deal with introspection, cognitive therapy can be difficult, but with those willing to go through the process of self-discovery, and understanding why they practice addictive behavior, therapy can be successful.

In the next step in cognitive treatment for addiction the client is taught to recognize his behavior that leads to his need to take his drug of choice. The client then learns to recognize those situations that put him most at risk, and must then focus on avoiding those situations by doing something else instead, or by learning ways of dealing with those situations if they are unavoidable, such as certain social situations.

Once the client realizes that his addictive behavior is a “learned” response to certain situations, he can replace those faulty responses with more rational, and less destructive behavior.

Learn more about Drug Relapse Prevention and Benzo Addiction .