Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders: Through the Stage Model and Back Again
Prior to treatment termination, therapists carefully prepare clients that post-treatment cravings and SU “slips” are expectable, normative, and present occasions for cognitive behavioral therapy reinvesting in treatment goals. Youth are also encouraged to redouble efforts to practice therapy-learned skills, and when needed, to seek booster treatment sessions or continuing care. Given that Michael described having difficulty managing his emotions, treatment had a particular focus on this core element.
Benefits of CBT for Alcoholism and Addiction
Even when people are motivated to change, these experiences are formidable opponents to healthier, more stable, more meaningful sources of gratification, such as the pride one feels in having the ability to say “no” to urges, the satisfaction of having spent a productive day, and the trust of caring others, including therapists. A distinguishing feature of trauma-informed therapy is its commitment to avoiding re-traumatization. This means therapists are trained to approach treatment with sensitivity, ensuring that clients feel in control of their pace and experience during sessions. Open communication, clear boundaries, and nonjudgmental support are critical to establishing this sense of safety. Clients are encouraged to take an active role in their recovery, empowering them to make choices and set goals that reflect their unique needs and experiences. During therapy sessions, family members are encouraged to explore and discuss their roles within the dynamic, identifying patterns of behavior that https://astra138.site/how-to-wean-yourself-off-alcohol-safely-3/ might have inadvertently enabled or exacerbated the issue of substance abuse.
Treating Substance Misuse Disorders with CBT
In addition to targetingsubstance abuse as the primary focus, other goals will be developed toassist the client in improving daily functioning (e.g., by reducingstress, as described in Figure4-5). The focus of the therapy might be tonegotiate with the client to accomplish these other goals by reducinguse. The therapist will continue to engage the client in a collaborativeprocess in which they determine those problems to target, their relativepriority, and ways to resolve them.
When To Use Cognitive-Behavioral
Behavioral, cognitive, and cognitive-behavioral treatments alcoholism symptoms all rely heavilyon an awareness of the antecedents and consequences of substance abuse. Inall of these therapeutic approaches, the client and therapist typicallybegin therapy by conducting a thorough functional analysis of substanceabuse behavior (Carroll, 1998;Monti et al., 1994; Rotgers, 1996). This analysisattempts to identify the antecedents and consequences of substance abusebehavior, which serve as triggering and maintaining factors. Antecedents ofuse can come from emotional, social, cognitive, situational/environmental,and physiological domains (Miller and Mastria,1977). The functional analysis should also focus on thenumber, range, and effectiveness of the individual’s coping skills. While amajor emphasis in cognitive-behavioral therapy is on identifying andremediating deficits in coping skills, it is also important to assess theclient’s strengths and adaptive skills (DeNelsky and Boat, 1986).
