Behavioral therapy has been one of the most effective forms of treatment in addiction recovery, primarily because it addresses the reasons why addicts continue to use drugs or alcohol after their first attempt at sobriety fails.
Rather than focusing on eliminating the substance itself, behavioral therapy focuses on the thought processes behind the addiction, in an effort to change those behaviors through conditioning and learning new skills. This can be an effective and long-lasting way to overcome addiction.
What is Behavioral Therapy?
Behavioral therapy is one type of therapeutic treatment that uses an approach and skills to solve the problems for which you may be seeking help.
It can be used for a number of different purposes, but addiction recovery primarily focuses on helping people to break unhealthy habits and replace them with healthier ones. This can sometimes include coping strategies or providing alternatives to addictive behaviors.
The idea behind behavioral therapy is that because people think, feel, and behave differently while they are addicted to alcohol or drugs, they need different approaches to maintain sobriety than what they might have done when they were sober.
Additionally, many addicts also struggle with co-occurring mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety, so this type of therapy can address those issues as well.
Behavioral Therapies Are an Important Part of Treatment
Behavioral therapies are important for recovering addicts as they can help with both internal and external factors that affect addiction.
For instance, therapies may be used to teach coping skills, including activities or exercises such as practicing deep breathing or mindful meditation.
Another behavioral therapy technique is to get the person to talk about triggers in order to examine feelings of stress or anxiety which might result in them engaging in their addictive behavior.
There are a number of factors that may impact whether a certain type of therapy is suitable for a given individual but it’s important for people dealing with addiction who want recovery to know that there are many different types of therapies available so they can find one best suited for them.
Behavioral Therapies Help Addicts Learn New Behaviors
The best way to stay abstinent from drugs or alcohol is to replace the old, unhealthy behaviors with new, healthier ones.
Behavior therapy can help addicts learn these new behaviors in the safety of a clinical setting where they won’t risk relapsing.
Some of the most common behavioral therapies for addiction include Contingency Management, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and 12-Step Facilitation. Contingency management involves providing incentives for clean urine tests as an incentive to remain sober.
CBT includes cognitive exercises such as those that identify triggers and lead to cravings that may cause the addict to use again. These types of exercises are meant to teach people how to recognize what leads them back into addictive behavior, so they can learn how to avoid them in the future.
MI offers guidance on how addicts should frame their relationship with substances so that it will be easier for them not only to resist using but also to make healthy choices about when they do use substances again.
Finally, 12-step facilitation helps addicts find groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous that provide support for recovery programs outside of traditional therapy settings.
This means that these types of therapies can prevent relapses because they help people cope with triggers and other behaviors involved in substance abuse without using drugs or alcohol again.
Behavioral Therapies Enable Addicts to Develop Skills for Long-Term Success
Some behavioral therapies also help addicts to develop skills for long-term success.
The most well-known of these is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a type of therapy that helps addicts examine how their thoughts and feelings can impact the choices they make.
Catching an addict in the early stages of their recovery and teaching them how to identify triggers can help them avoid relapse or overindulging in different drugs or alcohol in a specific setting.
Different types of therapy are helpful depending on what the individual needs to work on at the time, but behavioral therapies play an important role in addiction recovery.
Behavioral Therapies Can Reduce Relapse Rates
Behavioral therapies can reduce relapse rates. This happens because these interventions target cognitive and emotional factors in addiction recovery, as well as behaviors.
One common behavioral therapy is the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA). This approach emphasizes the role of important relationships to shape an individual’s behavior.
When individuals have strong social networks, they are less likely to experience a relapse due to the positive reinforcement they receive from those around them. Another example of a behavioral therapy that has shown success is contingency management.
Contingency management helps people learn how to change their behaviors so that they can achieve rewards rather than focusing on cravings for drugs or alcohol.
Addicts Have Different Motivations for Change, Which Can Be Addressed with Behavioral Therapies
If an addict suffers from co-occurring mental health issues, they are more likely to use it in order to deal with their anxiety, depression, or other stress.
If they have only a drug problem, they are more likely to use it because of the difficulty in shifting their current lifestyle and social networks. All addicts have different motivations for change, which can be addressed with behavioral therapies.
It’s hard to choose which treatment method is best for you when there are so many to choose from. To help you make the decision, here are ten different types of therapy and what they offer.
Keep in mind that it’s usually best to combine one or more therapies with other forms of treatment, such as outpatient programs, sober living homes, and 12-step meetings. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional if you have any questions.
Most Licensed Practitioners Are Trained in Providing These Treatments
Licensed practitioners in the field of mental health therapy have been shown to have expertise in providing behavioral therapies to people who are going through addiction recovery.
They have been trained and licensed to provide treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and transference-focused psychotherapy.
These methods of treatment may differ, but they often share a common goal of reducing problematic behaviors related to alcohol and drug use.
For example, cognitive behavioral therapy is one method that helps individuals address their emotions and thoughts about why they turn to alcohol or drugs when feeling anxiety or depression.
The focus is on changing their thought patterns in order to reduce the negative feelings that might lead them to substance abuse again.
Most Of These Therapies Work Best When Combined with Other Forms of Treatment
Behavioral therapy is one of the most widely used therapeutic interventions in treatment programs and is especially useful when used as a supplement to other treatments.
It also tends to work best when combined with other therapies, as it can provide a deeper understanding of the person’s psychological state, which can be beneficial in treating addiction.
Addiction Treatment Center in New Jersey
Behavior therapy provides an opportunity for self-reflection. At North Jersey Recovery Center, we encourage individuals to think about what they are feeling, why they are feeling that way, and how they want to feel instead.
All of this reflection helps them learn how their thoughts and actions contribute to their emotions so they can change their behaviors if necessary.
Contact us today to learn more about our behavioral therapies and procedures!
