| Psychotherapy is an important tool in the struggle to | | | | critically important. If you start with a therapist and don't |
| overcome drug abuse. Various forms of | | | | feel your needs are being met, find another therapist |
| psychotherapy have been employed to help individuals | | | | or form of therapy. You don't want to waste time or |
| understand the past and learn problem solving | | | | money on a situation that is not working. |
| strategies for dealing with many of life's pressing | | | | One form of psychotherapy that has been especially |
| problems. Psychotherapy is known by different names | | | | helpful to a wide variety of individuals, including addicts, |
| such as therapy, talk therapy, counseling, and | | | | is called Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Cognitive |
| psychosocial therapy. Psychotherapy is an important | | | | behavior therapy is based on the premise that our |
| part of a comprehensive drug treatment program and | | | | thoughts (cognition) and beliefs determine to a large |
| any program you enter should include individual as well | | | | extent how we feel. In CBT, clients learn to develop |
| as group counseling sessions. | | | | healthy and productive ways of thinking while |
| Psychotherapy can help in many ways. Some of | | | | recognizing and changing thought patterns that cause |
| these include: | | | | distress. CBT is designed to help identify and change |
| - Discovering effective coping techniques and new | | | | distorted thinking that leads to feelings and behaviors |
| possibilities for solving problems. Many substance | | | | that are self-defeating or self-destructive. |
| abusers report using drugs to help them cope with life. | | | | Students of CBT learn to challenge their negative |
| Discovering alternative ways of dealing with the ups | | | | thinking through journaling and other written formats |
| and downs of life is vital to lasting recovery. | | | | that help to identify thought patterns and beliefs that |
| - Understanding some of the reasons for abusing | | | | cause destructive behavior. They then learn ways to |
| substances. | | | | dispute these negative thoughts and find rational |
| - Learning to identify and change behaviors and/or | | | | solutions that give them a positive sense of control |
| thoughts that can adversely affect your life. | | | | rather than the feeling that they are helpless pawns in |
| - Exploring important relationships and experiences and | | | | the game of life. People in this form of psychotherapy |
| learning how they may be helping or hindering your | | | | learn strategies to manage anger, anxiety, and |
| recovery. | | | | depression, which often go hand in hand with |
| - Learning to set and reach realistic goals. | | | | substance abuse. |
| Understanding how to think in terms of goals is an | | | | While CBT won't work miracles overnight, it has been |
| effective strategy in overcoming depression. | | | | shown to be highly effective in changing the kinds of |
| Psychotherapy is important in alleviating symptoms of | | | | hopeless and self-defeating thoughts that can lead to |
| mental illness that may be underlying factors in | | | | substance abuse. |
| substance abuse. Therapy may be short-term or | | | | While psychotherapy is an essential tool in recovery, it |
| long-term, depending on the individual situation. | | | | is important to understand that if the physiological |
| Psychotherapy sessions can be conducted in group, | | | | imbalances that are causing substance abuse |
| family or individual therapy settings. | | | | problems are not corrected, the benefits of |
| Before entering a therapy program it's important to | | | | psychological counseling will be marginal. In other words |
| learn about the kind of therapy that seems most | | | | . . . "talk therapy" alone will not work! The best |
| compatible with both your personality and your | | | | approach to recovery is a combination of both |
| problems. Your relationship with a therapist is also | | | | physical and mental intervention. |