Is Cognitive Behavior Therapy right for me?

Making the decision to enroll in rehab can be overwhelming. You may find yourself asking questions such as Is Cognitive Behavior Therapy right for me? What can I expect? What does therapy look like? Does it really work? Why are there so many different types of therapy? Which one is right for me?

The staff at Hawaii Island Recovery (HIR) is always available to answer your questions and encourage you along your path to recovery. In an effort to remove the shroud of mystery surrounding drug and behavior therapy, HIR is here to answer your top questions about one of several therapies offered, Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Read on to learn what Cognitive Behavior Therapy is, whether or not it works, and if it’s right for you.

Drug, alcohol, and behavioral addicts don’t simply wake up one day with an overwhelming urge to make decisions that have the potential to harm their bodies, relationships, and careers. No, the path to addiction is a long and winding one. Every addict is a person with a unique story and experiences.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) goes deeper than the symptoms of addiction to address the underlying beliefs and emotions that led to and continue to drive the destructive behavior. It is a psychotherapeutic approach and a “talking therapy”, which means it will take place over the course of conversations between the participant and the psychotherapist.

CBT is a very goal-oriented therapy, aimed at healing dysfunctional emotions, misguided behaviors, and maladaptive cognitive processes. Participants will learn to recognize and replace certain destructive thinking patterns and beliefs, such as overgeneralization, minimization of positives, and magnifying of negatives. Finally, participants are empowered to adopt new thinking patterns that are positive, healthy, and realistic.

It is normal to be skeptical of therapy before you try it, but there is a great deal of scientific evidence to support the claim that CBT really does work.

In 2013, BBC Science reported, “Of all the talking therapies, CBT has the most clinical evidence to show that it works. Studies have shown that it is at least as effective as medication for many types of depression and anxiety disorders. But unlike many drugs, there are few side effects with CBT. After a relatively short course, people have often described long-lasting benefits.”

The staff at HIR maximizes CBT’s potential and effectiveness by making it an integral part of a greater treatment plan. For example, CBT may be used to address faulty emotional reasoning alongside a medical treatment designed to address painful withdrawal symptoms. CBT is just one piece—through a crucial and effective piece—of HIR’s well-rounded approach that is designed to address all potential causes and effects of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as behavioral disorders.

CBT has been used to treat a wide variety of disorders, including:

At HIR, you will have a trusted team of professionals customizing your treatment plan and determining if and how CBT can be used as part of your path to health and wellness. HIR provides you with the professional, medical, psychological, and social support you need to address the roots of your addictive behavior through CBT.

In addition to beneficial sessions of CBT, your treatment may include experiential therapy with dolphins or horses, holistic health services such as acupuncture, and more. To learn more about what you can expect from your time in rehab, check out HIR testimonials from people like you who have already found healing and freedom through the therapies provided at HIR.

If you’d like to know more about how Cognitive Behavior Therapy and other therapies can help you on your path to recovery, please contact HAWAII ISLAND RECOVERY today.