Addiction Treatment Therapies
A dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program is a type of psychotherapy treatment. It differs from other remedies as it uses a cognitive-behavioral approach. Its main goal is to teach you how to live in the moment. Through dialectical behavior therapy for addiction, you can learn how to cope with stress healthily, regulate your emotions effectively, and improve your relationships with others. This program helps you to deal with a sudden and intense rush of emotions. Georgia Addiction Treatment Center offers several forms of treatment and therapy to help individuals struggling with addiction.
How Does a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program Work?
Dialectical behavior therapy is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy similar to cognitive-behavioral therapy. When you go through our dialectical behavior therapy program, you are generally exposed to two types of settings, including:
- Group therapy – In this type of therapy, the therapist assigns you homework and role plays about different ways you can interact with people. The goal for this is to teach you valuable behavioral skills.
- Individual therapy – Upon learning behavioral skills during the group setting, you will be applying them in the individual therapy session. The trained professional teaches you how to adapt these behavioral skills to personal life challenges.
If you are interested in pursuing these resources for yourself or your loved one, contact our Peachtree Drug Rehab today.
What Are the Treatment Goals of DBT?
The DBT program recognizes your support system as an essential part of addressing your current issues. For this reason, part of the therapy process is to get your family, friends, peers, colleagues, and others in your circle involved in your treatment. With their involvement, the goals of DBT programs include:
- Develop new skills and strengths.
- Increase your motivation.
- Accept things you cannot change.
- Adjust to facts in life that you cannot control.
- Learn skills you can apply in the real world.
DBT therapists are there to help you develop your motivation, skills, and capacity for change. They understand your struggles and, with the right approach, enable you to be ready and prepared for the world.
Core Strategies Used in DBT
Therapists in a dialectical behavior therapy program use various strategies to teach behavioral change. The core techniques they use include:
- Mindfulness to help guide you to “live in the moment.”
- Distress tolerance shows you how to tolerate and survive when in crisis.
- Interpersonal effectiveness helps you learn how to communicate effectively with others.
- Emotion regulation shows you the skills to navigate and manage your powerful emotions.
These four are the key strategies used in DBT. The methods used by the therapist depend on your unique circumstances, needs, and issues, as well as capacity. However, the methods employed by the therapist are highly individualized, taking into account each person’s unique circumstances, needs, and issues, as well as their capacity for change.
For instance, someone struggling with intense emotional dysregulation may focus more on developing skills for emotion regulation, while another individual grappling with difficulties in interpersonal relationships may concentrate on improving their interpersonal effectiveness.
Uses of DBT
Dialectical behavior therapy programs have been useful in treating all kinds of psychological issues. As it incorporates mindfulness, DBT’s ability to address a wide range of problems that include:
- Borderline personality disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Binge eating disorder
- PTSD
- Sexual abuse
- Alcohol addiction
- Substance abuse
DBT has many uses, but don’t mistake it for a cure-all. Treating your issues will take hard work and effort both from you and your therapist. You can take full advantage of its benefits by participating in at least a couple of hours of therapy every week.
Ideally, you should participate in more hours, depending on your psychological condition. DBT is not a magical process. You will need to invest time and energy to make the change you want to happen. But don’t worry because your therapists will be there to help every step of the way.
How Do We Use DBT for Addiction Recovery?
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has emerged as a powerful tool in the realm of addiction recovery, offering a comprehensive approach that addresses the complex interplay of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors underlying substance misuse. In utilizing DBT for addiction recovery, therapists employ a combination of cognitive-behavioral techniques and mindfulness practices to foster greater self-awareness and emotional regulation. Central to DBT and addiction recovery is the concept of dialectics, which encourages individuals to recognize and accept the coexistence of opposing truths within themselves, such as the desire for change alongside the struggle to maintain familiar coping mechanisms.
One of the key components of DBT for addiction recovery is skills training, in which clients acquire useful techniques for resolving difficult circumstances and efficiently controlling urges. These abilities include mindfulness, emotion control, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Together, they give people a strong toolset of techniques to deal with stresses and triggers without turning to drugs. People who practice mindfulness are better able to respond to cravings and triggers with more clarity and intentionality because they learn to examine their thoughts and feelings without passing judgment.
Additionally, the therapeutic relationship is essential to DBT for addiction treatment because it allows therapists to hold patients accountable, validate, and support them during their recovery. People receive individualized support and motivation to apply DBT skills in their everyday lives through group skills training and individual therapy sessions. Through the provision of a collaborative and unbiased atmosphere, therapists enable clients to investigate the root causes of their addiction and create more effective coping mechanisms. DBT addiction skills essentially provide a comprehensive approach to treatment, treating the underlying emotional and psychological issues that contribute to addictive behaviors in addition to the symptoms of substance abuse.
Reach Out to Georgia Addiction Treatment Center Today
No matter what you are currently going through, a dialectical behavior therapy program can provide help. The trick is to find the plan that works best for you and your needs. This should consider the substance the patient is addicted to, how long they have been struggling, and if this is their first time in treatment or if they have relapsed. The experts at our rehab center in Georgia are committed to helping you or a loved one overcome these challenges.
