Willpower is not a strategy.
Once you leave rehab and go home, you’ll need a lot more than self-control to keep you on the right track and moving forward. Relying just on willpower will make you miserable—and probably won’t work. What you’ll need to do is actually change the way you think it.
And that’s where cognitive behavioral therapy comes in.
If that sounds like psychobabble, you’re wrong. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is not the kind of deal where you probe your childhood for old wounds (although that is certainly important for some people.)
Rather, it treats problems and boosts happiness by helping you learn to modify your emotions, behaviors and thoughts.
This is especially important when you’re battling a cocaine addiction, which can leave you feeling anxious, depressed, irritable or just plain blah.
How CBT for Cocaine Abuse Works
According to the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists, this form of therapy emphasizes the importance of thinking about what we do and how we feel.
But how?
CBT can be done in either an individual or group therapy class. While every session is different, it may involve asking questions such as:
- What was I thinking or feeling when I used cocaine?
- What kinds of situations did I used cocaine in?
- What positive things happened when I used cocaine?
- What negative things happened when I used cocaine?
So it’s not just a question of telling yourself that you’re not going to use cocaine anymore. What you are doing is thinking about what triggers drove you to use cocaine and how using cocaine made you feel.
CBT also teaches coping skills. Whereas, in the past, you may have used cocaine to numb yourself from negative emotions, CBT teaches you to deal with them in a healthy way.
It’s important to note the CBT does not go on and on for years, an idea which turns many people off. Typically, it’s completed in 12 to 16 weeks. That’s because the person battling addiction does more than talk. And the therapist does more than listen. Instead, they work together to come up with a plan.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Denver
Recovery from addiction is about so much more than just getting clean. At The Raleigh House, we believe in taking a whole-person approach to addiction recovery, meaning we address the physical, psychological, social, mental and spiritual aspects of the disease. Fill out our form or contact us today to learn more about the cocaine addiction treatment program at The Raleigh House.
