Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for addictions

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a widely-used therapeutic intervention that's based on the premise that addictions arise and are exacerbated by dysfunctional and deeply-ingrained thought patterns. These negative thought processes and beliefs can undermine your efforts to make healthy choices, and are characteristic symptoms of substance abuse, behavioural addictions and other mental health challenges.

Destructive thought patterns and beliefs can often cause you to doubt your ability to recover; they are usually accompanied by an overall sense of hopelessness. However, our experts at Priory can use CBT to address and interrupt these negative thought patterns, change the way you respond to stress, learn new ways of thinking, and help you to develop the tools you need to resume a healthy, fulfilling and addiction-free life.

How does CBT work as an addiction treatment?

Supporters of CBT believe that in order to change your behaviour, you must first change your thoughts. In other words, they believe that by taking the time to gain insight into your beliefs, you can increase your health and wellbeing simply by changing the way that you think and respond to situations.

Our CBT specialists at Priory will work closely with you to identify negative thought patterns and negative beliefs that are contributing to your substance or behavioural addiction. By examining negative aspects of your thinking, your therapist will be able to identify specific areas to focus on in treatment.

Once you've identified the destructive thought patterns that have allowed the cycle of addiction to develop and continue in your life, our Priory specialists can teach you how to replace those dysfunctional beliefs with more positive ones. Sometimes, these negative beliefs stem from the earliest days of childhood, and are therefore very ingrained into your consciousness. For some, these thought patterns stem from coping skills that are no longer functional or healthy in adult life. By acknowledging these beliefs, you'll be able to change your thinking in the present, leave destructive behavioural patterns in the past, and take steps towards a full and lasting recovery from your addiction.

Benefits of CBT for addictions

CBT is a flexible, adaptable treatment tool that's used successfully in addiction programmes all around the world. It can be used either in individual or group therapy settings, and has been found to be highly effective in the treatment of addictions and addictive behaviours. CBT is evidence-based, recovery-focused, and produces a whole host of short and long-term benefits:

• CBT acknowledges the past but also looks towards the future, meaning that while your old ways of thinking will be reviewed and examined, you'll be doing so in order to create positive change in the present
• CBT involves homework, so you can expect to do the 'work' of CBT outside your therapy sessions, applying the insight that you have gained in your daily life
• By interrupting patterns of negative thinking with CBT, you'll be able to alter the behaviours and feelings associated with those thoughts, resulting in being better at coping with stress and making healthy choices in the future
• By addressing and confronting self-defeating beliefs, you'll gain healthier levels of self-awareness and self-esteem that will assist you in building a strong foundation for addiction recovery