Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is a kind of psychotherapy that focuses on changing how you think or behave. It can be customized to fit your needs, behaviors, and experiences.

CBT focuses on giving you practical, concrete strategies to deal with thoughts or behaviors that may lead you to poor choices. These thoughts, called automatic thoughts, can pop up suddenly and feel overwhelming. CBT teaches you how to be aware of these thoughts and counteract them with more positive thoughts or actions.

For instance, you may learn something upsetting, like you aren’t getting the raise you wanted. This can make you upset and produce the automatic thought, “I need a drink.” CBT helps you realize you don’t need a drink to deal with this news. It gives you concrete, practical solutions to deal with a negative experience and help make yourself feel better.

Over time, it will become easier and easier for you to ignore automatic or negative thoughts and behave in more positive, healthy ways.

CBT helps you learn coping skills to deal with distressing times so you don’t turn to drugs or alcohol. It also challenges your false beliefs about yourself and about the world that can lead to poor choices. CBT helps you establish a partnership with a therapist instead of being dependent on them for health while giving you long-term, flexible strategies to apply to different situations throughout your entire life. CBT gives you insight into your emotions along with concrete solutions to change your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Most CBT involves weekly appointments with a counselor for months. Patients may see benefits in as little as three months, though you may need to continue therapy for longer.

CBT is very effective in combination with medications to help treat addiction or withdrawal symptoms, such as antidepressants, clonidine, and anti-anxiety medicines. CBT has also proven effective even after you stop taking medication. It can provide long-term support for addiction recovery.

CBT is more effective when you consistently use it and when you see an experienced therapist, such as those at Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services. Contact us today to learn more about our inpatient and outpatient therapy services.