Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
The primary tool that’s used to treat substance addiction is addiction therapy. This is because there are a plethora of addiction therapies that have been proven to be effective when treating addiction and their co-occurring mental illnesses. One of the major forms of addiction therapy that has proven to be effective when treating addiction is dialectical behavioral therapy training, otherwise known as DBT. Take some time to learn these key things about this form of addiction therapy.
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What Is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy?
(DBT) teaches individuals how to accept their negative thoughts and emotions. That way they don’t have the power to cause them to exhibit negative behaviors. DBT focuses on training individuals how to recognize negative thought patterns and refocus their attention on their actual needs and positive actions. You are essentially being taught how to stop negativity from driving you towards a bad life choice. Dialectical behavioral therapy training is beneficial because it helps individuals deal with their addiction triggers in a manner that allows them to manage their thoughts and emotions when e
ncountering them. That way such addiction triggers don’t cause people to exhibit the negative behavior of abusing substances to cope.
Benefits Of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Training
There are many benefits of dialectical behavioral therapy training when it comes to addiction treatment. One major benefit of dialectical behavioral therapy training is that it increases the chance that a person in addiction treatment will achieve and sustain recovery. This is because DBT for addiction provides rehab patients with the coping skills that they need to function in society as sober individuals. Dialectical behavioral therapy also helps rehab patients manage their cravings for alcohol and drugs. DBT for addiction can even help rehab patients build upon their support groups. This is because dialectical behavioral therapy is effective in the individual and group therapy format. DBT can even effectively treat individuals in inpatient and outpatient rehab.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills
There are several specific coping skills that rehab patients can learn while receiving dialectical behavioral therapy training. The four main skills that DBT for addiction works on improving in its patients include mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.
Mindfulness
Dialectical behavioral therapy training teaches rehab patients how to stay thinking in the present moment. That way rehab patients can think more positively and not let their minds go down negative rabbit holes when triggered. Being trained in mindfulness also helps rehab patients remain calm when faced with their addiction triggers.
Mindfulness provides those in addiction recovery the empowerment to visualize and execute their necessary changes. It also allows them acceptance. This is extremely beneficial as many people in addiction treatment have a great deal of shame and guilt over their chronic illness of addiction. Mindfulness trains individuals to act out of a logical state of mind vs an emotional one.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness is a primary skill that DBT teaches its patients. This skill is the ability to build bonds with other people. Thus, building on one’s interpersonal effectiveness skills will help rehab patients communicate more effectively. This, in turn, will help rehab patients build on their support networks.
Building on one’s interpersonal effectiveness skills can also help rehab patients repair broken relationships. This is beneficial because many people with substance addictions damage their relationships with family and friends.
Distress Tolerance
Distress tolerance is the ability to manage stress. This skill is highly beneficial for rehab patients to learn, as many people start abusing substances to cope with stress. Thus, if rehab patients learn distress tolerance while in DBT, they’ll have a smaller chance of relapsing while in recovery.
Receive Dialectical Behavioral Therapy At Little Creek Recovery
Little Creek Recovery is an addiction treatment center located in Pennsylvania. Here at Little Creek, we specialize in treating substance addictions in men. As a result, our inpatient treatment programs are for men-only. Women that want to take part in the addiction treatment programs here at Little Creek can join one of our co-ed outpatient rehab programs.
Men who suffer from substance addictions at higher rates than women do. We also recognize that men often need more assistance learning how to manage their addiction triggers rather than responding to them reactively. That’s why we incorporate dialectical behavioral therapy training into our addiction treatment programs. Through the skills that our male patients can learn through DBT for substance abuse, they’ll be able to manage their addiction triggers long-term. To learn more about Little Creek and the different addiction therapies and types of addiction treatment programs that we use, contact us today! We would love to hear from you!