Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Practices for Substance Addiction

Introduction to Addiction

According to “Statistics of Addiction in America,” in 2011, there were 20.6 million people who were affected by addiction starting from the age of 12. Tobacco addiction is not even included in these statistics; imagine how many millions the actual number would be if it were included. Addiction is not a simple illness like a cough or cold that can be easily treated, nor is it akin to physical unattractiveness that can be remedied by makeup. It requires multiple sessions, heartbreaks from loved ones either from sadness or embarrassment, and financial resources that could have been used for other purposes, just to address the problem. If the process of finding a solution does not yet put a frown on the faces of readers, consider the situations that occur during the addiction phase. The addict spends a substantial amount of money to support their desires and needs for a substance; sometimes it goes so far as to steal from others or cause harm if they lack funds. Emotional pain is also a common reaction among people who discover that their friend or relative has a condition, especially those who love and care for the addicted person. The point is, everyone is affected, even those not related in any way to the victim. The community will cease to exist or flourish if those involved in it are handicapped, which is why we ought to remember the phrase “no man is left behind.”

Definition and Types of Addiction

Addiction is defined as “the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.” That is rather broad and general for a paper. In the words of Merriam-Webster, addiction is defined as “a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.” This definition focuses specifically on substance addiction, which will be the kind of addiction addressed in this paper. There are two kinds of substance addiction: substance-use and substance-induced disorder. The substance use and substance-induced paper of October 10, 2012, simplifies these two for better understanding. It states that substance-use disorder is about the attitude towards, dependency, and abuse of a certain substance, whereas substance-induced disorder is recognized when there is already intoxication and withdrawal symptoms involved that cause specific psychological and physiological effects on the individual.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Solution

Good news, there is a way to deal with this problem, and it is by using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). According to an article entitled “History of Cognitive Behavior Therapy,” CBT was pioneered by Dr. Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s. He conducted numerous studies, and alongside him, many followed and replicated his works, making CBT one of the most researched therapies to date. CBT is usually used for depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, to name a few. Recently, it has been widely applied to addiction as well. CBT is a combined therapy of cognitive and behavioral therapy, two different but complementary approaches to treating disorders. The idea behind it is that while behavioral therapy focuses on observable behaviors and how to reinforce new and healthy ones, cognitive therapy deals with the thoughts and cognitive processes believed to be the root of many negative behaviors.

Mechanism of CBT

How does it work? CBT recognizes the importance of people’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions, which are interconnected, like stages or a cycle. CBT aims to isolate those stages and break them into parts to deal with them better. Changing the way an individual thinks will result in a change in how they feel. A change in feelings will then affect the behavior, changing it too—a chain reaction of change. Those patterns or habits will then change into a better and healthier kind of cycle. Another advantage of CBT is that it addresses the patient’s current situation without the time-consuming process of delving into the past and spending numerous hours on interviews and interpretations.

Case Study and Effectiveness of CBT

There is an example of the application of CBT in treating heroin use by Grande (2015). He hired an actor so people could see an example of the therapy for educational purposes. Andrew Lightfoot is addicted to heroin, and the only reason he was addicted is boredom. He had already detoxified from heroin a few times. He has a good relationship with his parents, and he has a lover. But his parents and lover are worried about him, so they supported his decision to see a counselor. Lightfoot explained that if he doesn’t stop using heroin, his parents might disown him. The supplier of heroin was his neighbor, so whenever he crosses the supplier’s house, he craves heroin. Grande pinpointed the root cause of Lightfoot’s addiction and used effective coping strategies for Lightfoot to develop. Lightfoot should be surrounded by the people he loves, so it won’t trigger him to crave heroin, but that doesn’t seem to be enough. So Grande asked him, “Are there more things you can do whenever your parents or girlfriend are not around?” Lightfoot replied that he usually goes for a drive and visits stores to leave his house and avoid his supplier, thereby avoiding the temptation of using heroin. Grande also tells Lightfoot the consequences of using heroin, such as getting into trouble and potentially being kicked out of his parents’ house.

Research and Conclusion

Two studies support the effectiveness of CBT for substance addiction, though they vary in statistical significance, nevertheless pointing towards a promising therapy. It was found that CBT may be more effective when given in brief sessions, when participants are women, and when the substance chosen by the victim is cannabis. CBT works on substance addiction through operant conditioning or providing reinforcement to motivate and encourage the victim to stop the targeted behavior. This is explained by the fact that addiction is essentially characterized as a learned behavior and strengthened by the reinforcing effects of the substance. All it needs is to be unlearned. The learning process is the link among all substance abuse, despite the heterogeneity of results that sometimes differ from one another. It was stated in “Select Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” that CBT usually takes 10 to 20 sessions, equivalent to 20 weeks. The number of sessions depends on the situation of the patient and also on the patient’s needs and treatment goals.

Considerations for CBT

I assumed that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy only works for people who want to be cured. If the mind is negative, that may prevent a person from addressing addiction. It was quoted in “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Addiction” that “Negative thinking is an obstacle to self-change.” So if the patient is not willing to be treated, they might relapse. It was also said that CBT prevents the patient from using the substance. I have also concluded that it may just support people who have been cleansed or detoxified from drugs.

References

Grande, (2015). Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Practices for Substance Addiction.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Addiction. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.

Statistics of Addiction in America. (2011).

Substance Use and Substance-Induced Paper. (2012, October 10).

History of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. (n.d.).

Select Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. (n.d.).