Dialectical behavior therapy for addiction is a therapeutic approach to treating substance abuse that’s designed to instill in patients an ability to live their life in the present. A DBT for substance abuse program will also help you develop healthy methods for managing and coping with stressful situations, finding emotional balance, and ultimately improving relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. If you are suffering from addiction, contact Midwest Recovery online or call 833.627.0039 today to discuss how our dialectical behavior therapy program may help.
How Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Addiction Works
While DBT was pioneered in the 1980s as a way of treating borderline personality disorder, DBT for substance abuse has proven effective in assisting a variety of patients to overcome several co-occurring issues in conjunction with their substance abuse, including:
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- PTSD
- Bulimia
- Other mental health conditions
Treating you as a whole person, and addressing your substance abuse and the underlying reasons you use drugs and alcohol, is one key way that DBT for addiction works to treat addiction effectively.
What Does DBT for Substance Abuse Look Like?
A dialectical behavior therapy program will involve a combination of therapies and sessions to develop critical life skills. During DBT for addiction, you will experience individual, one-on-one therapy with a skilled, professional therapist who will work to ensure all of your needs are met. You can also expect to receive DBT skill building in a group environment to promote learning and idea-sharing among others who are currently walking a similar path to recovery as you are. Being in group therapy with other people on the same kind of addiction treatment path will help to keep you motivated and accountable as you learn how to utilize the dialectical behavior therapy skills going forward into your daily life. These supportive peers will also be crucial in helping you steer clear of the obstacles you will encounter inside and outside the therapy sessions.
The dialectical behavior therapy for addiction works because it is focused on providing patients with critical skills in four important areas:
Mindfulness
Mindfulness means being in the present. It is living in a state of active, open attention to life. In becoming mindful, you will observe thoughts and feelings without judgment and learn to be active and present. Exercises on practicing mindfulness will achieve this level of mindfulness during your DBT for substance abuse.
Distress Tolerance
Instead of escaping negative emotions through drugs, alcohol, or other means, distress tolerance in DBT for substance abuse will help to increase your tolerance of negative thoughts and feelings, which will help you cope with triggers that once lead you down a dangerous path substance use.
Emotion Regulation
Your substance abuse may be masking problems caused by the intense emotions you are feeling. During DBT for addiction, you will learn strategies for managing and changing those emotions for the better to live a healthier life.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Many patients suffering from substance abuse in DBT therapy may struggle with conflict in their relationships. Learning interpersonal effectiveness in a dialectical behavior therapy program will show you techniques for communicating in a way that maintains your self-respect while still being assertive. The result will be stronger relationships.
DBT For Addiction
Dialectical behavior therapy programs help people with substance use disorders learn skills and strategies to stop using drugs and alcohol. Additionally, DBT for addiction focuses on changing your behavior to make staying clear and sober easier and making a life-long recovery more possible by setting boundaries, improving your environment, and learning to form a supportive peer group.
Some DBT for substance abuse strategies may include:
- Encouraging new, safer environments
- Teaching the importance of supportive friends and family
- Helping to remove harmful triggers from your day to day life
- Boosting self-esteem and self-confidence
- Teaching coping mechanisms to manage stress
Learn More at Midwest Recovery Center
If you worry that you or someone you love is suffering from substance abuse, learn how Midwest Recovery’s DBT for addiction programs can help. Contact us using our secure online form or call us at 833.627.0039 today.
