CBT for Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: Does It Work?

cbt interventions for substance abuse

If you have questions about your coverage, call the number on your insurance card to find out more information about your specific plan. Others may be out-of-network (OON) but offer patients the option of paying their therapy costs up-front and then sending a superbill to their insurance company for reimbursement. In that case, the therapist gives the client the paperwork necessary to submit their insurance claim directly to their provider.

Pharmacotherapies for opioid use disorders

cbt interventions for substance abuse

Meaning  These findings suggest that best practices in addiction treatment should include pharmacotherapy plus cognitive behavioral therapy or another evidence-based therapy, rather than usual clinical management or nonspecific counseling services. More recently, there has been an increased interest in the expectations ofnegative outcomes that individuals hold about substances. Negativeexpectancies about alcohol include cognitive and behavioral impairment, riskand aggression, and negative self-perception (Fromme et al., 1993). Negative consequences expectedfrom cocaine include global negative effects, anxiety, depression, andparanoia (Jaffe and Kilbey, 1994;Schafer and Brown, 1991). Itis thought that the anticipated positive effects of substances serve as anincentive or motivation to use.

cbt interventions for substance abuse

Application of Behavioral

cbt interventions for substance abuse

People who have a substance or alcohol use disorder may often struggle with negative feelings or thoughts that make recovery more difficult. Because CBT focuses on identifying and replacing such thought patterns with more adaptive ones, it can help improve a person’s outlook and support skills that support long-term recovery. Brief strategic family therapy (BSFT) has been developed for Hispanic adolescents and their families.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Addiction

While aversive conditioning procedures have most often been used in thetreatment of alcohol dependence, they have also been applied to thetreatment of marijuana and cocaine use (Frawley and Smith, 1990; Smith et al., 1988). It should be noted that these aversiveconditioning techniques, as well as cue exposure approaches, are best viewedas components of a more comprehensive treatment program rather than asindependent, free-standing treatments (O’Brien, et al., 1990; Smithand Frawley, 1993). In this context, Smith and colleaguesreported positive outcomes for dependent users of both alcohol and cocainewho received chemical aversion procedures as part of their treatment incomparison to those who did not receive similar treatment (Frawley and Smith, 1990; Smith et al., 1997). Rimmele andcolleagues also recommended covert sensitization as a highly effective andportable treatment component which, unlike chemical or electric aversiontherapies, can be used at any time and in any setting as a self-controlstrategy (Rimmele et al., 1995). The aim is not to remakepersonality, but rather to help the client address specific, identifiableproblems in such a way that the client is able to apply the basic techniques andskills learned in therapy to the real world, without the assistance of thetherapist. Behavioral therapy focuses more on identifying and changingobservable, measurable behaviors than other therapeutic approaches and hencelends itself to brief work.

Data on mechanisms of action, however, are quite limited and this is despite preliminary evidence that shows that CBT effect sizes on mechanistic outcomes (ie, secondary measures of psychosocial adjustment) are moderate and typically larger than those for AOD use. NIDA recently outlined 13 principles of effective treatment including information on many of the treatments cited previously cbt interventions for substance abuse [110]. Similar outcomes and common themes in the behavioral and psychosocial treatments have led many to speculate about the nonspecific or nontechnical factors in all effective therapies. Factors such as the therapeutic alliance, enhancing positive expectancies, inspiring hope, and conveying a deep understanding have been outlined as nontechnique-based agents of change.

Once trained in an EBP, how clinicians implement and sustain the practice is a critical aspect to dissemination research. New developments for alcohol use disorders also appear to be in the near future, including calcium carbimide (an aversive agent) [23] and γ-hydroxybutyric acid (a GABA metabolite that could reduce cravings) [32]. Mood stabilizers (lithium), anticonvulsants (carbamazepine), clozaril, and serotonergic drugs are also under investigation. If someone has already undergone a treatment program with counseling and therapy but continue to relapse, it might be time to explore alternative care or enter an extended, intensive treatment program. Trauma may not have been adequately addressed, necessitating more effective techniques or a longer duration of treatment. Top-quality care should consist of a team of knowledgeable, empathetic professionals capable of helping someone confront their past and equipping them with strategies to handle painful memories and emotions.

  • Traumatic experiences can drive individuals to use substances as a way to cope with the emotional pain and distress caused by the trauma.
  • In comparison to cognitive therapy, CBTplaces less emphasis on identifying, understanding, and changing underlyingbeliefs about the self and the self in relationship to substance abuse.
  • The following sections describe how briefbehavioral therapy might be applied at different stages of treatment.
  • The authors acknowledge that other treatments, including inpatient or residential programs, prevention programs, and self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) do have some evidence for effectiveness.
  • These findings suggest thattreatment not only should rectify deficiencies in coping abilities, butthat it may be necessary to focus on skills to deal with both generalstress and substance-related temptation.
  • In the sections below we will cover only those which (1) are explicitly or predominantly cognitive-behavioral in focus (although several include components of MI and other interventions), (2) the primary targeted outcome is alcohol or drug use, and (3) the intervention is delivered online.

Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Help in Addiction Treatment?

It uses behavioral principles and contracting to reinforce abstinence and the appropriate use of medications (eg, naltrexone). It has been found to increase abstinence, improve relationship functioning, and decrease domestic violence in both male and female identified patients [40–44]. Naltrexone directly blocks opiate receptor activity (receptor antagonist) and was approved in the 1990s for the treatment of opiate and later for alcohol use disorders.

cbt interventions for substance abuse

cbt interventions for substance abuse

The therapist in this case might consider using skills training that focuseson problemsolving, stress management to alleviate his depression, developingcommunication skills, practicing substance refusal skills, and developing asocial support network. The therapist should target both this client’s lowself-efficacy and his positive cocaine-effect expectancies. Clearly the fullintervention plan would require further assessment and a functionalanalysis; however, a direction for further treatment can already be seen inthis brief interchange. Periods without therapy sessions allow clients time to practice the newskills of identifying and challenging unproductive thinking on their own.However, it is easy to fall back into old, automatic ways of thinking thatmay require a return to therapy. The therapist can productively build onwhat was learned in previous sessions, help the client see how she slippedinto old patterns, and further reinforce the process of catching oneself inthe process of thinking negative automatic thoughts. The therapist must beprepared to move from topic to topic while always adhering to the majortheme–that how the client thinks determines how the client feels and acts,including whether the client abuses substances.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy that can be effective for helping people overcome substance abuse and addiction. CBT for substance abuse helps overcome alcoholism and drug addiction by dismissing false beliefs, developing mood-improving skills, and teaching the client effective communication. During cognitive behavioral therapy exercises, recovering addicts are taught to modify their feelings by changing their thoughts and behaviors.

  • More researchneeds to be conducted looking at the effect of treatment duration on theefficacy of these therapies.
  • The findings revealed that among the participants, 298 individuals (88.9 percent) had encountered childhood adversities, with 44.4 percent of them reporting more than five childhood traumas.
  • Bandura noted that there are a number of ways to increaseself-efficacy (Bandura, 1977).However, the model that appears to have the greatest impact and lastinginfluence uses the idea of performance accomplishments to enhance clientself-efficacy.
  • In other words, the approach is well-articulated, but despite this, knowledge on MOBC (ie, how it works) and specific matching factors (ie, for whom it works) is limited.

Typically, meta-analytic reviews in the AUD/SUD literature have been conducted on specific pharmacotherapies,9 groups of pharmacotherapies,10-12 or specific behavioral interventions, such as CBT. As a result, the evidence-informed guideline will relate only to the selection of a single, stand-alone therapy, whether pharmacological or behavioral, and not their combination. For example, in a review of 122 clinical trials of AUD pharmacotherapies delivered in outpatient settings,10 the authors could not conclude about the efficacy of pharmacotherapies when combined with a behavioral cointervention. Combined behavioral and pharmacological interventions are considered best practices for addiction. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a first-line intervention, yet the superiority of CBT compared with other behavioral treatments when combined with pharmacotherapy remains unclear. An understanding of the effects of combined CBT and pharmacotherapy will inform best-practice guidelines for treatment of SUD.