Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Addiction is a terrifying and debilitating disease that can damage a person’s health and life. In addition to all of the negative physical changes and symptoms that people experience, their mental health may also suffer as a result of substance abuse. These additional issues must also be addressed for the person to have long-term success in their sobriety. At our Northeast addictions treatment center, we offer a variety of treatments and programs, like dialectical behavior therapy, to help people overcome the additional effects of addiction.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
Dialectical behavior therapy, also known as DBT, is a psychological treatment approach that centers on recognizing emotions and how to regulate them, especially as they relate to the individual’s relationships with others. These therapies allow patients to participate in both group and individual therapy sessions with trained therapists. These sessions allow patients the opportunity to relate to others who are experiencing the same treatment, and the opportunity to learn more about themselves through one-on-one time with a therapist. Patients who successfully complete this treatment will learn how to recognize their feelings and apply what they learn to their relationships.
Dialectical behavior therapy teaches patients that negative emotions are okay, the importance of knowing what causes them, and how to regulate them. Individuals who undergo DBT treatment will learn how to cope with their feelings healthily.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Addiction
While DBT was originally used to treat borderline personality disorders, dialectical behavioral therapy is now available to substance abusers and people who experience other forms of mental health problems.
Mental health issues or illnesses are often the sources of a person’s addiction. Many individuals who have an addiction turned to substance abuse because they don’t know how to cope with their mental health issues in a positive or healthy way. Eventually, this becomes part of the person’s everyday life, making it a difficult cycle to break out of. Dialectical behavior therapy for addiction helps to recover addicts cope with their negative emotions in a way that excludes substance abuse and instead promotes healthy and sober living. Dialectical behavior therapy can also be helpful for patients in our partial hospitalization program.
Substance abuse can also negatively affect a person’s relationships with others. Distrust and toxic relationships may result from a person’s dependency on drugs or alcohol. DBT can help recovering addicts realize how their substance abuse and emotional responses affect their loved ones and how to avoid emotional difficulties. Their relationships can improve from receiving dialectical behavioral therapy.
At both Clearbrook Massachusetts and Clearbrook Pennsylvania, we want all of our patients to benefit from the variety of programs that we have to offer. Programs like our intensive outpatient program alongside dialectical behavioral therapy can help people in recovery heal physically and mentally. Our other programs can also teach recovering addicts how to battle addiction triggers and cravings once they’ve transitioned to everyday life. At our rehabilitation center in Massachusetts, patients will be given the opportunity to learn the source of their addiction or mental illness and relate to others who are also in recovery. With us, patients can feel confident about their journey to sobriety.
