Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Drug Rehab

At Cirque Lodge, we offer a bevy of treatment types to facilitate the recovery process. Additional to the 12-step program is the balance of personal and group therapies. The addiction treatment program at Cirque Lodge in Sundance Utah also incorporates effective cognitive behavioral therapy into its drug rehab program. This effective type of therapy can help the client determine the reasoning behind an alcohol or drug addiction.

For some the feeling is a 12-step program and cognitive behavioral therapy are not meant to go to together in treating addiction. The 12-step process is relying on a higher power to overcome addiction. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the changing of thought processes to overcome addiction. The truth is that many of the cognitions of an alcoholic or addict need changed for effective recovery. Once these things are changed accordingly, the 12-step process can take a larger roll in recovering from alcohol or drug addiction.

The other advantage to offering both styles of drug rehab program is to find what works best for each client. Many people benefit from the 12-step process and do not necessarily need the cognitive treatment. Others may not benefit as much from the 12-step program and the cognitive behavioral process can be far more therapeutic. We balance several aspects of treatment in our program to offer what works best for each individual client.

The Cognitive Process in Addiction

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an approach to treat the thought and action process of the brain. Originally developed as a type of social therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy has been altered to treat alcohol or drug addiction. The importance of this therapy is to help the thought process involved in addiction that leads to addictive behavior. The thought process of addiction leads to the action of using addictive materials. Cognitive behavioral therapy offers positive reinforcement in changing such thoughts, actions and behaviors.

Addiction is a cognitive process. Prolonged use of alcohol or drugs can lead to the brain developing an impulse to use such substances. The alcoholic or addict has no control over this impulse process caused by the brain. Cognitive functions of the brain are compromised by the use of the addictive substance. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to determine what thought processes need adjusted to supplant the addictive impulse. Changing the thought process will ultimately change the corresponding action of behavior.

Cognitive behavioral therapy will also help the client of the Cirque Lodge addiction treatment program in changing their behavior. How an addict acts can affect the success of their recovery. If an addict or alcoholic were to go back to the same behavioral living patterns after drug and alcohol rehab, they will most likely relapse back into addiction. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help change these behavior patterns and make the addict more likely to challenge the impulses of addiction.

Controlling the Impulse with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The impulse to use drugs or alcohol can be sparked by certain external things. These external things can be a place, a person, a situation, a mood or how someone feels, as well as psychological state. These external things are called "triggers." They are given this name because of how they trigger the impulse of use. Even with proper drug rehab a trigger impulse can lead to relapse, without the addict or alcoholic having any control of the impulse.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to provide control over such cognitions. The use of this therapy can help the addict or alcoholic control these impulses. It can strengthen their thought processes and convictions to change their behavior. Using cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the effective aspects to the Cirque Lodge addiction treatment program.

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