CBT – What does this acronym mean?

When people are searching for a therapy program, a lot of times they notice advertisements for types of therapy like CBT, DBT, ACT, and others. So what do these acronyms mean, and how can they help in addiction recovery? CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

A cognitive behavioral therapist believes that people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors all influence each other. So the thought “this is hopeless” can either lead to or exacerbate depression, which could lead someone to isolate from friends and family, which leads to more thoughts about hopelessness. and that to manage things like substance use, anxiety, depression, anger, and other issues, CBT therapists try to work on challenging distorted thinking using tools such as Thought Records.

CBT therapists also try to teach new coping skills and behaviors. For instance, in depression, a CBT therapist would try to help someone depressed to be social and active rather than isolating.

CBT can help people with addiction or substance use to identify ways to manage impulses, challenge distorted thinking that perpetuates their use, and identify and treat underlying issues.

Kirsten Helgager, PsyD
Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516