Cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy are forms of talk therapy that help you address the root causes of your addiction. Doctors use these treatments to help you manage any mental disorders you have. Although there are several similarities, there are also differences between CBT vs. DBT that distinguish each type of therapy.

 Let’s take a closer look at cognitive behavioral therapy vs dialectical behavior therapy and how they benefit you in addiction recovery. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Your addiction is a result of negative thoughts and behavior patterns that create a vicious mental cycle. Your therapist uses CBT in Austin Texas to help you identify these negative thoughts. Once you know why you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, you can restructure self-defeating thoughts and replace them with positive and healthy thoughts.

This shift in thought will also create a change in behavior. Granted, it takes time for this shift to take place; however, with ongoing therapy and other forms of treatment, you will notice an improvement in your mindset.

Core principles of CBT include:

• Exploring your negative thoughts and behaviors
• Making the connection between your thoughts and your addiction
• Retraining your mind to embrace positive thoughts and beliefs
• Creating positive behaviors that replace negative behaviors 

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be implemented in both individual and group therapy settings. 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

One of the main differences in CBT vs. DBT is that cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses more on changing your mindset by identifying the root of your negativity. Dialectical behavior therapy focuses more on controlling your emotions and how you react to situations or circumstances. You start by accepting your feelings and receiving validation for those feelings from your therapist. 

Learning to accept the way you feel about your life is a significant first step toward recovery. In essence, your emotional walls come down.

Core principles in DBT include:

• Accepting that your feelings are real and valid
• Learning to control your emotions in particular situations
• Developing problem-solving skills to cope with your disorder

How CBT vs. DBT Works in Addiction Treatment

Both cognitive behavioral therapy vs dialectical behavior therapy are useful during the initial stage of your recovery. Since they are both short-term treatment methods, your therapist uses either to ‘break the ice.’ Once you learn to identify and accept what is going on inside of you, then you are free to move on to more advanced therapy.

Keep in mind that both CBT vs. DBT does not work the same for everyone. How you respond to this type of therapy will determine whether it is successful. The key is to make a connection between your mental state and your addiction. Your therapist guides you along as you come into a greater awareness of what is in your mind.

Contact Promises Austin to Start Your Treatment

To find out more about CBT vs. DBT, contact Promises Austin today. We offer cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy as a part of our addiction treatment program. To get started with your treatment, call us at 1.844.768.0238.

Promises Austin, a part of the Promises Treatment Centers network, provides mental health and addiction treatment at our treatment center in Austin, Texas. Promises Austin is Joint Commission accredited and provides compassionate treatment for drug and alcohol addiction and a full spectrum of mental health disorders. Learn more about Promises Austin here.

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The opioid crisis in America is a serious issue that needs to be addressed and talked about. When you are looking for help for yourself or a loved one, reach out to an opioid addiction treatment center that can help. Learn more about the opioid crisis in America and how to find help below.

Opioid Crisis in America

There is an epidemic going on that involves the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs. The opioid crisis in America has been overlooked for too long, especially since it has affected so many people.

How Many People Use Opioids in the US?

According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 130 people die from opioid-related overdoses every day. A little over 10 million people abused opioids in 2018. Also in 2018, 2 million were said to have an opioid use disorder. Many opioid users also end up using heroin. A large percentage of people who use heroin started by first abusing prescription opioids. There is also an increase in the abuse of opioids in large cities, along with Midwestern states.

How many people use opioids in the US? Too many. These are huge numbers, to say the least. Where did this problem originate from and how did it start?

Opioid Abuse Origins

Pharmaceutical companies are to blame. In the late 1990s, these companies put medical doctors and specialists at ease by telling them that patients could not become addicted to opioid-based pain killers. This caused medical practitioners to prescribe more of these painkillers in larger numbers than before. When it became obvious that opioids were highly addictive, people were already abusing them, both non-prescription and prescription opioids.

Solutions to the Problem

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are trying to combat this problem in several ways. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is focusing on improving public health surveillance so that the public has a better understanding of the opioid crisis, improve the need for recovery services and better treatment, improving practices for pain management, promoting drugs that can reverse overdoses, and allowing more opportunities for research on addiction and pain.

The National Institutes of Health is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Institutes of Health is the head of medical research to find a solution to the opioid crisis. They met with academic research centers and pharmaceutical companies to talk about ways to solve this major public issue. So far, finding ways to prevent overdose, managing chronic pain in safe and non-addictive ways, and using specific medications have been discussed.

Additionally, many drug addiction treatment centers have opened their doors to people struggling with opioid addiction. Detox protocols help each person cleanse their body of opioids safely. Then, evidence-based and holistic addiction therapies help them navigate the roots of addiction. Therapists and counselors help each individual find long-term coping strategies they will need for their recovery. Comprehensive and compassionate support can help to fight the opioid crisis in America.

Getting Professional Help For the Opioid Crisis in America

Lucida Treatment Center, located in beautiful Lantana, Florida, offers many programs and therapies as part of their comprehensive addiction treatment. At Lucida, each individual receives a customized care protocol for their specific needs. Therapies and programs at Lucida Treatment Center include:

• Medical Drug Detox
• Inpatient Drug Rehab
• Dual Diagnosis Treatment
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy 
• Psychological and Psychiatric Care

You do not have to let addiction control your life any longer. Let us at Lucida Treatment Center in Lantana, Florida help. Contact us at 1.866.947.7299 so that we can get you started on one of our treatment programs.

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College students respond best to anti-heavy drinking campaigns that focus on things such as the positive health outcomes associated with lowering alcohol intake, a team of American researchers report in a new study. 

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More than 80 percent of college students use alcohol, and many of them don’t need much of a special reason to reach for a drink, but sometimes life provides them with one. Across the country, students on many college campuses celebrate special traditions — sometimes passed down for decades — that involve more chances for drinking than the usual weekend partying.

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Binge drinking addiction is a habit that could kill you. Binge drinking means drinking too much in one sitting, enough to get drunk according to blood alcohol content. For most men this equates to drinking five or more alcoholic beverages in a couple hours, while for women the number is closer to four. If you binge drink, you aren’t alone. It’s a dangerous style of drinking that many people engage in, both adults and underage drinkers. Before you go on another bender, learn about the risk you’re taking.

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Not all college drinkers have the same underlying motives for participating in alcohol consumption. In a study published in 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, a team of British researchers investigated the various emotional motives for alcohol use among college and university students. These researchers found that specific motivations tend to lead to specific outcomes for college drinkers between the ages of 18 and 25.

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a well-known mental health condition that some people develop after exposure to life-threatening situations or other forms of extreme stress. Current evidence indicates that nearly one out of 10 U.S. college students develops symptoms of this disorder. In a study published in late 2013 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, researchers from the University of Buffalo explored the link between PTSD and the dangerous practice of heavy alcohol consumption in college. These researchers found that there is a two-way connection between PTSD and heavy drinking.

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ADHD stimulants are prescription medications designed to address the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which typically appears in childhood and can continue to exert its effects in adulthood. Significant numbers of people abuse these medications by taking them without a prescription or using them in ways not sanctioned by a prescribing doctor. In a study published in 2014 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a team of American researchers examined how often people who abuse a stimulant ADHD medication also have problems related to the use/misuse of at least one other type of substance. 

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Alcohol and marijuana are two widely consumed substances known for their ability to alter consciousness and lower users’ emotional and behavioral inhibitions. One potential consequence of these emotional and behavioral changes is participation in unsafe sex. In a study published in the Journal of Sex Research, researchers from three U.S. institutions examined the specific ways in which alcohol and marijuana use can change the willingness of college-age women to use condoms when engaged in sex with familiar and unfamiliar partners.

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Underage drinking is the blanket term used to describe any amount of alcohol consumption by a person below the legally mandated age of 21. Binge drinking is the term used to describe the rapid consumption of enough alcohol to reach or exceed the nationwide U.S. standard for legal intoxication. In a report published in August 2014, researchers at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration looked at the differences in underage binge drinking participation that exist between America’s 50 states, as well as between separate regions within any given state.

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