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The Role of CBT in Preventing Relapse

A therapist and a client discuss CBT for relapse prevention

During addiction treatment, you’re largely focused on the goal of achieving sobriety. But reaching this goal doesn’t mean your recovery is complete. Now comes the very real challenge of staying sober over the days, months, and years ahead. Fortunately, you can build up your resistance to a relapse while still in rehab. For many people, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) plays a big part in this aspect of addiction recovery. That’s true in more ways than one.

If you think you might benefit from adding CBT for relapse prevention to your recovery plan, Sobrius is here for you. We make CBT available in our customized relapse prevention programs in Galax, VA. With its help, you can make important strides in your efforts to stay sober. For more details, reach out to us today at 888.596.6514.

ABCs of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Galax, VA

What is CBT? The term applies to several types of psychotherapy with similar methods and goals. That includes such things as:

  • Challenging the negative thoughts and behaviors that help sustain addiction
  • Developing thought and behavior patterns that don’t sustain addiction
  • Increasing your ability to cope with everyday stresses without using drugs or alcohol

Cognitive-behavioral therapy can also help you do something else important – cope with unresolved trauma. This matters because lingering trauma can be a major motivator for drinking and drug use.

How CBT Helps Prevent Relapse During Rehab

Relapse is one of the primary dangers of addiction recovery. That’s true in large part because addiction is chronic. If you’re not diligent, there’s always a chance that it will re-assert itself.

Not everyone relapses for the same reason. If you’re still in rehab, withdrawal symptoms may be a contributing factor. The same is true for unresolved trauma, poor coping skills, and the presence of additional mental health issues.

CBT for relapse prevention addresses all of these issues in one way or another. First, it helps you recognize your typical thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This information is critical to understanding how your daily habits can hurt or help you.

As you make progress in CBT, you’ll learn how to spot negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as they occur. You’ll also learn how to use this new awareness to develop healthier patterns that help you stay sober. And if you’re affected by unresolved trauma, CBT can help you heal and decrease your odds of resorting to substance use.

How CBT Helps Prevent Relapse After Rehab

The difficulty of staying sober after rehab should never be underestimated. On any given day, you may deal with a variety of influences that make drinking or drug use more likely, including:

  • Situations or locations where you drank or used drugs in the past
  • Pressure from peers who still drink or use drugs
  • High-stress situations at work, at home, or at school
  • Unrealistic ideas of what long-term recovery is like

Past participation in cognitive-behavioral therapy in Galax, VA, can be enormously useful to you in these circumstances. CBT teaches you how to cope much better with everyday relapse risks. When your coping skills are sharp, you’ll find it much easier to stay substance-free.

Enroll in CBT for Relapse Prevention Today at Sobrius

The link between CBT participation and relapse prevention success is strong. Research shows that the therapy can help decrease your relapse risks by a substantial amount. In addition, CBT has other important recovery benefits. This helps explain the therapy’s standing as one of the primary resources for effective addiction treatment.

If you have more questions about CBT and relapse prevention, you can get them answered today at Sobrius. We use this therapy every day to support effective rehab for many different forms of addiction. Whether you need inpatient or outpatient treatment, we’re standing by to help. Just call us today at 888.596.6514 or use our online contact form.