No case of addiction and substance abuse is exactly like any other. Therefore, no therapy approach will be quite the same from one patient to another, as doctors and therapists work to find the best approach to help a patient find recovery from addiction.
Two of the most common approaches to addiction are CBT and DBT, but what exactly are they? Come with us as we break down the different approaches to addiction treatment.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT for short, is one of the most common approaches to addiction treatment and one of the most successful. As the name suggests, the approach is based on your thinking and patterns in your thought processes. CBT works to help a patient identify and challenge unhelpful and unhealthy thinking and replace them with healthier ways of thinking and behavior to positively impact your overall health and well being.
DBT, or dialectical behavior therapy, is actually an offshoot of CBT, based on the same principles, but with an additional focus on mindfulness and applying learned DBT methods to problem solving in your real life. Based on dialectics, DBT seeks to teach the patient to take contradictory issues and resolve them through practices such as emotional regulation and distress tolerance.
But which is better?
In general, CBT is more widely used and has a wider range of treatment options and applications. DBT is more narrowly focused, but is highly useful for cases in which the patient has a hard time dealing with emotional regulation, has a history of suicidal tendencies or simply has experienced a greater amount of crisis moments than on average.
So which, then, should you use in your addiction treatment?
That is probably best decided by your doctor and others involved in your treatment, but you might ask if any clinic you approach for treatment offers DBT as a therapy option. CBT, on the other hand, is much more common and will likely be in use at almost any rehab facility you might consider for treatment.
Ultimately, you’re likely to receive CBT in your treatment plan to some degree, but DBT is an option if the case and circumstances seem to warrant it. Your doctor and therapists will determine the best course of action for your recovery plan and take the right actions to reach the best results.
Good Landing Recovery offers both CBT and DBT in the right circumstances, so you’ll have the full suite of options when the time comes for treatment. They can help you find the right plan for your needs.
CBT and DBT can seem like just another part of the alphabet soup of clinical treatments, but they are vital approaches to getting a patient well and recovery from addiction. By breaking down the different approaches to addiction treatment, you can find the best options for your own case and consult with a doctor to confirm the right actions.