What many people don’t realize about the disease of addiction is that the psychological dependence is a significant challenge. This struggle is why so many believe the delusion that they can simply do a detox and stay clean. Most people who go through detox and don’t get adequate addiction treatment services relapse. With the help of various CBT techniques, you’ll find a way to overcome this type of psychological dependence.
How a Psychological Dependence Develops
All living beings have to be able to develop a psychological dependence as a way to survive. This was set up by evolution as a way for us to know where to find food when we’re hungry and water when thirsty. The problem is that with the way our brains are set up, we can develop a psychological dependency on drugs or alcohol. There are three main steps when it comes to developing this type of addiction, which includes:
- Trigger
- Behavior
- Reward
For example, you may drink or use every time you feel stressed or anxious. The trigger is anxiety, the behavior is drinking or getting high, and then the reward is the calm you experience. Every time this cycle completes, the brain lays down a memory in your neuropathways to become more efficient. After repeating this cycle many times, every time you experience that trigger, you’ll crave the behavior as well.
Breaking the Cycle with CBT Techniques
Some people believe that cocaine and other stimulants aren’t as dangerous as drugs like opiates, but they are. The reason people ruin their lives due to addiction is due to the intense cravings that come every time the trigger happens. The great news is that science has discovered methods that can help you recover. One of the best practices to overcome this dependence is through CBT techniques.
CBT is a form of addiction treatment that is proven by science to help people recover from addiction. This form of therapy is about identifying your triggers and behaviors, but then learning how to retrain your brain. For example, if you drink or use every time you get lonely, you’ll learn a health behavior to do instead. This is how you rewire your neuropathways to help perform healthy coping skills rather than toxic ones.
CBT Techniques and More
Steps to Recovery is a treatment center that wants to help you overcome your dependence on drugs or alcohol. We work with people just like you to teach them how to live a better life free from active addiction. Through our program, you’ll learn how to overcome your addiction and rebuild relationships with your loved ones. You’ll find that our program will provide you with the tools you need to break your dependence on substances.
Some of the treatment programs we offer here include:
Find out more about how we can guide you through CBT techniques. Let us help you overcome addiction by calling us today at 267.209.7312.
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