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The National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists (NACBT) defines cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a general term labeling a group of thereapies that are based on the idea thoughts cause feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people, situations, and events; change your thoughts and you will feel and/or act better even if the situation does not change.
According to Dr. Richard Rawson's research at the Brain Research Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles, CBT supported by consistent participation in twelve step support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Crystal Meth Anonymous is the most effective treatment to help a meth addict enter and sustain recovery long term.
Meth addicts often experience paranoia, delusions, psychosis, and/or depression related to their drug abuse. These mental health issues have been documented to remain well into the first eighteen months of sobriety for many crystal meth addicts. CBT teachs a meth addict tools for processing information and/or stimuli, similar to the twelve steps but in a more specific manner, since meth addicts may interpret otherwise innocuous messages as threatenting due to their mental health issues. If they're capable of grasping the CBT tools offered, meth addicts quickly finds themselves liberated from despair, desperation, and suicidal thoughts and capable of constructing a healthy lifestyle unlike anything they've ever known in their past experience.
Psychoanalysis (talking therapy) can take years to achieve any semblance of success while the average number of CBT sessions clients are reported to need is 16 according to the NACBT (a cumulative average of all CBT clients, not just meth addicts).
Every drug addiction treatment program bases their recovery therapy on different theories. To find out if a treatment facility incorporates CBT into their program review their literature closely and be sure to inquire with an admissions counselor at the facility in question. If you'd like to locate a CBT therapist in your area, click here to be taken to the NACBT directory of CBT therapists.
Comments
I totally makes sense that the idea causes feelings, not external things. Marcus Aurelius discover that couple of thousands years ago. Now people often simplify that into a concept that thinking itself (like "positive thinking" etc.) can influence everything. In a physical world, that simply isn't enough. The truth is that there ARE many factors. Our view of them is the most important of all but nutrition, environment, physical body pre-disposition might have account as well. Drug rehab programs that take all of them into account and are prepared for longer term commitment and a broader approach will always be the most successful. Thank you for writing about it. Recently I came across a very successful campaign at www.drugfreeworld.org with god info on meth plus other drugs effects.
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