DBT for Addiction
The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS) has released data showing that in 2020, 37,309 million Americans aged 12 years and older had a substance abuse disorder. A separate study done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) reveals that at least 15.4% of all adults in America, which translates into nearly 39 million people, struggle with a substance use disorder (SUD) each year.
There are mental health specialists who believe that this number could be significantly decreased if the right therapy approach is utilized for people with substance abuse. One example is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which many medical professionals have utilized and proven to have resulted in optimal recovery outcomes.
At The Freedom Center in Maryland, our facilities believe in providing treatment in conjunction with therapy services to help people effectively manage and cope with their behavioral health conditions.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a structured form of psychotherapy with an educational component designed to equip people with skills for managing intense emotions and negotiating social relationships. This approach is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), another form of psychotherapy, although DBT is particularly adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely and might not be able to handle these intense emotions.
DBT also focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors because a lot of the trouble stems from the fact that many people cannot accept certain realities or truths because they could be too harsh for their sensibilities or goes against their fundamental beliefs. The useful component of DBT for substance abuse is mostly aimed at helping these people in learning ways to change their lives for the better, primarily by removing their unhelpful behaviors.
The very first instance of using DBT to treat mental health issues was when it was used to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). The relatively high success rate it produced as a treatment for the more difficult mental health issues prompted mental health specialists to see if it could be adapted to treat other mental health conditions as well.
The component of DBT that helps people who have difficulty with emotional regulation or are exhibiting self-destructive behaviors, including eating disorders and substance use disorders, further prompted mental health specialists to try it as a type of therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to which it has varying degrees of success.
Substance abuse disorder is classified as a mental health issue because of the powerful influence the habit has on a person’s behavior and in creating an altered mindset in people. Using DBT as an approach to treat addiction puts a great focus on how emotions tend to influence a person’s actions and decisions.
This approach takes a look at how people’s inability to manage their emotions pushes them to substance abuse, which is why this psychotherapy approach shines a light on these emotions that push people to addiction. Once these emotions have been identified, the person learns specific coping mechanisms that are tailored to address the stress, anguish, or fear that drives the person to take substances.