The foundation of cognitive-behavioral therapy rests on a few main principles. The main one is that people often develop faulty and negative thinking about themselves and the world. As these negative thoughts take root over time, they become a part of the person’s emotional state. Consequently, negative thoughts influence how a person feels and responds to the world and others and lead to harmful behavior.

Through a cognitive-behavioral therapy program, the therapist works to help the person identify the negative thinking, and then they expose it to the person. During CBT, the therapist challenges your false thoughts and helps replace them with more accurate, positive ones.

Sometimes you may not know why you act or feel the way you do. Have you ever got upset, stressed, or even angry and then later wondered why you felt the way you did? It’s easy to act in ways we regret when we feel stressed or angry, too. The fact is that something from the past could be triggering our emotions, and thereby our actions follow.

If you find you’re always responding and reacting to situations without realizing why, then a CBT program will benefit you by delving into the core issue of your problem. Instead of reacting all the time to things without understanding why, you will begin to understand what drives those thoughts. As you gain understanding, you will also get better control over these actions.

When you do the work of cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT, you can get to the core of your addiction issues. You’ll understand what drove you to use drugs in the first place. Often, individuals abuse drugs or alcohol due to some underlying mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, or because of stressors at work, school, or within their family.

CBT helps you think rationally about situations and problems when they appear instead of immediately thinking about a worst-case scenario. This not only helps avoid negative emotions but also helps you solve the problem more efficiently and effectively.

Rational thinking also leads to more controlled thinking. You have a better grasp of your thoughts and emotions when you face negative issues or situations. You can use your new coping mechanisms to work past the problem rather than turning to substance use to cope with it. As a result of having a better attitude and thought processes, you will think about yourself in a positive way and end the negative patterns in your thinking. By incorporating these operant learning strategies and mental health services, positive change will form for the better.

CBT has an emphasis on relapse prevention. Individuals who misuse alcohol and other drugs experience relapse incidents often. CBT therapists teach clients new attitudes and skills to depend on in the long term. This improves the person’s feeling of self-reliance, but it also leads to reducing life pressures that increase the risk of relapse. This is why we use CBT in our aftercare program.

People who receive cognitive-behavioral therapy experience brain activity changes that may improve brain functioning. Behavioral treatments for an alcohol use disorder (AUD), such as CBT, affect brain function in ways that help people maintain their recovery. It aims at improving coping skills as well as understanding the factors and triggers that result in continued alcohol use.

At Northern Illinois Recovery Center, we utilize CBT to treat a wide range of mental disorders, including:

• Depression and anxiety
• PTSD
• Sleeping and eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Bipolar disorder

Likewise, an individualized treatment plan is also effective for patients who suffer from phobias, schizophrenia, and sexual disorders.

Yes, many insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover CBT as an outpatient medical service. Some plans also cover CBT as part of rehabilitation services. Your coverage often depends on your specific provider and plan. Our admissions team is happy to help answer any further questions about insurance coverage.

Each CBT therapy session varies depending on your therapist and specific goals for therapy. Since CBT is a form of talk therapy, you can expect a conversation with your therapist centered around specific issues you may have.CBT therapists use a technique called Socratic questioning to help patients arrive at their conclusions. For addiction treatment, this often includes discussing your substance abuse habits and investigating what may have caused them.

Socratic questioning in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a guided dialogue technique where therapists ask open-ended, thought-provoking questions to help clients examine and challenge their irrational or unhelpful beliefs. Instead of directly telling clients their thoughts are distorted, the therapist encourages self-reflection by prompting them to explore evidence, consider alternative perspectives, and assess the validity of their assumptions. This method fosters deeper insight, promotes cognitive restructuring, and helps clients develop more balanced, realistic ways of thinking. Ultimately, Socratic questioning empowers individuals to arrive at their conclusions, strengthening their ability to modify maladaptive thought patterns independently.

Typically, individual sessions last for about 50 to 60 minutes. Patients often attend several sessions over the course of 12 to 20 weeks. However, the number of sessions an individual attends can depend on their insurance coverage, personal preference, and treatment needs. Often, individuals continue CBT therapy throughout their recovery to ensure they practice the cognitive skills this therapy provides.