What Is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) For Substance Use Disorder
What is the best treatment for substance use disorder (SUD)?
There is no single best treatment for SUD that applies to every person. More commonly, your SUD treatment specialists will work to understand what’s happening to you based on your symptoms, physical needs, and mental health conditions. The best treatment for SUD may also include managing stress and trauma.
For many people, the use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a beneficial resource because it is an action-oriented form of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Take a closer look at what REBT is and how we use it at Victory Addiction Recovery Center to provide each person with treatment that fits their unique needs.
What Is REBT?
REBT, developed by Albert Ellis in the 1950s, is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy based on the premise that a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. Your thoughts influence the emotions you have, which then lead to behaviors. Following this process, if we want to change our behaviors, we need to address both emotions and thoughts first.
The objective for SUD is to address and change current beliefs and thought patterns and find out where they came from so we can change them. We want to change current beliefs that are inaccurate but formed over time due to past experiences.
By doing this, you can identify all of the self-defeating beliefs you have and the thought patterns they lead to, effectively changing the outcome of your life. You’ll learn how to identify those thought patterns, recognize whether or not they are accurate, and then learn to replace them with rational patterns. In doing this, Dr. Ellis believed that a person could achieve healthier emotions and that would directly lead to improved behaviors.
REBT can help those who are facing a variety of mental health issues. It also offers support for those facing substance use and addiction by putting you back in control.
How Does REBT Work for SUD?
There are three principles that make up REBT.
1. All humans are capable of reason and have the ability to think rationally.
This principle focuses on understanding that every person has the power to choose what their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are. It sounds very simplistic, but consider it for a moment. Do you ever realize you don’t have to have those thoughts that are limiting you, and you can change them?
2. We are responsible for our own well-being and happiness.
This component focuses on the realization that you cannot control what happens to you in life. However, you can control how you react to that occurrence, and you hold the ability to be happy around that experience.
3. Our emotions are based on our thoughts, not on external events.
This final principle demonstrates the need to focus on changing what you can change and how you feel and react to it. You can change your behavior by changing the way you think.
How We Put REBT to Work for SUD
During your therapy sessions with your counselors at Victory, you’ll explore many of the thoughts you have and how they interact with your life. With REBT, you can expect us to address each aspect of your thoughts.
What’s irrational?
That starts with identifying your irrational beliefs, or the things you believe that are just not logical or are unrealistic. That may be that you’re not good enough for others or that you have to be perfect all of the time, for example.
What’s realistic?
The next step is to determine what rational beliefs really are in relation to those illogical thoughts. We replace them with logical assumptions, for example, that you are doing the best you can or you are working towards being the best version of yourself that you can be.
How do neutral beliefs factor in?
The third element is neutral beliefs, those that are not rational or irrational, but fact-based. That might be, for example, noting that the situation is difficult. With the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction, we can address how those irrational thoughts push you towards the use of substances and how you can replace them with accurate thoughts to avoid those behaviors.
Putting REBT to Work for You
REBT does not replace all negative aspects of your life, and working through it doesn’t mean you’re going to find yourself no longer upset or dealing with stress. What it can do for you is to help you see when your thoughts really are not logical, so that you can address them in real time and avoid the negative feelings you have.
Get Help With Us Now
At Victory Addiction Recovery Center, we work with each person to provide comprehensive attention to their unique needs. Set up some time to speak to our admissions counselor now and find out how we can help you. Contact us now.