Drug Treatment Center in Montana on the Role of Therapy

Substance abuse treatment is more than just stabilizing your body. A vital part of the process is helping you address mental health concerns that could prevent you from recovering or could cause you to relapse. When deciding to participate in a drug treatment center in Montana, one of the things you must be prepared for is therapy sessions.

By relying on several types of treatments, a recovery program can help you understand why you may have resorted to drug use and what you can do to help yourself. Learn more about the importance of individual and group therapy sessions as you get sober.

Why Drug Addiction Treatment Plans Must Incorporate Therapy

Drug addiction doesn’t occur on its own. There is always an underlying cause that leads you to rely on substances. For some people, the reason may be apparent. You may struggle with serious mental health concerns like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or severe anxiety, which cause such powerful symptoms that you will turn to anything that provides even momentary relief.

For others, however, the problem may be less straightforward to spot. They could have deeply buried trauma or mood issues that stem from other mental health conditions.

Without identifying what the problem is that prompted you to rely on drugs, you won’t have a strong foundation on which to build your recovery. Anything could undo your efforts and lead you to relapse if you’ve not addressed the psychological problem behind addiction.

With therapy, you learn tools to serve you well for the rest of your life. You can address powerful emotions, learn stress-management techniques, and improve communication. This can help you navigate the world outside of a treatment center.

Most Effective Therapies for Addiction Recovery

Behavioral therapies are the most useful in group and individual therapy sessions.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that believes that psychological and behavioral problems stem from unhelpful and harmful ways of thinking as well as from negative learned behaviors.¹ By participating in CBT, you can begin to identify those unhelpful thought patterns that prompt harmful behaviors and slowly make changes.

With CBT, you can begin to face your fears and address them honestly instead of running from them. You’ll be exposed to new skills that could help you better manage difficult conversations so that they don’t trigger you. You’ll also be encouraged to set clear goals essential to maintaining your sobriety and improving your mental health.

CBT also focuses on problem-solving. It teaches you to identify the problem and generate a list of solutions to evaluate and implement. It’s beneficial in showing that you have control over your thoughts and behaviors, which is essential if you suffer from anxiety or experience high levels of stress in your everyday life.

Additionally, CBT encourages you to focus on self-monitoring, which assists you in tracking symptoms, moods, and behavioral patterns. It’s an essential tool for addiction recovery.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a variation of CBT that is very popular in drug addiction treatment programs. It teaches you how to live in the present moment and address powerful emotions healthily.²

One of the focuses of DBT is mindfulness. Building mindfulness skills helps you understand what you’re feeling at any given moment and prevents the escalation of anxiety or emotional pain. It can stop you from engaging in automatic negative thoughts.

Distress tolerance is another skill that DBT teaches you. You learn to accept yourself and your current situation while also self-soothing. You can regulate your emotions using DBT techniques, too, giving you more control over how you react to difficult moments.³

Interpersonal effectiveness is another essential tool DBT teaches you to use. You can learn to advocate for yourself in relationships, say no, and express your needs. These skills will improve your future relationships and help you build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Group Therapy

An integral part of treatment programs for drug addiction is group therapy. One of the problems those going through the recovery process face is the feeling of isolation. This feeling can worsen mental health concerns and add significant stress to an already challenging time. Group therapy helps alleviate that isolation by showing that others struggle with similar problems.

During group therapy sessions, you get to hear about the experiences others have had during recovery. You learn how to empathize with others and, in so doing, find ways of empathizing with yourself.

These sessions also show you how to communicate more effectively with others and address interpersonal issues more effectively. You can practice all the techniques you’ve learned during individual therapy sessions, giving you more confidence in your ability to wield these tools.

Group therapy also includes family therapy sessions. Addiction affects everyone around you, so it’s likely that you’ll need to relearn how to communicate with loved ones and build trust once again. It can feel like a daunting process, but therapists are there to guide you and your loved ones for more effective communication.

Drug Treatment Center in Montana: Start Your Recovery in Nature

Getting help if you live with a substance use disorder is one of the most important steps you can take for yourself. It’s never easy to get started down the path toward long-term recovery, but with the right treatment programs, it’s not something you have to do alone.

At Bear Creek Wellness, our treatment facility offers individualized and group therapy sessions for drug addiction that rely on evidence-based therapeutic modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy. By helping you understand the underlying cause of your drug addiction, we can guide you as you work toward long-term recovery.

Our location enhances our traditional therapies. Our facilities are in the Montana wilderness, offering a peaceful and inspiring way to begin your journey toward sobriety. Don’t wait another day to get the help you deserve. Contact our team at Bear Creek Wellness to speak with our admissions staff.

Sources:

[1] https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral

[2] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dialectical-behavior-therapy-what-is-it-and-who-can-it-help-202401223009

[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395614001952?via%3Dihub