by Kind Dev | Aug 21, 2024 | Treatment Tailored
The Dalai Lama famously said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” This is the type of self-compassion that one must practice if they are to truly heal from issues of addiction and/or mental illness in the long term. One of the ways to better attain this state of being is by utilizing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), especially utilizing CBT in day treatment.
The Prevalence of Addiction in the U.S.
Addiction remains a serious and prevalent issue in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “In 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.”
There are also serious statistics regarding addiction and co-occurring disorders. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “7.7 million adults have co-occurring mental and substance use disorders.” Also, “Of the 20.3 million adults with substance use disorders, 37.9% also had mental illnesses,” and “Among the 42.1 million adults with mental illness, 18.2% also had substance use disorders.” Many of these people, whether they have co-occurring disorders or not, do not seek the help they need. One of the biggest reasons for this is stigma.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Opinion in Psychiatry, “The prevalence of substance use disorders is increasing in the U.S. general population, but these disorders remain seriously under-treated. Stigma can reduce willingness of policy-makers to allocate resources, reduce willingness of providers in non-specialty settings to screen for and address substance abuse problems, and may limit willingness of individuals with such problems to seek treatment. All of these factors may help explain why so few individuals with substance use disorders receive treatment.” Another issue why people aren’t getting the help they need is that they are not being connected with the proper recovery centers.
The Importance of Individualized Treatment Plans
Individualized addiction and mental health care are crucial if one is going to heal at the molecular level. It is only logical that to get the adequate care that one needs, all of their issues need to be addressed.
The fact of the matter is that the recovery industry is a billion-dollar industry, and not all treatment centers are created equally. Unfortunately, some players focus more on financial gain than on the well-being of their clients. These recovery centers tend to offer overarching “one-size-fits-all” treatment plans that don’t address every client’s needs. Also, these recovery plans lack the type of comprehensive modalities that are required to heal the whole mind-body.
The Importance of Comprehensive Treatment Plans
Comprehensive treatment is all about taking a multi-angled approach to recovery. This means utilizing means, methods, and modalities from all avenues of recovery. Now, this includes utilizing tools from the psychotherapeutic realm, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). It also means various types of experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and art therapy. Lastly, one should also take advantage of holistic healing practices like massage, yoga, reiki, and mindfulness meditation.
Comprehensive treatment can also be utilized in many different settings. It can be used in residential addiction and mental health care facilities where people require 24/7 attention. Comprehensive treatment can also be used in day treatment programs where people have more freedom to come and go as they participate in their recovery.
Better Understanding Day Treatment
Day treatment is an ideal treatment for those who require intense treatment but also need to keep one foot in their everyday lives. Now, this does not mean that this type of treatment is any less focused or enthusiastic. It just means that one does not require inpatient status.
Day treatment also takes a lot of work. One must dedicate at least eight hours a day for at least five days a week to their treatment at a minimum. This is because success also relies on connecting to recovery networks and recovery communities like those that focus on the Twelve Steps.
Day treatment also utilizes all the modalities that are used in other treatment settings. This includes individualized therapies, group therapies, family therapies, and trauma therapies.
Also, regarding trauma therapy, many people don’t realize just how much trauma affects people throughout their day-to-day lives. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine, “The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines a traumatic event (TE) as exposure to threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence. Such exposure may occur directly or indirectly by witnessing the event, learning of the event occurring to a loved one, or repeated confrontation with aversive details of such event (e.g. emergency responders).” Also, “Exposure to TEs is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is also associated with a wide range of other adverse mental and physical health outcomes.”
PTSD is also a serious and prevalent issue in the U.S. and around the world. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Center for PTSD, “About 6 out of every 100 people (or 6% of the U.S. population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives… About 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5%) in the U.S. has PTSD in any given year. In 2020, about 13 million Americans had PTSD.” The good news is there are many effective treatment modalities for PTSD and other issues of mental health and addiction.
Effective Treatment Modalities in Day Treatment
There are many effective means, methods, and modalities used in day treatment to help individuals achieve the type of long-term recovery success that is desired. This includes using many different types of therapies, physical activities, spiritual practices, and holistic healing methods.
It should also be noted that some individuals require a safe and secure detox prior to going through day treatment. There are also those who may require pharmacological treatments like the use of mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. Regardless of whether or not the previous two options are utilized, most people in day treatment will use and benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Utilizing CBT in Day Treatment
CBT is one of the most highly effective evidence-based psychotherapies being utilized today. One of the reasons for this is that many studies have been performed on its efficacy.
CBT has been utilized to treat many different types of issues for over 60 years. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, by Doctors Chand, Kuckel, and Huecker, “In the 1960s, Aaron Beck developed cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) or cognitive therapy. Since then, it has been extensively researched and found to be effective in a large number of outcome studies for psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and personality disorders. It also has been demonstrated to be effective as an adjunctive treatment to medication for serious mental disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.”
Utilizing CBT can be particularly effective for those individuals who struggle to get to the underlying issues of their behaviors. The therapy is all about changing the negative way one views oneself and the world around them.
Ultimately, utilizing CBT helps to change negative behaviors. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. To achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns… Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.” Also, utilizing CBT is greatly aided when utilizing other treatments.
Utilizing CBT With Other Means, Methods, and Modalities
CBT’s efficacy is increased when other types of treatments are used with it in tandem. This includes therapies that focus on the mental and the emotional self, activities that focus on the physical self, and holistic healing methods that focus on the psychic and the spiritual.
CBT can also be greatly aided by other types of psychotherapies. This includes dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
Utilizing CBT and Other Therapies
DBT started with a primary focus but has since expanded to treat many different types of mental health issues and addictions. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD). The patient populations for which DBT has the most empirical support include parasuicidal women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but there have been promising findings for patients with BPD and substance use disorders (SUDs), persons who meet criteria for binge-eating disorder, and depressed elderly patients.”
DBT and CBT also work well when integrated into group therapy. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Group Therapy, by Doctors Malhotra and Baker, “[Group therapy] can be used to treat a variety of conditions including but not limited to emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” This type of therapy is also an ideal type of therapy to help people connect with others who have shared experiences, something that is particularly helpful for those struggling with addiction. Another helpful type of therapy is experiential therapy.
Utilizing CBT and Experiential Therapies
Experiential therapy is true to what its name expresses; it is about experiences rather than discussion (though that is part of it too). One of the most common types of experiential therapies is nature-immersion therapy.
It has long been known that nature can be highly beneficial for recovery. According to the National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression while promoting a sense of well-being and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.”
Nature immersion also offers many other benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides physical health improvements, nature exposure can bring about positive influence upon psychological constructs such as boredom, friendliness, well-being, and liveliness. However, across more than one hundred studies on nature/wildlife exposure, stress mitigation has been shown to be one of the most consistent and important psychological benefits.” Also, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning.”
Another type of effective experiential therapy is art therapy. This is different than the previous type in that it focuses on creative output rather than physical activity. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cureus, “Art therapy refers to various treatments, such as theatre therapy, dance movement psychotherapy, body psychotherapy, music therapy, and drawing, painting and craft therapy.” Also, “Art therapy uses artistic means to treat mental illnesses and improve mental health… Art therapy uses integrative techniques to captivate the soul, body, and mind in ways that verbal expression alone doesn’t appear to.”
CBT can also benefit from modalities that are outside the realm of psychotherapies or experiential therapies. It can benefit from being used alongside holistic healing methods like yoga and meditation.
Utilizing CBT With Yoga Therapy and Meditation
Yoga and meditation have been practiced for thousands of years. Originally, they were utilized solely as religious or spiritual practices, but they are now utilized in many different areas. Most recently, they are being used to help people recover from issues of mental health and addiction.
The benefits of yoga are so vast that they can be hard to quantify. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering or limitations… [Y]ogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
Meditation can also be practiced in tandem with yoga or on its own. Regardless, it’s extremely helpful for issues of mental health and addiction. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “During the process of meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall. Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency.”
When all of these different means, methods, and modalities are utilized alongside CBT, the chances for long-term recovery go up exponentially. Ultimately, that is the goal: long-term recovery success.
Our Primary Purpose: Long-Term Success at NorthStar Recovery Center
The Dalai Lama also famously said, “It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.” That is also our goal at NorthStar Recovery Center: long-term success.
At NorthStar Recovery Center, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why we only offer the best individualized and comprehensive treatment plans that utilize CBT and focus on the future.
The key to a successful recovery is to remember that it is about the journey rather than the destination. That journey can start right here at NorthStar Recovery Center. There is hope. We can help.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is currently the most utilized psychotherapy for issues of addiction and mental illness. That is why it can be highly beneficial to know what CBT is, who it can help, what the process looks like, and how it can be an essential component of day treatment. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this alone. For more information about the benefits of CBT for long-term recovery, please reach out to NorthStar Recovery Center today at (888) 311-0911.
by Kind Dev | Aug 6, 2024 | Substance Abuse
The iconic author and philosopher Joseph Campbell once said, “We must let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” This is emblematic of what AUD and SUD recovery is all about. It is about letting go of control and allowing others to help. One of the best places for this to happen is in day treatment.
The Prevalence of AUD and SUD in the U.S.
Addiction rates remain extremely high in the U.S. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the results of the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), “48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.”
It should also be noted that many people who are struggling with AUD and/or SUD are also struggling with some type of mental illness. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “7.7 million adults have co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. This doesn’t mean that one caused the other and it can be difficult to determine which came first.” Now, this is important to note because co-occurring mental illness can be a major contributor to relapse.
The High Prevalence of Relapse in the U.S.
Recovery should never be about short-term “fixes.” No, recovery should be about long-term success and achievable goals. If these factors aren’t taken into account, the potential for relapse goes up exponentially.
Many people don’t realize just how prevalent addiction relapse actually is. According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment.” Also, “For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.”
To better avoid potential relapse, it is important to choose the right type of recovery and treatment program for the individual. From detox and residential addiction care to living in a sober living facility, there are many options.
What Are Some Types of Recovery?
Perhaps the most common image that people have in their heads when they think about treatment is the detox process. This is when an individual goes through a rigorous process of getting alcohol and other substances out of their system safely. The key word here is “safely” because detoxing on one’s own can not only be dangerous, but it can also be deadly.
This is especially true with AUD. According to the peer-reviewed journal Alcohol Health and Research World, “Disease processes or events that accompany acute alcohol withdrawal (AW) can cause significant illness and death… Another potential AW complication is delirium tremens, characterized by hallucinations, mental confusion, and disorientation. Cognitive impairment and delirium may lead to a chronic memory disorder (i.e., Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome). Psychiatric problems associated with withdrawal include anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance.”
A professional detox can ensure that these issues are significantly less likely to arise. It can also ensure that the appropriate nutrients are replenished in the individual. Most people don’t realize just how depleted individuals in need of recovery can be. According to the peer-reviewed journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, “Chronic alcoholic patients are frequently deficient in one or more vitamins. The deficiencies commonly involve folate, vitamin B6, thiamine, and vitamin A. Although inadequate dietary intake is a major cause of the vitamin deficiency, other possible mechanisms may also be involved.”
Detox can also offer an essential transition toward the next steps of recovery. This may include inpatient care, which is important if an individual requires more round-the-clock support and observation, or it may be day treatment, which offers just as much rigor when it comes to recovery, but the individual can remain active in their day-to-day lives.
What Exactly Is Day Treatment?
Day treatment offers intensive addiction care while also allowing an individual to come and go from the treatment center. Some people transition down to day treatment from inpatient care, and others choose to go directly into day treatment.
Day treatment for AUD and SUD recovery is generally a five-day-a-week program that includes full-day recovery sessions. These sessions usually include a combination of therapy, psychotherapy, counseling, and recovery community building. Day treatment also tends to involve the whole family in the recovery process.
What Are the Benefits of Day Treatment?
There are many benefits of day treatment. Perhaps the most prominent is the ability to stay active in one’s life, but there are also many others. The following are just a few of the benefits of day treatment for AUD and SUD recovery:
- A reduction in relapse potential
- The potential to build a strong “sober network”
- An opportunity to work with both recovery peers and professionals
- Often more affordable than inpatient care
- More insurances tend to cover day treatment
- Offers an opportunity to try many different recovery means, methods, and modalities
- Gives the potential to “step down” to a sober living facility
- Can help with mental health issues
- Fosters integral accountability
Now, not all day treatment programs are created equally. It is important to connect with a day treatment that focuses on individualized and comprehensive care.
Comprehensive Recovery Modalities in Day Treatment
A multi-angled approach to recovery is essential if one is going to heal at the most optimal level. This means that the approach should pull from many areas of recovery.
These areas include psychotherapy like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), experiential therapies like nature immersion and art therapy, group therapy, family therapy, trauma therapy, and holistic healing methods. Perhaps the most foundational of these modalities is psychotherapy.
AUD and SUD Recovery: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Psychotherapies like CBT are essential for recovery because they are evidence-based in their efficacy. All this means that psychotherapies like CBT have been studied long enough to show a strong correlation of efficacy.
CBT is all about getting to the underlying issues of AUD and SUD. According to the peer-reviewed journal BioPsychoSocial Medicine, “CBT is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps people to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on their behavior and emotions. Under stressful conditions, some individuals tend to feel pessimistic and unable to solve problems. CBT promotes more balanced thinking to improve the ability to cope with stress.” It is this “balanced thinking” that can become such a vital component of long-term recovery.
CBT is also about changing the negative cognitions (thoughts) and emotions (feelings) that are associated with negative behaviors (actions). According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “The core premise of this [CBT] treatment approach, as pioneered by Beck (1970) and Ellis (1962), holds that maladaptive cognitions contribute to the maintenance of emotional distress and behavioral problems. [Based on] Beck’s model, these maladaptive cognitions include general beliefs, or schemas, about the world, the self, and the future, giving rise to specific and automatic thoughts in particular situations. The basic model posits that therapeutic strategies to change these maladaptive cognitions lead to changes in emotional distress and problematic behaviors.”
AUD and SUD Recovery: Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Another psychotherapy that can be highly beneficial for AUD and SUD recovery is DBT. DBT is an offshoot of CBT and other psychotherapies that focused originally on people with borderline personality disorder. It has since branched out into treating people in all populations, including those struggling with addiction.
This therapy can be highly effective in day treatment because it is comprehensive and requires accountability. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “DBT is a comprehensive program of treatment consisting of individual therapy, group therapy, and a therapist consultation team. In this way, DBT is a program of treatment, rather than a single treatment method conducted by a practitioner in isolation.” DBT can also be highly effective because many people with AUD and SUD have co-occurring disorders.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, “Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a well-established treatment for individuals with multiple and severe psychosocial disorders, including those who are chronically suicidal. Because many such patients have substance use disorders (SUDs), the authors developed DBT for Substance Abusers, which incorporates concepts and modalities designed to promote abstinence and to reduce the length and adverse impact of relapses. Among these are dialectical abstinence, ‘clear mind,’ and attachment strategies that include off-site counseling as well as active attempts to find patients who miss sessions.” Other effective therapies are found under the experiential umbrella.
AUD and SUD Recovery: Experiential Therapy Options
Experiential therapies are very much what they sound like. They are therapies that focus more on “experience” than “talk sessions.” Now, there are two primary types of experiential therapy. There is experiential therapy that involves “activity,” such as nature immersion therapy, and there is experiential therapy that involves “creativity” like art therapy and creative journaling.
Nature immersion therapy is a good option for individuals in day treatment because it takes advantage of the opportunity to come and go from the recovery center. This therapy also offers many essential benefits. According to the National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression, while promoting a sense of wellbeing and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.”
There are also many other benefits of nature immersion therapy for those struggling with AUD and SUD. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning.” Also, “While cognitive restoration and physiological well-being are the prominent and renowned benefits of nature exposure, there is one important construct that is often overlooked in environmental psychology research studies – that is, the human-nature relationship; also known as connectedness to nature (CN).”
Art therapy also offers many similar benefits, only in a different setting. This can be particularly true for those with co-occurring disorders. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cureus, “Art therapy is used most commonly to treat mental illnesses and can aid in controlling manifestations correlated with psychosocially challenging behaviors, slowing cognitive decline, and enhancing the quality of life. Art therapy can help people express themselves more freely, improve their mental health, and improve interpersonal relationships. The basis of art therapy is established on the idea that people can recover and feel better via artistic expression.”
Art therapy is also an exceptional non-invasive way to treat AUD and SUD, which is also why it is often used in day treatment settings. This is also true for holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and meditation.
AUD and SUD Recovery: Holistic Healing Options
The iconic yogi and philosopher B.K.S. Iyengar once said, “Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.” This “wholeness” is essential for AUD and SUD recovery.
Yoga and meditation have been practiced for thousands of years. Originally, they were solely used as spiritual or religious practices, but they have since moved into the realm of recovery.
Yoga therapy has been shown to be highly beneficial for those struggling with addiction. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions. Yoga therapy involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering or limitations. Yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
These are also benefits that run parallel to those that one may experience with meditation, which is why they are best used in tandem. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “During the process of meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall. Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency.”
The key to effective day treatment is to utilize as many modalities as possible to find the best recovery plan that works for the individual. This may mean any/many/or all of the modalities that have been discussed. It is also important to stay positive and malleable. Not every modality is going to work for every person, but an effective day treatment program will keep making adjustments until the right combination is acquired.
A Focus on Long-Term Success at NorthStar Recovery Center
Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, we truly believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why our day treatment is always comprehensive and individualized.
Joseph Campbell also famously said, “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” It is important to remember that, in life, it is never about how we fall but rather about how we get back up.
Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, our goal is to not only help our clients get back up but also teach them how to stay up. There is hope, and there is help. Recovery is right over the horizon line. The key is to reach out and grab it.
Day treatment at NorthStar Recovery Center is ideal for both AUD and SUD recovery. It offers an ideal setting and opportunity for an individual to engage in highly focused recovery means, methods, and modalities while also being able to keep one foot in one’s day-to-day life. It is also a great way to create goals in recovery and avoid a potential relapse in the future. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this alone. For more information about day treatment, please call NorthStar Recovery Center at (888) 311-0911.
