Therapeutic Training Routines Course

This is a basic cognitive behavioral therapy course which rehabilitates an individual’s ability to confront, control, and communicate. It has been found that through the cycle of addiction these skills are lost or suppressed. These skills are rehabilitated through simple drills that are done in a course room setting. Upon completion students find that they are better able to exist comfortably in the present moment, communicate in a much more rational manner, and control themselves in situations that they would previously lose control in.

What is the Core Problem?

“Drugs aren’t even the real problem, but symptoms of an underlying problem”

Many people mistakenly think that drugs and alcohol are the problem, and focus all their energies on handling the substances, rather than the true problem. Time and time again, we see addicts removing themselves from their drug of choice (jail, treatment, hospitalizations) and yet they return to active addiction. The drugs are no longer in their system, we like to think…therefore the drug problem should be gone. But, of course, it is not.

And, in addition, if their “drug of choice” becomes less available (moving to another area, lack of finances, needing to take drug tests, etc) then many substance abusers will switch from their drug of choice to another more available or cheaper substance. This includes addictive behaviors such as gambling or sex. Again the drug problem doesn’t seem to be much of a drug problem, but a behavioral or thinking problem.

If the drugs aren’t even the problem, what is the problem then? In it simplest form, the problem with a substance abuser isn’t so much the drugs, but a problem of avoiding uncomfortable feelings, things and situations. Drugs alleviate uncomfortable feelings, they make us feel better. But so do other behaviors that we see common to supposed “drug addicts”. Cognitive behavioral therapy courses help the student re-learn important behaviors and remove the lingering psychological effects of drug and alcohol use.

CALL NOW: 1 (877) 362-9682

Common traits in substance abusers

People in the grip of addiction exhibit similar traits. The drugs, and the addiction, are in control of their life – and they use the same excuses to justify their increasingly damaging behavior and habits. Here are some of the more common traits:

• Postponing or delaying uncomfortable responsibilities such as paying bills, going to school, finding work, etc. “I’ll take care of this tomorrow”
• Shutting down. “If I sit here and don’t talk, sooner or later they will go away and quit yelling at me.”
• Reacting explosively when confronted to make things go away. “Leave me alone!”
• Lying to avoid uncomfortable confrontations. “I swear I didn’t use drugs today”
• Avoiding uncomfortable confrontations of any type. “I don’t want to talk about this right now. Can we deal with this later?”
• Avoiding uncomfortable problems by immersing themselves for long periods in distractions such as television, music, or even gambling.
• Playing the victim to make them feel more comfortable. “This isn’t my fault. If you had my problems, you’d use too.”
• Shifting the blame. “If you wouldn’t give me such a hard time, then I wouldn’t use.”
• Not taking accountability for their actions. “This wasn’t my fault.”

In other words, a substance abuser isn’t actually addicted to drugs (although he may have become temporarily physically dependent) – they are actually addicted to avoiding uncomfortable feelings, things and situations. This manifests itself in so much more than just the the use of drugs.

If we do not work on the real problem – this instinctive avoidance of uncomfortable feelings and situations -then no matter how long we take the substances out of the abuser, they are probably going to eventually seek it out again…and in the meantime continue avoiding facing uncomfortable life situations which will create its own share of problems.

At the Freedom Treatment Center, after successfully withdrawing off of drugs or alcohol, the first area of recovery that we need to focus on is composed of three parts found within our Therapeutic Training Routines.

• Raising our ability to confront uncomfortable feelings, things and situations.
• Being able to effectively communicate problems, things and situations in such a way as to not create further discomfort.
• Being able to control ourselves and our surroundings in a healthy manner.

We accomplish this by having our students perform 8 basic drills that are designed to increase ones ability to effectively confront, control and communicate. We consider these the basic foundation, without which it is impossible to successful apply the remaining steps of our program to recovery and freedom from active addiction. This step is considered so vital that it is repeated again, at a much higher level, further down the program.

Our CBT Drug Rehab Courses