Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse

An ideal treatment manual that can be utilized independently, or in conjunction with psychopharmacological or 12-step programs, this book was written in response to the ever-growing need for cost-effective treatments for substance abuse disorders. Representing a major advance for meeting this pressing need, cognitive therapy offers a well-documented and demonstrably efficacious psychosocial treatment model for working with these intractable problems. Based on the research and practical experience of Aaron T. Beck and his colleagues, COGNITIVE THERAPY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE demonstrates how cognitive therapy can be used to effectively work with substance abusers and provides a detailed set of methods that can easily be replicated by therapists and counselors alike.

Comprehensive and accessible, this volume clearly details the cognitive model of addiction, the specifics of case formulation, management of the therapeutic relationship, and the structure of the therapy sessions. It discusses how to educate patients in the treatment model and procedures and manage their cravings and urges for drugs and alcohol. Specific cognitive and behavioral strategies and techniques are described in detail, as is the management of acute crises and chronic problems in patients' lives. Methods for understanding and working with such patients who present concomitant problems of depression, anxiety, low frustration tolerance, anger, and personality disorders are spelled out in detail. Also addressed are such significant issues as relapse prevention and the management of relapse when it occurs.

Unlike the many works that focus on theory and epidemiology, COGNITIVE THERAPY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE concentrates on clinical procedures in a way that is both teachable and testable. Offering an effective approach that can be utilized in a variety of settings, this book will be valued by all mental health practitioners and counselors who work with substance abusers, regardless of the extent of their previous experience with either cognitive therapy or substance abuse.