Understanding ACT Therapy For Addiction
Taking Committed Action Against Unwanted Thoughts and The Harmful Behaviors They Influence
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How you think and feel impacts your well-being and your actions. Whether substance use led to or is a result of negative thoughts and emotions makes no difference in the devastating impact it has on your life right now. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a subcategory of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that empowers you to challenge those thoughts, accept difficult emotions, and embrace change in spite of them.
The recovery and healing process isn’t always easy, but it’s more than possible with the right approach and support from the right team. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a holistic addiction treatment modality that can help you change not only immediate harmful behaviors but also your overall trajectory in life—The more you can overcome within yourself, the more successful you will be. Crestone Wellness will be there with you every step of the way, striving to foster abundance and joy along the way for a positive recovery experience.
What is ACT Therapy For Addiction?
ACT is a mindfulness-based psychotherapy modality that helps you improve overall well-being by embracing your emotional experience without trying to change or ignore how you feel.[1] By taking this approach, you can deal with stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use through new psychological flexibility and learning to align actions with goals.[2]
Patients will work with a trained ACT therapist or clinical psychologist during individual and group therapy sessions. ACT is beneficial for treating:[3]
- Patients attending residential detox and rehab
- Those battling shame
- Individuals struggling with substance use disorder
The timeline for ACT therapy applications in addiction recovery varies from patient to patient, though in most cases, it is a brief intervention with a handful of sessions needed.[4] At Crestone Wellness, we understand the shame and stigma often associated with drug and alcohol addiction. We’re committed to promoting respect and positivity throughout the treatment process and providing a safe and supportive environment. We’ll walk this road together and help facilitate the best possible outcome.
How (and Why) ACT Therapy For Addiction Works
The point of ACT Therapy is not to simply suppress emotions and thoughts but to redirect focus toward areas of high personal value, like relationships, personal development, and meaningful activities—even when challenging thoughts and feelings make it difficult.[5]
This third-wave behavioral health approach focuses on the following primary components: [6]
- Developing psychological flexibility: Pursuing behavior change for the purpose of a higher goal.
- Accepting negative experiences: Accepting that they exist (cognitive defusion) and seeking out opportunities to overcome them.
- Mitigating avoidance: Reducing the tendency to avoid difficult situations.
- Promoting high-value activities: Work on achieving long-term goals by focusing on the values they’re tied to.
- Cultivating helpful coping strategies: Practical tools and skills to help you navigate obstacles to positive behavior change.
- Advancing committed action: A commitment to continue pursuing valued life areas despite emotional challenges.
As you begin to pursue what you value most in the face of life and behavioral challenges, mindfulness-based therapies like ACT help you cultivate a fresh perspective on life and how to live it more fully.
Crestone Wellness treatment programs for alcohol and substance abuse aim to leverage effective treatment paired with respectful, shame-free support to help you create a positive and sustainable journey to lasting recovery.
Substance Abuse Therapies
Efficacy of ACT Therapy For Addiction
ACT therapy has been studied in numerous fields, from chronic pain to substance and alcohol use disorder. These studies offer verifiable proof that ACT is an evidence-based and effective modality for treating substance use disorder with a measurable reduction in substance use or abstinence.[7] Other positive outcomes and benefits of ACT therapy for addiction include less use, reduced cravings, and greater psychological flexibility.[8]
What to Expect from ACT Therapy For Addiction
An ACT therapy session will vary from one provider and patient to the next but will promote the ideals behind the core principles of this cognitive intervention. An individual or group session may include some or all of the following structures:[9]
- Addressing shame with mindfulness techniques
- Open discussion of the impact of personal shame on daily life and potential
- Mindfulness skill building to increase acceptance
- Continued encouragement toward ongoing treatment
ACT Therapy For Addiction at Crestone Wellness
At Crestone Wellness, we’re committed to your recovery. By offering an extensive range of behavioral and holistic therapies like ACT, we can take a uniquely personalized approach to treatment and recovery. The first step in your custom treatment plan is to complete a comprehensive assessment (mental, physical, social, etc.) to better understand your experience and determine what modalities will be best for you.
Our Austin-area facility is dedicated to creating a positive, effective treatment experience that supports you where you are now and helps you get to where you need to be. With a wealth of state-of-the-art amenities, our environment is safe, serene, and supportive—ideal for recovery. We’re glad you’re here!
Frequently Asked Questions about ACT Therapy For Addiction
What does ACT stand for in addiction?
ACT (pronounced like the word “act”) stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which clearly designates what this approach is all about: acceptance and commitment.
What Is The Main Aim Of ACT?
The main aim of ACT is to help patients accept negative emotions and experiences and act in alignment with their personal values in spite of them.
Should we be using third-wave therapies?
Yes! Third-wave therapy is one that focuses more on emotions, mindfulness, relationships, values, goals, and more tertiary concepts outside of just physical and mental health concerns. Studies show with confidence that there is clinical support for the use of third-wave therapies and reports that there is also evidence that these modalities are comparable to other psychosocial treatments.[10]
Sources
[1][2][5][6]Dindo, L., Van Liew, J. R., & Arch, J. J. (2017). Acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic behavioral intervention for mental health and medical conditions. Neurotherapeutics, 14(3), 546–553. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509623/
[3][9]Luoma, J. B., Kohlenberg, B. S., Hayes, S. C., & Fletcher, L. (2012). Slow and steady wins the race: A randomized clinical trial of acceptance and commitment therapy targeting shame in substance use disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22040285/
[4][7][8]Osaji, J., Ojimba, C., & Ahmed, S. (2020). The use of acceptance and commitment therapy in substance use disorders: A review of literature. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7524566/
[10]Byrne, S. P., Haber, P., Baillie, A., Costa, D. S. J., Fogliati, V., & Morley, K. (2019). Systematic reviews of mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy for alcohol use disorder: Should we be using third wave therapies? Alcohol and Alcoholism. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30796777/
