CBT as a method of reducing addiction

Question 1

CBT use

Answer 1

based on idea that addictive behaviours are maintained by person’s thoughts about these behaviours

main goal is to help people change the way they think about their addiction and to learn new ways of coping more effectively with the circumstances that led to these behaviours in the past

can be used to help addicts identify the triggers to their problem behaviour, challenge their irrational thinking and find better ways to cope with the feelings and urges that prompt a gambling episode

Question 2

AO1 CBT

Answer 2

early sessions involve identifying the patients beliefs

clients being treated for gambling addiction are not always aware of the cognitive biases on which they base their decisions

therapist can educate clients about the nature of cognitive biases and that gambling outcomes are determined by chance. This is achieved by using an ABCDEF chart which involves patient and therapist searching for links between events, beliefs and their emotional consequence

idea is to convince addict that it is the belief that causes consequences, not the activating event itself so changing belief changes consequences

aims to challenge irrational beliefs using disputing techniques

logical - does it make sense
empirical - is there any evidence
pragmatic - is it useful

used to replace irrational thoughts with rational beliefs

Question 3

behavioural techniques

Answer 3

addict is encourage to carry out trial experiments in the real world to try reduce their addiction

2 types: assertiveness training
social skills training

Question 4

assertiveness training

Answer 4

addict is encouraged to confront situations that cause stress or unpleasantness in a rational way e.g. visiting a casino and refrain from betting

Question 5

social skills training

Answer 5

used to help addicts deal with anxiety in social situations e.g. trying not to drink at a wedding

SST helps the client refuse alcohol in order to avoid embarrassment (e.g. keeping eye contact and being firm)

therapist may role model these coping strategies before addict trials them

Question 6

strength

Answer 6

supporting research from Petry 2006

recruited gambling addicts and allocated them to either a control group (gamblers anonymous meetings) or a treatment group (gamblers anonymous plus 8 weekly CBT sessions)

found that the treatment group were gambling significantly less than the control up to 12 months after the therapy had finished

suggests CBT is effective at reducing gambling addiction for up to 12 months

Question 7

limit 1

Answer 7

refuting research evidence

cowlishaw et al 2012

found CBT has definite beneficial effects for up to 3 months after treatment however, after 9-12 months, there was no significant difference between CBT and control groups

suggests CBT may not be an effective treatment for addiction after 3 months

Question 8

limit 2

Answer 8

lack of treatment adherence

cuijpers et al 2008 found that drop out rates for CBT can be up to 5 times more than other forms of therapy

even when clients continue treatment, it was found that commitment to homework tasks also reduced over time

suggests CBT may not be an effective long-term strategy as clients see it as too challenging

Question 9

strength 2

Answer 9

relapse prevention

because CBT incorporates the likelihood of relapse into treatment, viewing it as a further opportunity to recognise and change irrational beliefs

e.g. relapse, rather than being seen as a failure, may be seen as inevitable part of addicts life, but acceptable as long as improvement continues

suggests CBT considers how to reduce addiction at multiple stages of addiction, which is a great strength of this therapy