CBT for Substance Use
CBT for Substance Use focuses on evidence-based skills that help patients understand triggers, build coping routines, and practice alternative behaviors that stick. This page breaks CBT into clinic-ready moves: functional analysis, craving management, stimulus control, problem-solving, and relapse scripts. If you’re searching for an addiction CBT conference, you’ll find session outlines, homework tools, and integration with contingency management, MI, and pharmacotherapy. Because recovery happens between visits, we emphasize habit-building in daily contexts—sleep, meals, commute, social time—so gains generalize beyond the clinic.
Sustained change requires structure and feedback. We show how to create personalized cue matrices, design “if-then” plans for high-risk windows, and track progress with simple scorecards. Group formats scale access; peers reinforce practice and normalize setbacks. Digital supports—reminders, urge logging, and just-in-time prompts—extend coaching into real life. For medication and safety alignment (especially with opioids and alcohol), see Psychopharmacology for SUD, which complements this page with MOUD/AUD strategies and interaction management.
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Functional analysis and planning
- Map cues, thoughts, and consequences to find leverage points.
- Write simple “if-then” plans tied to realistic alternatives.
Craving and cue management
- Practice urge surfing and competing responses.
- Use stimulus control—remove triggers, add friction to access.
Problem-solving and skills
- Break tasks down; rehearse refusal and delay tactics.
- Schedule rewarding, sober activities that crowd out use.
Relapse learning
- Normalize slips; analyze quickly and reset the plan.
- Keep a rapid re-entry path and accountability contacts.
Delivery Models and Supports
Group formats
Skills groups with rotating modules and peer coaching.
MI integration
Use motivational language to resolve ambivalence and commit.
Contingency management
Pair skills with reinforcement schedules for early momentum.
Digital augmentation
Urge logs, reminders, and “just-in-time” prompts between visits.
Sleep and routines
Stabilize circadian anchors to lower craving exposure.
Equity and access
Offer flexible hours, tele-groups, and low-cost materials.
Family involvement
Teach supportive responses; set boundaries that help practice.
Measurement and QI
Track frequency, function, and QoL; iterate based on data.
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