Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for Drug & Alcohol Addiction in Akron, OH

One of the hardest parts of struggling with substance abuse is that your battle can leave you feeling isolated and alone. But with the help of Skypoint Recovery in Akron, Ohio, you don’t have to walk this road on your own anymore!

Your treatment at Skypoint Recovery can start with one phone call. From there, our team of licensed addiction specialists will guide you toward the right combination of medical detox and mental health support. We help you find the root cause of your addiction so you can face future triggers for substance abuse with confidence and choose to overcome drug use in the future.

With its origins dating back to the 1980s, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) has become one of the most beneficial mental health treatments used for drug addiction & substance abuse recovery programs. DBT teaches individuals struggling with substance abuse real tools they can use in their everyday world outside of rehab centers and helps them reclaim their life from addiction.

Read on to learn about how we integrate dialectical behavioral therapy into our mental health services as part of substance abuse treatment – and how Skypoint Recovery Ohio can help you begin your recovery journey today.

What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy?

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) was first developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan in her work with individuals struggling with suicide. It is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that is used to help people develop healthy coping skills to manage extreme emotions.

Since its start, DBT has been used to treat a wide variety of mental health conditions – including borderline personality disorder, anxiety and depression, eating disorders, and substance use disorder (SUD).

The goal of dialectical behavioral therapy is to help you better understand your emotions and how they impact your automatic responses to your world and the people around you. “Dialectical” means to hold two ideas that are opposites at the same time. Your emotions are both valid and something you can learn to control over time.

This idea is implemented through a form of talk therapy, where you engage in a series of conversations with a licensed mental health counselor. Through these talk sessions, you are led to understand what in your daily life causes you to feel certain ways. You are then encouraged to change the negative narrative in your mind, as you come to accept yourself and the way you think and feel. These two steps are finally used to help teach you real-world skills that can better help you manage emotional triggers outside of therapy and in the future.

What is Addiction Treatment?

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a type of mental health disorder that manifests as drug or alcohol addiction. Some individuals are more prone to SUD because of genetic factors or past lived trauma, both of which impact the way a person’s nervous system processes emotion.

Addiction can also unfortunately develop in response to medication that has been prescribed to help manage other mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. When a person is struggling with both drug abuse and other mental health problems, these are known as co-occurring disorders.

To help a person recover from substance addiction and move on to a successful life free of drug use, addiction treatment has been proven to be effective. Substance abuse treatment comes in the form of either inpatient or outpatient treatment programs. Both options include medical detox, which helps you break your cycle of substance use with the help of addiction specialists, and mental health services.

However, just as substance abuse looks different for every person, it’s also important to remember that rehabilitation will also look different for each individual addiction journey. When a person struggling with substance abuse commits to addiction treatment, full addiction recovery is possible.

How does Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Help with Addiction?

There are four main tools used in dialectical behavioral therapy: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness skills, and emotion regulation. DBT for drug addiction uses these tools to develop a healthier internal dialogue so they can then have better external relationships with others.

Most dialectical behavioral therapy occurs one-on-one with a mental health counselor as part of inpatient substance abuse treatment. However, DBT can also be implemented in a group setting as part of part-time outpatient programs. Group DBT allows individuals to increase their self-awareness while developing new relationships in a controlled setting.

By better understanding your own feelings and response to physical and psychological pain, you can learn how to make the conscious choice to turn to other, healthier outlets besides substance use when you are hurt or overwhelmed.

Ultimately, dialectical behavioral therapy is beneficial for a person struggling with addiction to work through before moving on to family therapy or other outpatient treatment options. It is through DBT a person better learns how to name the trauma from their past and invest in healthier relationships for their future.

Skypoint Recovery Ohio: Frequently Asked Questions

Skypoint Recovery’s treatment center in Akron, Ohio, is home to some of the best addiction treatment specialists in the American Midwest. With a focus on holistic health and individualized treatment for every patient who walks through our doors, we can guarantee you will benefit from your time spent in our care.

If you’re still not sure where to start your search for which substance abuse treatment would best serve you, check out these frequently asked questions from our previous clients:

How do I find the right addiction treatment in Ohio for my needs?

The first step in finding the right addiction treatment for your needs is to determine if you would benefit more from inpatient or outpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment is best for individuals who are prone to relapse and do not feel they have a supportive environment at home while addressing their substance abuse. With options like residential substance abuse treatment, a person can live full-time at an addiction treatment center while receiving the addiction treatment services they need.

In contrast, outpatient treatment like an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or partial hospitalization program (PHP) allows a person to participate in substance abuse treatment on a part-time basis. This means they can still go to work and be involved in daily family life, and they are welcome to stay at their own home overnight.

How long does substance abuse treatment last?

Most treatment programs last for at least 30 days, though how long rehab lasts varies for each patient. During this time, you will participate in a medical detox, which helps remove all harmful and addictive substances from your body. This step allows you to break free from your physical dependence on regular substance use and move forward into more intensive substance abuse treatment with a clean slate.

From there, addiction treatment can include medication management, group and individual therapy sessions, along with life skills classes and movement therapy to help you develop healthy coping skills in place of drug use in the future.

Besides the traditional 30-day program, there are also options for 60-day and 90-day treatment plans. Remember, recovery is a lifelong commitment. Those who need continued relapse prevention and community support can transition into a sober living facility or halfway house. There are also valuable recovery communities like Narcotics Anonymous. And Skypoint Recovery even offers job placement services for those who need it after treatment.