What Role Does Behavior Modification Play in Addiction Recovery?

Millions of people struggle with addiction every day. Yet, millions of people will never get the help that they need. This is often because individuals and their families don’t know what to do or where to turn. The good news is that there are options, and there is a solution to addiction. There are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help you or a family member recover from addiction at the cellular level. Some of those modalities include behavior modification.

What Does It Mean to Heal at the Cellular Level?

Healing at the cellular level is all about healing all aspects of the capital “S” Self, including the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of “Self.” This is the holistic approach to recovery.

Now, many people think of holistic healing as only being more Eastern-based practices like yoga and meditation. While these types of methods can be critical, they do not encompass all of holistic healing. Holistic means “whole.” So, “holistic healing” means “whole healing,” which includes both Western and Eastern practices. This means plans that might have psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation for example. Healing at the cellular level is also about getting to the underlying issues of many people’s addictions. This often includes issues of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which are much more common than many people may know. 

According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine, “General population studies have shown that a large proportion of people in developed countries have been exposed to at least one TE [traumatic experience] in their lifetime (estimates from 28 to 90%), with the most common events being the unexpected death of a loved one, motor vehicle accidents and being mugged. Much more limited evidence for less developed countries suggests that fatalities due to injuries and accidents are more common in low-and-middle-income countries than in high-income countries….” If untreated, many of these people turn to alcohol and substances and end up struggling with issues of addiction and/or mental illness.

Better Understanding Addiction

Addiction is one of the most common and deadly diseases in the world, and, yes, it is a disease. Many people don’t realize that addiction is classified as a disease and, as a result, fall into the misconception that addiction is some type of moral failing or “choice.” This is simply untrue. Addiction has more in common with other chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer than it does with a choice.

It is also important to understand that without some type of professional intervention, addiction will almost always progress negatively. This is the chronic nature of the disease. That is also why it is so important to catch addiction as early as possible before the symptoms progress to the most severe state. Addiction is also a “family disease.” Many people get confused by this categorization. However, it simply means that addiction affects more people than just the individual who is struggling, especially the family. 

According to the peer-reviewed journal Social Work in Public Health, “The family remains the primary source of attachment, nurturing, and socialization for humans in our current society. Therefore, the impact of substance use disorders (SUDs) on the family and individual family members merits attention. Each family and each family member is uniquely affected by the individual using substances including but not limited to having unmet developmental needs, impaired attachment, economic hardship, legal problems, emotional distress, and sometimes violence being perpetrated against him or her.” The good news is that, while perhaps the most impacted, the family often has the greatest opportunity to help – if they know the signs and symptoms to look out for.

Better Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

Now, the signs and symptoms of addiction (also co-occurring disorders of mental illness) are always going to vary based on the individual. However, one can look out for many universal signs and symptoms of addiction. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:

• Isolating away from family and close friends
• Experiencing trouble at work or school
• Engaging in risky behaviors
• Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
• Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
• Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
• Not being able to stop once starting drinking or using substances
• Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
• Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
• Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and well-being
• Exhibiting excessive mood swings
• Causing harm to oneself or others
• Having suicidal ideations

Now, many people can minimize addiction or falsely categorize it as that previously mentioned “choice.” However, as one can see, these signs and symptoms are significant and can be deadly. This is why reaching out for professional help as soon as possible is vital. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences.

Better Understanding Addiction Recovery

The reality is that addiction recovery is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. While this is promising in that there are more places than ever for people to get help, there are also many more “bad actors” looking to cash in on people’s struggles.

These are often the recovery centers that only offer overarching “one-note” treatment plans that don’t take the individual or their individual needs into account. They also lack the comprehensive components of a treatment plan that make them effective.

This means offering treatment plans that utilize all realms of effective recovery (both evidence-based and holistic). These include experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and art therapy, and holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and meditation. They also include psychotherapies that utilize behavior modification.

What Is Behavior Modification?

So, what exactly is behavior modification? According to the peer-reviewed thesis Behavior Modification, by Doctors Scott, Jain, and Cogburn, “Behavior modification is a psychotherapeutic intervention primarily used to eliminate or reduce maladaptive behavior in children or adults. While some therapies focus on changing thought processes that can affect behavior, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavior modification focuses on changing specific behaviors with little consideration of a person’s thoughts or feelings. The progress and outcome of the intervention can be measured and evaluated.”

This last aspect of “measurement” is important because it helps both the recovery center and the client gauge their progress. It is critical in addiction recovery because measuring progress is one of the most encouraging ways to continue down the path of long-term success. 

What Role Does Behavior Modification Play in Addiction Recovery?

So, how does behavior modification work when it comes to addiction? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Behavioral therapies help people in drug addiction treatment modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug use. As a result, patients are able to handle stressful situations and various triggers that might cause another relapse. Behavioral therapies can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people remain in treatment longer.”

Behavior modification is also helpful because it utilizes positive reinforcement strategies to help encourage individuals in recovery to make the next right choice. For example, if an individual in a treatment center begins to make progress with behavior modification, they then may get the reward of having more freedom and choice in their everyday lives. This is also a component of the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA).

According to the peer-reviewed journal Alcohol Research & Health, “The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) is a comprehensive behavioral treatment package that focuses on the management of substance-related behaviors and other disrupted life areas. The goal of CRA is to help people discover and adopt a pleasurable and healthy lifestyle that is more rewarding than a lifestyle filled with using alcohol or drugs. Multiple research reviews and meta-analyses of the treatment-outcome literature have shown CRA to be among the most strongly supported treatment methods.” This method also works extremely well in tandem with other psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Behavior Modification: Utilizing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Now, behavior reinforcement and psychotherapy can be particularly effective because they get at the heart of those previously mentioned underlying issues (sometimes trauma). Psychotherapies like CBT help individuals see the negative way that they have been viewing themselves and the world around them. It then works to modify these views and thus modify the negative behaviors associated with them.

CBT is also particularly effective because it makes the individual an “active participant” in the recovery process. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns… Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.” DBT can also be highly effective for addiction recovery

Behavior Modification: Utilizing Dialectical Behavior Therapy

While DBT was not initially created to treat addiction, it has since moved into that arena (as well as many other areas of mental health recovery). Critical components of DBT include acceptance and mindfulness.

According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “In DBT, several interventions and skills are geared toward conveying acceptance of the patient and helping the patient accept him or herself, others, and the world…. In DBT, mindfulness skills help patients attend to what is happening in the present. Some of the mindfulness skills involve attending to and nonjudgmentally observing the current experience, describing the facts of the current experience or situation, and fully participating in the activity/experience of the present while attending to one thing at a time (‘one mindfully’) and focusing on effective, skillful behavior.” It is also important to utilize behavioral modification therapies like CBT and DBT with other modalities like yoga therapy and surf therapy.

The Benefits of Surf Therapy

There may be no better place to experience surf therapy than on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. Here one can catch some of the best waves in the world while also meditating between the breaks. 

Surf therapy offers a myriad of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Carefully planned water activities tailored to the needs of the individual can contribute to correct psychosocial and cognitive development. The International Surf Therapy Organization summarizes the benefits of adequately indicated surf therapy as follows: improved physical health and mobility; improved mental health, including reduction of specific symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress and depression; improved well-being (strengthening of trust and confidence, encouragement of independence, resilience and protective coping strategies) and improved social skills.”

Some Benefits of Yoga Therapy and Meditation

The spiritual leader and iconic yogi, B.K.S. Iyengar, “As animals, we walk the earth, as bearers of the divine essence, we are among the stars, and as human beings, we are caught in the middle, seeking to reconcile the paradox of how to make our way upon the earth while striving for something more permanent and more profound.” This is symbolic of what yoga therapy has to offer: a sense of inner peace. As previously mentioned, adding Eastern holistic healing methods like mindfulness meditation and yoga therapy can be highly beneficial for recovery. Originally, these methods were only used for religious or spiritual purposes, but they have since moved into the realm of recovery. 

The benefits of yoga therapy can be vast and carried. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions. Yoga therapy involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional, and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations. Yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.” 

Meditation can also be highly beneficial when used in tandem with behavior modification. It is East meets West. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “The practice of meditation has become popular in many Western nations, especially the USA. An ever-increasing body of research shows various health benefits associated with meditation and these findings have sparked interest in the field of medicine…. According to Vedic science (the knowledge of the Vedic texts of ancient India), the true purpose of meditation is to connect oneself to one’s deep inner Self. Techniques that achieve that goal serve the true purpose of meditation.”

Working With Others in Recovery

It is also critical that one connect with other people in recovery. This allows people to see that success is possible while also creating an essential component of accountability.

Working with others in recovery is also one of the best ways to avoid a potential relapse. This is discussed in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book). According to the Big Book, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail. You can help when no one else can. Remember, we are all in this together.”

Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why all of our plans are individualized and comprehensive, with a focus on the future. It is what healing at the cellular level is all about.

On the Big Island of Hawaii, recovery is just out over the horizon line. It’s time to go out there and get it. You can do it! We can help.

Behavior modification is a fundamental component of addiction recovery that focuses on changing destructive behaviors and habits associated with substance use. Various behavior modification techniques, including reinforcement strategies and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can empower individuals to develop healthier coping mechanisms and build a sustainable path to recovery. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about the efficacy of behavior modification and addiction recovery, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.