CBT Approach
 

My plan to succeed is to use a combination CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and Naltrexone. I have an appointment with my doctor and therapist next week. I was wodering if anyone has gone this route and if they were successsful.

I seem to remember there is a giant thread about this. Dee will know.

Good luck! It sounds like you are fired up!

Edit: I think it is called the Sinclair method.

Sinclair Method
 

Thanks Elizabeth. I did a Google search on the Sinclair method. I was suprised that it actually has you drink. The goal is that Naltrexone whould gradually have one drink at a normal level. I am hoping to use Natlrexone in combination with the CBT basded therapy to learn to enjoy all the things I would use alcohol in the past (tailgating at a football game for example). Anyway I will see what my Dr. thinks.

Nice Dog:c031:

Thanks! He is my baby. :)

I hope you don't rule out trying AA as an option. AA Big Book p.569 states "any therapeutic or philosophic procedure (like AA) which can prove a recovery rate of 50-60% must merit our consideration."

I think there is shot form of naltrexone called vivitral.

A friend of mine is taking vivtrol after rehab. He is alcohol free. The drawback is that the shot costs $1,400.00. He is attending AA at this time and claims to not have any cravings at all. He was told he could only have it after he was abstinent.

I wish you well,

CBT practices have helped me more that the mystical spirituality of AA, yet I do attend AA open meetings for the fellowship. But that's just me. CBT helped me to eliminate the cravings so I haven't used medications that help in that aspect.

You may want to check out the links below as they are CBT or related recovery tools.
The important thing to remember is that you can recover by putting together a variety recovery practices. There is no one single recovery modality that is for everyone. I know, I had to learn this the hard way.

:) You can do this thing!

I agree with Zencat in his recommendation of DBT... From my very rudimentary understanding of CBT and DBT, and anyone correct me if I am wrong... CBT takes place with a therapist, kinda has to (?)... DBT has tools and worksheets to self direct... Distress Tolerance, all that.

Hi, Iwant2.

Welcome to SR! I'm glad you're here and looking around. I don't know anything about CBT or Naltrexone. I'm a big fan of AVRT personally, but as with AA, the goal is to leave alcohol behind completely. I hope the moderation effort works for you; it never did for me. I'm actually grateful for that now; life became so much easier once I decided I was done. Controlling temptation is so hard. Now I can just relax and enjoy myself at tailgate parties and whatnot. :)

Not looking for moderation...want to cut the cord.
 

Actually I do not want to moderate. I had enough of drinking and want to combine the medication with cbt to cut the cord completely. I have been able in the past to stop for a few days at a time so I know it's a good thing.

Thanks for all the responses. This is a great forum.

Both CBT and DBT ideally involve the use of a therapist although with both techniques, workbooks/worksheets are available.

The main difference between CBT and DBT is that while CBT attempts to help us think more clearly and "rationally", DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) attempts to help us look at BOTH SIDES of our thinking without judgment and labeling certain thoughts as irrational.

My husband, who is a psychologist, used to use CBT almost exclusively but over the last few years has been using DBT more and more often. He tells me that his clients often felt "judged" with the CBT method, whereas they feel more accepted and accepting of themselves when using DBT.

OTT... I know you have past experience in AA.

I always saw some similarities in the concepts and intended outcomes between some of the DBT techniques and 4th step inventory in AA (just 4th step now... not the whole spiritual thing) You know... Seeing our part in it, understanding why we feel like we do, gaining insight on our own thoughts/behaviors and such. And 10th step stuff, immediately making amends, all that... Do you see any similarities yourself?

Mark, I think many things in AA can be useful depending on how they are used. To the extent that the personal inventory is developed to include both character strengths and weaknesses, I do think there is some similarity between this and the DBT notion of looking at both sides of things. As far as the 10th step, that too can be useful to the extent that it is used to take ownership of one's harmful behavior patterns and to work toward changing them.

Also, a big component of DBT is mindfulness, which I have heard likened to the 11th step.

That said, the goal of working the 12 steps is to develop a connection with a Higher Power, because according to 12 step philosophy, the individual is "powerless" and it is therefore the Higher Power which relieves one's addiction. In this, both CBT and DBT are very different from 12 step programs in that their goal is the precise opposite: personal empowerment.

Yes, I am fully aware of the spirituality difference, LOL... that is why I wanted to specifically exclude that from my discussion of what I saw as similarities between DBT and the least spiritual of the steps, 4th in particular...

And, LOL, I feel very very personally empowered.... But lets not go there, I was trying to look at similarities between very different recovery programs, maybe even build a bridge or two, not set fire to them.

I think there are some universal truths and concepts in recovery, the more I learn about all of them, the more I see.

:)

I understand, Mark, and I honestly wasn't trying to be combative! I agree that there are some universal truths and concepts in recovery. I bet you and I could agree all day long on lots of things.

And I do see some similarities between some of the things 12 step would have us do, and some of the things that CBT and other non-spiritual approaches would have us do. Things like: not taking the first drink, playing the tape through to the end, learning to recognize when we are being jerks, changing our behaviors towards others...and, yes, learning to look at ourselves critically but also kindly. Regardless of the ultimate goal, whether to empower oneself or to connect with a Higher Power, those things are helpful.

Agreed. :)

Thanx