Reality-based therapy is also known as talk therapy and psychotherapy. Reality therapy for substance abuse can give patients a better understanding of themselves and their goals as well as a new perspective on a difficult situation. Through this kind of therapy, patients develop new skills to improve their relationship with themselves and others in their lives.
Many addiction treatment facilities rely strictly on talk therapy (or psychotherapy) to help patients achieve sobriety. Examples of psychotherapy include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, family therapy, and group therapy, all of which are used at Crest View Recovery Center. Psychotherapy gives patients both a built-in support system and the benefit of being able to talk to someone going through a similar experience with addiction. It is important to note that everyone is different and has unique situations. While these therapeutic methods may work for some people, they may not work for others.
What is Reality-Based Therapy for Substance Abuse?
Reality therapy is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on living in the present and facing one’s reality and is a common form of therapy used here in Asheville, NC to treat drug and alcohol addiction. In other words, reality therapy is an evidence based addiction treatment with a therapeutic approach that focuses on problem-solving and making better choices to achieve specific goals.
Upon believing that people experience psychological problems in life due to not being able to fulfill basic needs, American Psychiatrist William Glasser developed this reality-based therapy approach in the 1960s, so that people could find the necessary resources to meet the needs and goals of survival.
However, he also had the notion that psychological problems develop as a result of denial, which refers to people trying to avoid consequences from their behavior. This issue is what reality-based therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy aim to fix.
The major theme seen throughout reality-based therapy is achieving responsibility and meeting needs through awareness. Glasser believed that by participating in reality-based therapy, individuals will become responsible for their own behavior and growth. In return, they will develop a “success” identity rather than a “failure” one.
When our substance abuse patients at Crest View begin their reality based therapy, our therapists start the process by examining their behaviors and what makes them act the way they do. Specialists work to guide an individual’s attention away from their past behaviors and shift focus to what is important: the present. Reality therapists do not solely focus on a patient’s symptoms, but on the person as a whole. William Glasser believed that symptoms manifest as a person’s disconnection from others.
Our goal is to help our clients identify their specific areas of concern and focus on the effect their behavior has on that area in life. We help those in reality therapy focus on what they can change, by understanding one’s own needs and desires and developing a plan to meet those needs while refraining from criticizing or blaming others. Reform and change are what helps strengthen connections with others, which is the true goal here.
Reality-Based Therapy Model
The reality-based therapy model is based on William Glasser’s three R’s system. These aspects include Responsibility, Right and wrong, and Reality. Our number one necessity in life is to be loved, to feel that we belong, and that all other basic needs mentioned above can be satisfied only by building strong connections with others. These five basic needs include:
How it Works & What You Learn
Each individual’s world is made up of relationships, experiences, ideas, and beliefs that all affect the way we act— our behavior. The focus is on improving present relationships through personal change and disregarding past relationships. Psychiatrist Glasser outlined eight steps addiction specialists follow in reality therapy process:
The Three R’s of Reality Therapy
The three guiding principles of Reality Therapy are:
- Realism—If you choose reality therapy, be prepared to discuss solutions to your problems realistically. That might mean facing hard facts and letting go of impossible dreams. You need to ground yourself in the reality of who you are, how the world works and the reality of what you can do right now to improve your life and relationships.
- Responsibility—Responsibility is key in reality therapy because you can only change your world when you understand what others are responsible for and what is only yours to do. You can’t change someone else’s behaviors. You can only change your own. To do that, you must take responsibility for both the choices you make and the consequences that result.
- Right and Wrong—Reality therapy isn’t just about getting what you desire. It’s about satisfying your needs in ways that don’t infringe on the rights of others who are also trying to meet their needs. You know what’s right and wrong by the way you feel about it.
Choice Therapy
When one or more of these needs in this reality based therapy model goes unfulfilled, problems occur. Reality therapy is also based on choice theory, which is very similar in its principles. Choice therapy states that humans choose to behave in certain ways, and that these behaviors can affect one’s ability to satisfy those five essential needs, positively or negatively. By using these therapies, this approach will hopefully help control certain behaviors. In return, they will help you achieve your goals, like becoming sober.
Metacognition
Metacognition is “thinking about thinking.” It is becoming aware of one’s awareness and higher-order thinking skills. Metacognition can take many forms; it includes knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for learning or problem-solving. This theory is widely used in the treatment of addictive disorders (such as drugs, sex, food, work). Reality therapists believe that drug addicts choose their behavior as a way to solve the failure caused by unpleasant relations.
Getting control over their choices and accepting responsibility should be the subject of the treatment. By modifying different psychological aspects of an individual, reality therapy helps them to face the realities of their behavior and choices and recognize that they are responsible for their miseries and misfortunes. The goal of reality therapy is to help people take control of improving their lives by learning to make better choices.
Emotion Regulation
Emotion regulation is a major and important incentive for substance abuse; in fact, substance abusers associate their abuse with the substance’s soothing nature. Emotion regulation can then be defined as the physiological behavioral, and cognitive process which enables individuals to regulate experiences and express emotions.
Studies have indicated that individuals incapable of controlling emotional excitation will most likely become permanent substance abusers. Low levels of emotion regulation caused by the inability to effectively manage and confront emotions play a role in the onset of addiction.
Addicts face many problems when regulating their emotional states. The problem with most addicts is that they avoid inner experiences and do not accept or fully experience their feelings. Mood disorders and most commonly depression are among the most common first-hand disorders associated with addiction, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
By using the metacognition training of reality therapy addicts learn to become aware of their feelings and fully experience them. Unless that happens, successful treatment cannot be expected.
Personal Photo Album
In Dr. Glasser’s opinion, humans create images in their minds to fulfill their innate needs. These images are collected in a personal photo album. The photo album is the world in which we live and in which we fulfill our dreams. He names this world as the world of desires, or the qualitative world. This includes expectations of success and opportunities for fulfilling our needs.
He also believes that the total behavior consists of 4 elements:
- Activity
- Thinking
- Feeling
- Physiology
In reality therapy, the treatment is actually a type of training that strives to teach the individual, in a short time, that he or she should have learned during natural development.
Reality Based Therapy & Evidence Based Treatment in Asheville, NC
Our substance abuse treatment programs have helped men and women of all ages achieve lasting sobriety. Whether you struggle with alcohol addiction or drug addiction, Crest View Recovery Center’s evidence based alcohol treatment in Asheville, NC can help you live a substance-free future.
Some medical experts believe that a lockdown residential treatment facility gives people the best chance at recovery. The problem with many of these programs is that individuals may struggle with being able to follow such a rigid structure, where everything is planned out for you. When a program feels too institutionalized, it can make people feel like they’re trapped. This is where the importance of reality-based therapy comes into play.
After attending clinical treatment during the day and 12-step programs in the evening, clients retire to gender-specific housing facilities. This setting replicates a real-life living situation with roommates also struggling with addiction. While living in these spacious accommodations, our staff will be there to not only monitor progress but also to teach clients independent life and coping skills.
Contact Us Today
Begin your recovery journey now. We will help you prepare with proper relapse prevention and life skills training. Contact Crest View Recovery Center at (866) 986-1371
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