How does cognitive-behavioral therapy work for behavioral addicts?

How does cognitive-behavioral therapy work for behavioral addicts?

Marc Kern (Addiction Expert, Director of Addiction Alternatives) gives expert video advice on: How is a behavioral addiction similar to a substance behavioral addiction?; What is an "addictive personality"?; What can be done about an addictive personality? and more...

Cognitive-behavioural therapy is not a single body of techniques. It is grown from a very small number to quite a different sort of pool of interventions. Yes, it maybe one-on-one talk therapy, but unlike dynamic therapy it's not about what happened in childhood. It's all here and now. It's what you can do tomorrow. You talk about triggers; you talk about feelings and thinking that leads to involvement in destructive behaviour. Cognitive-behaviour therapy goes beyond all that talking. Educational homework; assignments will be given with the expectations that you would practice certain strategies about how relax yourself or how just to be with your feelings. A big tool today in cognitive behavioural therapy is to just be with your feelings. Lots of people with addiction hate being with their feelings and they use these behaviours to escape uncomfortable feelings. So, cognitive behaviour will sort of focus on groups, meditation for example, and bio feedback to help one regulate and to stay with just uncomfortable feelings and be able to manage without escaping them.