Key Takeaways
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps you accept your internal thoughts and experiences and commit to decisions in life centered on your personal values.
- In addiction treatment, ACT therapy is particularly helpful in teaching you to stop avoiding painful thoughts or feelings through substance use.
- A variety of acceptance and commitment therapy exercises can be used in treatment, including Leaves on a Stream, Values Clarification, and Urge Surfing.
- ACT equips you with healthy coping skills so you can stay the course in your recovery when future addiction triggers arise.
Overcoming a drug or alcohol addiction is a mutli-faceted process. It’s not about simply eliminating physical symptoms, maintaining better self-discipline, or having the right willpower to quit. Long-term recovery requires deeper shifts in perspective and behavior, often achieved through acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
As an evidence-based treatment approach, acceptance and commitment therapy helps you learn to embrace (rather than fight) your thoughts and emotions, leading to values-driven action. ACT therapy gives you practical tools to manage the mental and emotional challenges that come with addiction recovery. And it’s one of the many therapies we utilized in our comprehensive addiction treatment programs here at Sana at Stowe in Stowe, Vermont.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
So what is acceptance and commitment therapy, exactly? Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of psychotherapy that encourages individuals to accept their internal experiences and commit to actions aligned with their values. According to Baylor College of Medicine, ACT therapy is designed to develop psychological flexibility in facing the demands of life. The purpose of ACT is to help you live a full, rich, and meaningful life without endless suffering. Rooted in behavioral psychology, ACT emphasizes six core principles:
- Acceptance: Learning to accept emotions and thoughts without judgment.
- Cognitive Defusion: Learning to separate yourself from distressing thoughts.
- Being Present: Developing mindfulness to remain in the moment.
- Self as Context: Recognizing yourself as more than your thoughts or feelings.
- Values: Identifying and committing to personal values
- Committed Action: Taking steps toward a meaningful life, guided by values rather than impulses.
Unlike traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or trauma-informed CBT, which often focuses on challenging negative thought patterns, acceptance and commitment therapy helps you coexist with your thoughts while prioritizing meaningful actions. This approach can be particularly impactful for when recovering from trauma or managing complex mental health conditions alongside addiction (co-occurring disorders, in other words).
How Does ACT Therapy Work in Addiction Recovery?
ACT operates on the premise that avoiding painful emotions and thoughts often exacerbates suffering. By fostering acceptance and mindfulness, ACT enables individuals to break free from this cycle. Here’s how the process unfolds:
- Acceptance: Through guided exercises, patients learn to stop resisting difficult feelings. This practice helps alleviate the emotional burden of avoidance.
- Commitment to Values: Therapists help individuals identify their core values and use them as a foundation for creating goals.
- Practical Application: Patients develop coping skills for addiction to manage triggers and take actionable steps toward a fulfilling life.
At Sana at Stowe, ACT therapy sessions are seamlessly integrated into personalized treatment plans. By tailoring our treatment to your unique needs, you can heal in an environment that allows you to explore and embrace your authentic self.
Trauma-Informed Care and ACT
Acceptance and commitment therapy has proven especially effective for people grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and various types of trauma. By focusing on acceptance and values-based living, ACT addresses the emotional pain and avoidance behaviors commonly associated with trauma.
Alongside ACT therapy, our addiction treatment programs take a trauma-informed approach to addressing substance abuse (especially alongside untreated trauma or PTSD), ensuring patients feel safe and supported throughout their healing journey. This compassionate framework acknowledges the impact of your trauma while restoring your dignity, connection, and awareness—empowering you with healthy coping strategies moving forward.
Examples of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Exercises
So what does acceptance and commitment therapy look like in practice? Here are some actual acceptance and commitment therapy exercises that can help you break the cycle of addiction in treatment:
1. Leaves on a Stream
This mindfulness exercise involves visualizing thoughts and feelings as leaves floating down a stream. The goal is to observe them without attachment or judgment.
- Purpose: Helps you practice cognitive defusion, reducing the emotional intensity of cravings or self-critical thoughts.
- Application: When experiencing an addiction trigger or craving, you can use this exercise to acknowledge the urge without acting on it.
2. Values Clarification
You list out your core values and identify specific actions that align with those values. For example, someone who values family might commit to spending quality time with loved ones instead of using substances.
- Purpose: Encourages you to focus on long-term goals rather than short-term relief.
- Application: This exercise is particularly helpful for repairing relationships damaged by addiction.
3. Acceptance and Expansion
This acceptance and commitment therapy exercise involves sitting with uncomfortable emotions or sensations, such as anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, and imagining them expanding within your body without resistance.
- Purpose: Builds tolerance for discomfort and reduces the urge to avoid feelings through substance use.
- Application: Can be used during detox and withdrawal management to cope with physical and emotional distress.
4. The Choice Point
You map out decisions on a chart, identifying behaviors that move you closer to or further from your values.
- Purpose: Encourages mindful decision-making in moments of temptation.
- Application: Useful for identifying triggers and creating healthier self-soothing techniques.
5. Urge Surfing
You learn to see substance cravings like waves in an ocean. In other words, they rise, peak, and dissipate without action.
- Purpose: Trains you not to satisfy your cravings with substances when they arise, realizing those momentary urges will subside eventually.
- Application: Encourages resilience to stick with your recovery goals in the face of future cravings and triggers.
With ACT therapy, the goal is to help you learn more about yourself and your values. The exercises above will ultimately equip you to:
- Set and achieve personalized goals
- Be more mindful
- Define your values
- Explore your thoughts and feelings
- Adjust your behavior
SOURCE: Cleveland Clinic
The Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Exercises in Addiction Recovery
According to a study by the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, people who participate in ACT therapy during addiction treatment have shown higher abstinence rates in the short term and at the very end of treatment. There’s also a positive correlation between a higher number of ACT therapy sessions and increased long-term abstinence rates. But why?
The benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy are often tied to what you learn during treatment. The six core principles of ACT can serve very practical purposes in your day-to-day recovery. Defusion, for example, helps you profoundly realize that you are not defined by your thoughts or feelings. You also learn to accept your situation for what it is and remain present. You’re no longer trapped in an endless cycle of avoidance or self-criticism.
With ACT therapy, you also learn to trust yourself again and make decisions based on the things in life that are important to you. You’re not swayed as easily by substances as you once were. Instead, you’re committed to pursuing your recovery and anything that aligns with your defined personal values. And in the end, you’re equipped to stay the course when negative feelings or addiction cravings happen in the future.
Achieve Long-Term Sobriety With Patient-Centered Treatment
Acceptance and commitment therapy is more than a treatment—it’s a guide to living a values-driven, fulfilling life. At Sana at Stowe, ACT is delivered with compassion, expertise, and a commitment to patient-centric care. If you’re recovering from trauma, addiction, or other mental health challenges, Sana’s holistic approach ensures you’ll leave stronger, supported, and empowered to embrace your future. Call us today and take your first step toward lasting healing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is evidence-based treatment?
Evidence-based treatment is backed by research, concrete facts, and tangible results in the greater addiction treatment community. To be evidence-based, these forms of therapy need to meet certain criteria by an accredited organization. In other words, evidence-based therapies are based on best practices that have already been tested and proven effective.
What are examples of healthy coping strategies?
Healthy coping strategies in addiction recovery can include:
- Self-care activities like exercise, eating healthy, and getting good sleep
- Practicing mindfulness in recovery
- Attending addiction support group meetings
- Meeting regularly with a recovery mentor
- Joining a class or pursuing a new hobby
- Journaling
- Practicing gratitude
