Treatment for many varieties of addiction requires cognitive therapy to assist patients in their recovery. Additionally, cognitive behavior therapy is a type of treatment that goes beyond the facility where it is practiced and, ideally, translates into future decisions in many aspects of a patient's daily life.

Cognitive behavior therapy has been practiced for decades by trained psychologists, and although the reach of such therapy has grown tremendously over the years, the ultimate goal remains the same. Cognitive therapy challenges patients with problems such as ADHD, depression and drug addiction to look at their lives and behavior from a new point of view. It encourages the patient to find insights into their behavior and learn to recognize how behavior is influenced by things such as friends, family, genetics and environment.

Cognitive therapy is best performed when guided by a trained psychologist who specializes in such *counseling methods. The cognitive therapist can help guide patients through aspects of their lives that can prove to be significant in their decision-making process, assisting the patient with things they may not have considered before. It is based on truth from the patient and understanding about how circumstances and choices influence behavior, as well as how good or bad behavior will invariably result in a good or bad consequence.

Addiction recovery often requires the incorporation of cognitive therapy to allow patients to identify potential problems in thought processes and decision-making. Relapse triggers can best be defined through cognitive therapy, as these triggers are unique to every patient. With cognitive therapy, drug addicts are often able to see their problematic behavior from a new perspective for the first time. Unfortunately, critical thinking, especially involving self-assessment, is often overlooked by patients in treatment as just "going through the motions" of treatment. This could not be further from the truth, as most individuals with substance abuse problems have embedded in their personality many self-defeating behaviors that are often repeated. Oftentimes, patients are unaware that understanding behavior patterns plays such an important role in the road to recovery.

The benefits of cognitive therapy allow two main things to take place: the counseling therapist gains information about the patient to help develop the most effective treatment plan, and the patient is given insight into how behavior, especially repetitive negative behavior, directly influences decisions to continue using drugs, even when the patient is well aware of the dangers. This dialogue gives the patient a better understanding of the consequential, problematic and repetitive nature of the choices they make -- both in the past and future.

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