Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is Effective in Treating Substance Use Disorders
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.
“Mindfulness reminds us that in stillness we find the wisdom to become a human being instead of a human doing. . . Recovery is a journey, not a destination. Stillness opens our hearts and minds to the vast potential within us as we move through treatment.” – Beverly Conyers
Substance abuse is a major health and social problem. There are estimated 22.2 million people in the U.S. with substance dependence. It is estimated that worldwide there are nearly ¼ million deaths yearly as a result of illicit drug use which includes unintentional overdoses, suicides, HIV and AIDS, and trauma. Obviously, there is a need to find effective methods to prevent and treat substance abuse. There are a number of programs that are successful at stopping the drug abuse, including the classic 12-step program emblematic of Alcoholics Anonymous. Unfortunately, the majority of drug and/or alcohol abusers relapse and return to substance abuse.
Hence, it is important to find an effective method to treat substance abuse and prevent relapse but an effective treatment has been elusive. Most programs and therapies to treat addictions have poor success rates. Recently, mindfulness training has been found to be effective in treating addictions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based psychotherapy technique that is employs many of the techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). ACT focuses on the individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior and how they interact to impact their psychological and physical well-being. It then works to change thinking to alter the interaction and produce greater life satisfaction. ACT employs mindfulness practices to increase awareness and develop an attitude of acceptance and compassion in the presence of painful thoughts and feelings. ACT teaches individuals to “just notice”, accept and embrace private experiences and focus on behavioral responses that produce more desirable outcomes.
The evidence has been accumulating on the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for the treatment of substance use disorders. So, it makes sense to step back and summarize what has been learned in the most recent studies. In today’s Research News article “The Use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Substance Use Disorders: A Review of Literature.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7524566/ ) Osaji and colleagues review and summarize the published research on the effectiveness of ACT in treating patients with substance use disorders.
They identified 22 published research studies and report that the published research found that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was effective for the treatment of substance use disorders. They report that the research demonstrates that ACT is effective when used alone or in combination with other therapies. ACT successfully reduced substance use or produced discontinuation. It has been shown that various forms of mindfulness training are effective in treating addictions. The present findings simply extends this to ACT.
So, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective in treating substance use disorders.
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies
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“mindfulness can play a very important role in substance abuse recovery: patients learn how to rethink the nature of stressful situations and stimuli that may otherwise trigger a harmful train of thought that leads to drinking or using. Prior to a mindfulness intervention, patients may have been oblivious to the various factors that start the chain reaction of negative thought and unhealthy behavior. Mindfulness treatment gives them the chance to examine those factors on a level playing field, in a calm, supportive and safe environment. In time, the triggers become less daunting and more manageable.” – Foundations Recovery Network
Study Summary
Osaji, J., Ojimba, C., & Ahmed, S. (2020). The Use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Substance Use Disorders: A Review of Literature. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 12(10), 629–633. https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4311
Abstract
Background
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a form of behavioral therapy that teaches people to learn to accept rather than avoid challenging situations in their lives. ACT has shown to be an intervention with great success in the reduction of various mental disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs). The core of ACT when used in SUD treatment is guiding people to accept the urges and symptoms associated with substance misuse (acceptance) and use psychological flexibility and value-based interventions to reduce those urges and the symptoms (commitment). The purpose of this study is to review the existing literature to examine the evidence on the use of ACT in the management of SUD.
Methods
A thorough search of four databases (CINAHL, PubMed.gov, PsycINFO and PsycNET) from 2011 to 2020 was conducted using search terms like ACT, ACT and SUD, ACT, and substance misuse. The articles retrieved were critically appraised using the Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) Checklist.
Results
Most of the studies showed that ACT was effective in the management of SUD showing significant evidence of a reduction in substance use or total discontinuation with subsequent abstinence.
Conclusions
The literature review concluded that success has been achieved using ACT either as monotherapy or in combination with other therapy in the treatment of individuals with SUD.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7524566/