Substance abuse, defined by Sue, Sue and Sue (1994) as a maladaptive pattern of excessive use of a substance which an individual finds him- or herself unable to reduce or cease intake despite physical harm or impaired social or occupational function, is considered to be America's foremost public health challenge (Sue, Sue & Sue, 1994). One approach to this problem has been cognitive-behavioral therapy. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature on the cognitive-behavioral approach to this disorder.
Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches To Substance Abuse
One of the more current approaches to substance abuse has been anger management, this because according to Reilly, Clark, Lewis and Shopshire (1994), the inability to control anger and hostility is often related to substance abuse. The authors further report that the cognitive-behavioral approach to anger management includes several dimensions. Commonly these include helping substance abusers: to identify the physical, emotional, and situational cues associated with their anger, to recognize self-talk that facilitates anger and to substitute this inner dialogue with more positive self-statements.
Many programs develop very individualized anger management plans. There is the use of time-out as a means of controlling angry feelings and instruction and practice of conflict-resolution strategies. Group therapy is usually combined with these strategies in order to help substance abusers discuss and evaluate those situations where they are at-risk for angry feelings. There is also an emphasis upon helping the substance abuser to monitor his or her own anger-escalating behavior.
Several studies support the effectiveness of the anger management approach. For example, the approach has been found to facilitate recovery in samples of Veterans (see: Gerlock, 1994) and samples of adolescents in residential placement for substance abuse problems (Wilcox & Dowrick, 1...