Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has been around for decades. It has proven very effective for people with substance use disorders (SUDs) or mental health conditions. Based on behavioral therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy, ACT helps people understand and accept that personal struggles do not preclude growth, change, and healing. The benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy have proven transformative for many people.
At Insight Recovery Center in Asheville, NC, we provide ACT and other evidence-based therapies to help people find the path to recovery that works for them. Want to learn more about acceptance and commitment therapy in Asheville? Curious about the benefits of ACT therapy? Call 828.826.1376 today. We will answer your questions and help you learn more about SUD treatment in Asheville, NC.
Principles of ACT
ACT is based on the principles of mindfulness. It takes a pragmatic view of triggers and painful past experiences. They are not always possible to avoid, so finding acceptance of those things from the past can help you commit to the forward journey—a full life in which flexibility and value-based choices help you with cravings and other symptoms.
The goal of ACT is to demonstrate that, instead of ignoring or avoiding reality, one should accept it while continuing to commit to their wellness journey.
Six Pillars of ACT
Incorporating the concepts below into your life, routine, thoughts, and actions is part of what ACT will teach you.
- Acceptance means living with challenges rather than avoiding them. Addiction is about avoiding. Recovery can be all about accepting.
- Present-moment living is a mindfulness concept that makes living in the past or fearing the future less likely.
- Living consciously by your values rather than reactively to avoid struggle takes you out of victim mode.
- Commitment to the actions you choose founded on your values-based goals does not mean all negativity is banished—it can’t be—but it can be simply one part of the landscape.
- Cognitive defusion is the process of gaining freedom from thoughts and beliefs that impede growth and healing. By doing this, you disempower your fear, anxiety, and negativity.
- Detached observation of your own situation and experiences helps you realize that those experiences are not you—they do not define you.
ACT is a highly intuitive process for many people in recovery. Through acceptance of the past and present and commitment to changing thoughts and behaviors, a brighter future awaits.
Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program
What will you gain from ACT at Insight Recovery Center in Asheville? The benefits of ACT therapy go beyond the time frame of your rehab journey. They accompany you through life. Some examples include the following:
- An acceptance and commitment therapy program focuses on the whole person, not just the addiction or the mental health symptoms.
- ACT is all about enhancing your life. You can have a fulfilling, happy life even if you have a painful past, an anxiety disorder, or are in recovery from an SUD. You do not need to be in a state of perfect wellness, symptom-free, to be living the life you want, according to what matters to you.
- You will not feel obliged to fight against or struggle to change negative experiences constantly. Instead, you can learn how your response to them will help you grow and evolve because of and in spite of them.
- ACT allows you to gain new eyes. You, and others too, will understand that you are more than a collection of symptoms, a diagnosis, or a past full of potholes and struggles.
- ACT helps you develop flexibility in how you think—about yourself, your past, your symptoms, your addiction, your future, your goals, and your happiness.
Consider the value of this effective, evidence-based treatment. We look forward to talking with you about it.
Contact Insight Recovery Center Today
Don’t wait for a different day or a less stressful moment. The circumstances of your week don’t have to determine your actions now. Call 828.826.1376 or contact us online to get started on the rest of your life.
At Insight Recovery Center in Asheville, NC, our professional staff has the experience, training, and compassion to help you begin a successful recovery journey.