Radical acceptance—it’s a way to cope with life’s difficulties and grow from challenges. For those in addiction recovery, acceptance is an important part of the journey. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an approach that helps individuals face addiction and embrace what it takes to live a meaningful life. At Apex Recovery, our ACT program combines acceptance-based practices with evidence-based treatments in an effort to help people work through their struggles and achieve long-term recovery.

As part of our addiction therapy programs in Tennessee, acceptance and commitment therapy is an integral approach to helping our patients cultivate psychological flexibility. Addiction can disrupt a person’s sense of self, so we seek to help our clients reconnect with their authentic selves. Through ACT, we guide our patients in uncovering the values that are most important to live by and incorporate these values into their recovery journey. Call us at (877) 881 2689 today to learn how our addiction treatment programs can help you heal.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

An acceptance and commitment therapy program (or ACT) is a therapeutic theory that works with individuals with an addiction to decrease suffering and emotional pain and improve their ability to approach life problems through mindfulness and acceptance. ACT for addiction treatment is based on relational frame theory (RFT). It was developed from a school of research that focused on human language and cognition or thinking. RFT suggests that the rational skills used by the human mind in the attempt to solve problems are not only ineffective in helping people overcome psychological pain and emotions but also increase the amount of emotional pain and suffering.

The use of an Acceptance and Commitment program (or ACT) has been researched and supported by evidence for the treatment of substance abuse, psychosis, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and eating disorders, meaning that it works on a wide variety of problems. ACT therapy was developed with the goal of teaching people that although psychological pain is normal, we can learn ways to live healthier, fuller lives by shifting the way we think about pain.

Values-Congruent Living

Following the acceptance of difficulty and the development of a compassionate way of being with pain, ACT looks toward developing a value system as values-congruent living is the desired outcome of working with ACT. Through exploring values with an ACT therapist, a client is guided in answering questions that include “What do I want to be doing with my life?” and “What do I stand for?” The purpose of developing this value system is that ACT assumes that the quality of life is dependent on a mindful action that is driven by the personal value system.

Values act as leading principles that guide and motivate an individual on a daily and ongoing basis and provide the opportunity for individuals to act in a manner that is more consistent with what is most important to them. Through these more mindful actions, an individual can commit to a new behavior, regardless of the presence of symptoms, and ultimately live a more meaningful life.

We Accept Insurance

Contact Apex Recovery Tennessee to check your insurance coverage levels for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Programs.

How Does Act, Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Work?

At the very foundation of an acceptance and commitment therapy program is an emphasis on values, forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, and living in the present moment. When working with a therapist using ACT, exploration of current emotional or chronic pain and ways of attempting to manage the pain is explored with the ultimate goal of moving toward an acceptance that life is difficult.

An ACT program argues that life is hard and that pain is normal and inevitably will accompany some situations. Rather than attempting to avoid pain from distracting or challenging thoughts, ACT works toward truly acknowledging and accepting the pain. For example, as we age it is natural to experience physical pain, body aches, and muscle soreness, and any “magic pill” that slows down the aging process and the subsequent pain is unnatural.

Similarly, with heartbreak, loss, and grief, pain is normal and to be expected. An acceptance and commitment therapy program for addiction focuses on first accepting that life is difficult and rather than attempting to directly change or stop unwanted and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, people must be encouraged to develop a new and compassionate relationship with those difficult experiences.

Acceptance Therapy For Anxiety

ACT, which has been shown to be useful in treating anxiety, is about both acceptance and change. While the emphasis is not on symptom reduction, through acceptance of anxious thoughts, an individual can be guided toward change. The emphasis in an acceptance and commitment therapy program is not changing or eliminating the symptoms, instead, it is about changing the relationship with the symptoms. The paradox is that through accepting and acknowledging or “leaning toward” the anxiety, a person, in fact, experiences less anxiety and suffering and the result is symptom reduction.

This can be thought of through the metaphor of quicksand. If you are ever to fall into a pool of quicksand, the last thing you want to do is fight and struggle, as the more you fight, the deeper you sink and the faster you are sucked under. In quicksand, struggling is the worst thing that you can do. To effectively escape quicksand and survive the struggle, you must first stop struggling and relax. As you lie back and spread out your arms, you are able to float on the surface and avoid being sucked in.

This concept can be applied to anxiety disorders, as anxious or negative thoughts are in essence quicksand. As you feel lost, confused, or fearful, the more your mind fights against the anxiety and attempts to end it, the deeper you sink into your mind and the same feelings you are trying to escape.

After You Stop Fighting Your Emotions And Relax, Then What?

The quicksand metaphor only goes so far as to prevent being sucked under, but it seems to stop once you are laying on the top of the quicksand and escape is still necessary. This is where an ACT program introduces the idea of language in creating our suffering. Our language creates suffering as it allows us to rank and rate our experiences as good or bad, black and white, happy or unhappy. By being present in the moment and stopping ourselves from falling victim to this rating system, we are able to escape the downward spiral.

An acceptance and commitment therapy program in Tennessee allows an individual to create a detached relationship with their thoughts and feelings, and through mindfulness practice allows for the alleviation of anxiety, or any other emotional experience.

A person may have thoughts such as:

“I’m a terrible person”
“Life is so miserable”
“I’ll never be happy”

Mindfulness and ACT transition those thoughts to:

“I’m having the thought that I am a terrible person”
“I’m having the thought that life is so miserable”
“I’m having the thought that I’ll never be happy”

It’s in this detachment, that you are able to roll right off of the patch of quicksand and stand again on stable ground.

The concepts of this behavioral therapy are relatively new and foreign to most people, and there is a paradox that on the surface it is difficult to grasp given our normal ways of thinking. However, through guidance, practice, and support from a therapist who has a high level of acceptance and commitment therapy training, mental health can be gained. At Apex Recovery, our clients can find freedom from human suffering and live a more fulfilling life through mindfulness and acceptance.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Tennessee

Apex Addiction Recovery Center in Tennessee boasts two specialized substance abuse treatment facilities that offer Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Programs.

Fill in the form below to request a call back from Apex Recovery Tennessee

How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Can Support Your Recovery

ACT equips individuals with the tools they need to confront and overcome their addiction. It provides clients with an understanding of how their thoughts and feelings maintain their addictive behaviors, empowering them to confront the root cause of their addiction. It helps individuals to develop self-awareness and self-compassion, which are crucial components of the recovery process. As clients gain an understanding of their thoughts and feelings, they are more equipped to make positive changes and develop healthy coping mechanisms.

At Apex Recovery Nashville, we believe that the key to lasting recovery is to work with clients and help them develop a personalized recovery plan. We understand that every client is unique, which is why we offer a range of flexible treatment options tailored to meet the ever-changing needs of our clients. Our addiction counselors will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that may include individual therapy, group therapy, and other evidence-based approaches, such as ACT.

What to Expect in Our ACT Program

At Apex Recovery Nashville, our ACT program is designed to be flexible and collaborative. During a typical session, you might:

Discuss your experiences and views
Work with your therapist to better understand your thoughts and feelings
Learn new techniques for managing difficult emotions
Practice mindfulness exercises to cultivate self-awareness and acceptance
Develop a personalized plan for achieving long-term recovery goals

Our ACT program is designed to help clients reconnect with their core values, cultivate self-compassion, and build healthy coping strategies to manage their addiction.

Reach Out to Apex Recovery Nashville Today to Get Started

If you’re struggling with addiction and looking for a community of professionals who truly care about your success, Apex Recovery Nashville is here to support you. We understand that this journey towards recovery can be challenging, but you don’t have to face it alone. Our ACT program can help you achieve lasting recovery, improve your overall well-being, and gain the life you deserve. Reach out to us today and let us help you start on your journey towards lasting recovery.

Call (877) 881 2689 or reach out to our qualified team online today to get started.