CBT and Dual Diagnosis, Essay Example

I believe that the use of CBT for dual diagnosis is very beneficial because the harmful actions done by the patient suffering from mental disease are happening in present day, which is the exact time mindset that CBT uses in order to attack problems.  The decision to focus on the present rather than the past sets the patient up for a positive outlook—as dwelling on the past, alone, can prove to be damaging—and makes it easier to directly address the maladaptive behaviors by the patient.  The open, active, and personal nature of communication used in CBT provides a very safe and welcoming environment, and the end result of the patient eventually becoming their own therapist is especially helpful.  When the patient can depend on themselves rather than others, the deeper problems become easier to solve.

In an interview with a 60-year-old woman with a history of drug addiction, the first skill noted is the use of Socratic questioning.  “What do you notice?” was one of the first questions asked by the therapist, which led to the woman’s noticing things about her behavior.  Because one of the goals of CBT is to allow the patient to eventually become their own therapist, this questioning helps the patient get into the habit of thinking this way.  In addition, it helped the woman reach conclusions, specifically that she wasn’t as alone as she originally thought.

The latter part of that interview included the use of role-play; the therapist pretended to be the patient and the patient became the friend. By allowing the woman to see things from an outside perspective, it not only gave her hope and helped her to reach the realization that she was, in fact, not a failure, it made her see how compassionate and kind she is toward others, but not herself.  That finding, in coordination with action to fix it, is a large step in the right direction and might contribute to teaching the patient to love herself.