Problem Solving: There are times when the patient can find himself in a situation, which may present problems for the recovering alcoholic. For this reason, these patients are taught a series of techniques to determine the correct solution of a given problem. The training involves a number of simulated scenarios and the patient is made to come up with moral solution to resolve the situation. This may involve the patient analyzing the situation, suggesting a way out of the situation and weighing the odds. This training helps the patients to be well equipped to come up with possible solution when the need arises.

Coping Skills Training: It is hard to undermine the value of relieving a person's psychological dependence. As stated earlier, alcohol and drug abusers are attracted to them as they find relief from them. The reason for this is the psychological acceptance that such things bring happiness and comfort (even if that happiness is short-term). With time alcohol and drug becomes a part of their coping mechanism. For such a person, it is important to find an alternative coping mechanism, he/she or she would not have to revert back to alcohol or drugs.

In order to determine the extent of training required, the patient is assessed through a process called 'functional analysis. This will help categorize the antecedent to a person's use of drugs and alcohol. This assessment is done through questionnaires and interviews and a range of domain is explored through which the patient learns how to cope with situations that may tempt him to drink alcohol (Miller and Pechacek, 1987).

Planning for Emergencies: This is a situation where the patient is in a situation where switching on the problem-solving mechanism is rather too short compared to the time needed to respond. In such situation, the patient may want to fall back to drinking but the emergency training given to him will surely go a long way at helping him make a wise decision.

(2) Inter-personal skills are those that involve at least one more person in addition to the alcohol dependant. Inter-personal skills include the following:

Drink Refusal

Refusing Requests

Handling Criticism

Intimate Relationships

Enhancing Social Support Network

General Social skills

The above-mentioned inter-personal skill, if well harnessed tend to put the patient on the right track of recovery with no tendency...

The clinical methods of this therapy have helped many patients to prevent relapse. Moreover, the document presented various methods that have proven to use Cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating alcohol dependence (Monti et al. 1989).
Conclusion

The method of cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the conceptualization of an addictive behavior deals with wrongful or overuse of alcohol and drugs. Using Cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating alcohol dependence has proven to be very effective. The results of the selected studies show that the incidence of relapse was not reported in most cases. All its main features were discussed in this research document, especially developing an alternative coping mechanism at the time of need. Both laboratory and field experiments show that of all the approaches specified in this document are currently being used to treat alcohol dependence.

Reference:

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MOKDAD, a.H.; MARKS, J.S.; STROUP, D.F.; and GERBERDING, J.L. (2005) Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 291(10):1238-1245, 2004. Erratum in: JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 293(3):298, 2005. PMID: 15010446

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Miller, W.R., & Pechacek, T.F. (1987). New roads: Assessing and treating psychological dependence. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 4, 73-77.

NOWINSKI, J.; BAKER, S.; and CARROLL, K.M.(1995) Twelve Step Facilitation Therapy Manual. NIH Pub. No. 94-3722. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

CARROLL, K.M. (1998) a Cognitive-Behavioral Approach: Treating Cocaine Addiction. NIH Pub. No. 98-4308. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Monti, P.M., Abrams, D.B., Kadden, R.M., & Cooney, N.L. (1989). Treating Alcohol Dependence: A Coping Skills Training Guide. New York: Guilford Press.