50 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com BREAKING STREET HABITS WITH COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY By Leah Rhyne Have you ever tried to break a bad habit? Whether it’s nail biting or online shopping, chances are there’s a habit you’d change if you could. Maybe you’ve even tried once or twice before. Now imagine needing to change almost every aspect of your life – from your friends to your job to the way you interact with anyone you meet. It would feel impossible, don’t you think? This is exactly what society asks of many people returning home after incarceration. To avoid re-arrest, they must change almost everything about their lives, and it’s hard. So hard, in fact, that nationwide approximately 62% of people leaving prison are re-arrested within three years. Increase the time frame to six years and the figure is over 80%. How do we change the game for men coming home from prison? Amy Barch, the founder of Turn90, the North Charleston-based nonprofit organization previously known as Turning Leaf, believes she’s found the answer in cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT teaches people to identify and manage thoughts and behaviors that contribute to emotional problems. It’s highly effective at treating depression, anxiety disorders, addiction, eating disorders and severe mental illness. It has also been shown to reduce violence and other criminal behavior in various populations and settings.
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