Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that helps in identifying negative thoughts and developing constructive mechanisms to cope with them.
CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) is a form of psychotherapy that helps in addressing and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors. The main goal of this therapy is to teach individuals coping strategies for dealing with different challenges, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. In this blog, we are going to discuss how cognitive behavioral therapy helps you deal with different mental health conditions. It covers different techniques CBT uses and the benefits it offers.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is a common type of talk therapy that is helpful in dealing with several mental health conditions. During a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy session, you work with a professional therapist to resolve your negative or inaccurate thinking patterns. Moreover, professionals use a more structured way to help you see challenging situations more clearly. Also, you are able to respond to them in a more constructive way.
| Do You Know? |
| CBT is not necessarily used as a treatment for mental health issues. In fact, it can help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations. |
Remember, the type of psychotherapy – CBT or any other – your therapist uses to tackle your condition depends on your specific condition and the severity of your symptoms.
Mental Health Conditions That Can Benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy |
| PTSD |
| Phobias |
| Depression |
| Anxiety |
| Eating Disorders |
| Sleep Disorders |
| OCD |
| Bipolar Disorder |
| Substance Abuse Disorder |
| Schizophrenia |
Why is Conditions Cognitive Behavioral Therapy done?
CBT is a very effective technique in dealing with a range of mental health issues. After all, it is a structured approach to addressing all sorts of negative behaviors. Therapists use different methods to identify and tackle thought patterns that are inaccurate and negative. Moreover, it helps you deal with grief or loss, emotional difficulties, emotional trauma, and even relationship conflicts. Besides, CBT usually requires a lesser number of sessions as compared to other forms of therapies.
According to a 2018 metanalysis, CBT helped improve symptoms in people with anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
What are the Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is short-term yet effective. It is so because it focuses on the cognitive functions of the patients. Throughout the treatment, the therapist uses different techniques to identify the unconstructive thought processes and change them for good. Here are some more benefits this type of therapy offers:
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CBT is Goal-Oriented
The factor that makes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy so effective is that it is goal-oriented. It focuses on setting measurable goals within a defined timeframe. As a result, it gives a clear direction for therapy and keeps both the therapist and the patient motivated. Also, the fact that the end goal is already clear makes it easy for you to track your progress as well.
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Helps Develop a Constructive Thinking Pattern
People going through mental health issues usually have difficulty controlling their emotions. With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, therapists help them develop a more controlled and rational thought process. After all, unwanted or uncontrolled thoughts can cause anxiety which makes the condition even more overwhelming. Moreover, the affected person is usually unable to think with facts. Therefore, professionals prefer using CBT to help clients deal with several mental health conditions.
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Helps in Improving Self-Esteem
Dealing with mental health issues can make you think poorly of yourself. Therefore, seeking assistance on time is important. It helps you determine negative thoughts and challenge negative beliefs. Moreover, it uses different techniques to help you develop a positive thought pattern. Over the series of sessions, the patient starts regaining their self-worth and begins to see themselves in a positive light.
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Helps managing problems
Irrational thoughts “cloud” a person’s mind, reduce rational thinking abilities and thereby make it difficult to devise solutions. – Korkmaz et al.
Negative thoughts not only make it difficult to manage different problems. In fact, the negative thought problems can add fuel to the fire. Therefore, resolving them on time is more important than ever. After taking a few sessions of CBT, the patient is able to assess the inaccurate thoughts and is able to see through different scenarios clearly. As a result, they can come up with constructive solutions. Above all, CBT also enables people to manage their reactions in difficult situations.
Techniques Used for CBT
As you know by now, CBT is so much more than identifying negative thoughts. It serves a lot of purposes. Moreover, it helps people with certain medical conditions lead a healthier life as well as those who need help managing stressful events more rationally. The following are some techniques used for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
- Cognitive reframing
- Behavioral activation
- Exposure Therapy
- Thought challenging
- Journaling/Self-monitoring
- Relaxation techniques
Conclusion
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talk therapy that aims at addressing unconstructive thought patterns and exaggerated – negative emotions. In fact, this therapy is effective in treating emotional difficulties and emotional trauma. Moreover, it is beneficial in dealing with a wide range of mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc. Above all, CBT is an approach that gives you hope about yourself and enables you to start seeing things positively.
