Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a psychological therapy effective in treating depression, anxiety disorder, eating disorders, alcohol and drug addiction, and severe mental illness.
According to the American Psychological Association, research suggests that CBT is more effective than other therapy options or psychiatric treatments. Cognitive Behavior Therapy helps patients to identify and explore how their thoughts and emotions affect their actions. It provides an effective way out of the damaging effects of mental disorders and allows patients to attain an improved and healthy life.
How It Works
A study from the National Library of Medicine shows that most patients are satisfied with the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy. So, how does it work?
The treatment methods used in CBT are based on scientific evidence and are improved continually. Cognitive Behavior Therapy works on principles that can be summarized as follows:
- Unhelpful ways of thinking are partly responsible for psychological problems.
- Unhelpful behavioral patterns partly cause psychological problems.
- Patients can learn better ways of coping with psychological problems to help relieve the symptoms and live better lives.
With CBT, you can change how you think about situations by focusing on the here and now, not the future or the past. This leads to more positive actions.
Techniques Used in CBT
Cognitive Behavior Therapy helps patients by making them become their own therapists. They perform supervised exercises with their therapists outside sessions to help them change their behavior and thinking. Techniques used in CBT include the following:
- Self Talk
- Thoughts Recording
- Positive activities
- Cognitive restructuring
- Situation exposure
- Journaling
Reading this proves that you are on the right path to recovery if you are dealing with psychological or mental health issues. If you need more information on caring for your mental health and other treatment options, explore our extensive resource page.
