Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented psycho-social intervention used to treat a variety of
mental or emotional health problems that a person can face, such as anxiety and
depression.
This psychotherapy treatment helps to learn specific strategies that enable a person to make a positive change in his life.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy also aims to show the extent to which a person's thinking affects his mood, and give him a certain way to follow it so that he can think positive and less negative about himself and his life.
This psychotherapy treatment helps to learn specific strategies that enable a person to make a positive change in his life.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy also aims to show the extent to which a person's thinking affects his mood, and give him a certain way to follow it so that he can think positive and less negative about himself and his life.
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| Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy that aims to improve mental health. |
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and How Does CBT Work?
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy, and
it is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment, during which several
pre-determined sessions are held.
In the CBT session, the therapist
helps the patient to become more aware of negative and incorrect ideas, face
difficult situations in a more clear way and respond to them more effectively.
The extent to which patients
benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy is not hidden. Patients with
depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and even patients with eating
disorders can benefit from CBT sessions.
It is worth noting that patients
who do not suffer such mental disorders can benefit from cognitive-behavioral
therapy as well, as the treatment helps to better face stressful situations of
life.
This treatment is based on the perceptual model, as it depends on the way the individual receives a specific event more closely related to his reaction than focusing on the event itself.
This treatment is based on the perceptual model, as it depends on the way the individual receives a specific event more closely related to his reaction than focusing on the event itself.
The important part of this
treatment is to help the person change his unhelpful thoughts, and change his
behavior in a way that positively reflects his mood and work.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a
way to talk about a person’s feelings about himself, about others and about the world around him, in addition to talking about things that affect human
feelings and thoughts.
It is worth noting that CBT
treatment focuses on the problems and difficulties that a person faces at the
moment and in the current place. CBT is a treatment that focuses on the
present rather than focusing on past causes that may have caused these symptoms
to appear on the person, and therefore it is a treatment to improve a person's
mental state at the present time.
Why is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy So Important?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is
used to treat a wide range of diseases. This method of treatment is preferred
because it is an organized method, during which the patient needs fewer
treatment sessions compared to other psychological treatments, in addition to
this method of treatment helps to identify and address specific challenges.
For example, cognitive-behavioral
therapy can be used to treat emotional challenges. This treatment can help
treat symptoms of mental illness and prevent relapse in the appearance of these
symptoms.
This treatment is also useful in some cases where drug therapy is not an appropriate treatment option, in addition to the fact that cognitive behavioral therapy helps patients overcome their affliction with other medical diseases, teaching them how to control the symptoms of chronic diseases, and also helps in grief and loss.
This treatment is also useful in some cases where drug therapy is not an appropriate treatment option, in addition to the fact that cognitive behavioral therapy helps patients overcome their affliction with other medical diseases, teaching them how to control the symptoms of chronic diseases, and also helps in grief and loss.
How Does CBT Work?
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
for Mental Health
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can
help treat some mental health conditions effectively, and these include the
following:
- Schizophrenia.
- Depression.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Phobias.
- Panic disorder.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Sexual disorders.
- Sleep problems, such as insomnia.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Drug addiction (substance use disorder).
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.
Note that CBT can be more
beneficial when used in combination with other treatments, such as
anti-depressants.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
for Emotional Problems
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be
used to treat a wide range of emotional problems, the most important of which
are:
⤇Control and manage symptoms of
mental illness, and prevent relapses that accompany these symptoms.
⤇Treat mental illness if the
medication option is not appropriate for the person.
⤇Learn about ways to cope with the
stresses of life.
⤇Determine ways to control emotions.
⤇Resolve relationship differences
and learn better ways to communicate.
⤇Overcome emotional trauma related
to abuse or violence, and live with sadness and loss.
⤇Control the symptoms of chronic
physical diseases.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
for Depression
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
is a type of psychotherapy. In depression, this therapy includes both cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy.
Cognitive therapy targets thoughts and moods, and behavioral therapy targets behaviors, and thus this therapy helps to change behavior and the mood of the individual by modifying the thinking style.
Cognitive therapy targets thoughts and moods, and behavioral therapy targets behaviors, and thus this therapy helps to change behavior and the mood of the individual by modifying the thinking style.
Treatment is based on the idea that
negative emotions are the product of distorted and unconscious thoughts and
beliefs from the past.
CBT helps the patient healer to reach more balanced methods of dealing with stress and managing symptoms of depression.
CBT helps the patient healer to reach more balanced methods of dealing with stress and managing symptoms of depression.
Types of CBT for Depression
Some types of cognitive-behavioral
therapy used to treat depression can be mentioned as follows:
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
- Cognitive Therapy
- Multimodal Therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
for Anxiety
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most common treatment for anxiety disorder. Research shows that CBT is very
effective in the treatment of social anxiety disorder, panic disorder,
generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias, among much other health
conditions.
CBT identifies irrational fears, negative patterns cognitive distortions in the way we view the world and ourselves.
CBT identifies irrational fears, negative patterns cognitive distortions in the way we view the world and ourselves.
CBT has two main components:
Cognitive therapy: It examines how cognitive distortions and negative thoughts
or perceptions contribute to anxiety.
Behavior therapy: It examines how you behave and interact in stressful and
anxious situations.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
for Long-Term Health Conditions
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can sometimes be used to treat people
with long-term health conditions, as this treatment helps them cope better with
the symptoms of the disease, such as:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
What is the Process of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavior therapy usually
includes the following processes and steps:
Determining the situations in which
the patient suffers from problems: It is possible that the problem is a medical condition the patient suffers from, divorce, sadness, or anger, or the problem may be the
symptoms that the patient suffers from as a result of mental illness.
In this phase, the psychologist and
the patient identify the problems and determine the goals that the patient must
focus on during CBT.
The patient's awareness of his
feelings, thoughts, and beliefs: When a person identifies the problem he is suffering from, the
psychologist helps the person to share his own thoughts about the problem.
This includes observing the personal speech that the patient tells about a particular experience, as well as observing his interpretation of the situation and his personal beliefs about himself and others and about events.
The psychiatrist may also suggest that the patient start recording his thoughts on a special notebook.
This includes observing the personal speech that the patient tells about a particular experience, as well as observing his interpretation of the situation and his personal beliefs about himself and others and about events.
The psychiatrist may also suggest that the patient start recording his thoughts on a special notebook.
Identifying negative and incorrect
ideas: This step helps the person
determine the way of thinking and behavior that may have contributed to the
problem.
Here, the psychiatrist urges the person to pay attention to the physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions he takes in the different situations that he may be exposed to.
Here, the psychiatrist urges the person to pay attention to the physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions he takes in the different situations that he may be exposed to.
Reshaping negative misconceptions: The psychiatrist encourages the person to ask about himself
on the basis of which he makes his point, whether he makes it based on facts,
or what is going on based on wrong and misconceptions.
This step is difficult to treat for the patient, as the patient may be used to think long time ago in some way about his life and himself, but with training and practice it becomes a pattern of behavior and useful thinking usually in a person does not require much effort.
This step is difficult to treat for the patient, as the patient may be used to think long time ago in some way about his life and himself, but with training and practice it becomes a pattern of behavior and useful thinking usually in a person does not require much effort.
How Many Sessions of CBT are
Needed?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a
short-term treatment. The number of sessions a person needs with a psychiatrist
is discussed, but usually, a person needs ten to twenty sessions.
This depends on several factors, including the type of disorder or problem that a person suffers from, and the severity of the symptoms, as well as the patient’s period of symptoms or the problem.
The extent of the patient's progress also affects the duration of treatment, as well as the extent of the stress experienced by the person, and the extent of the support he receives from his family members and others around him.
This depends on several factors, including the type of disorder or problem that a person suffers from, and the severity of the symptoms, as well as the patient’s period of symptoms or the problem.
The extent of the patient's progress also affects the duration of treatment, as well as the extent of the stress experienced by the person, and the extent of the support he receives from his family members and others around him.
How to take advantage of CBT sessions
There is no doubt that the rate of
benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy is not equal for everyone.
In order to get the most benefit from it, a person can follow these tips:
In order to get the most benefit from it, a person can follow these tips:
➤Effective patient participation in
treatment and decision-making with the psychotherapist.
➤The patient's openness and honesty,
as the success of the treatment, depends largely on the patient's desire to
share his thoughts and feelings without feeling embarrassed, and that the
patient be open to accepting new visions and ways of making things.
➤Adherence to the treatment plan, as
failure to comply with it may hinder the progress of treatment.
➤Not expecting immediate results,
working with emotional matters, for example, maybe painful for the person, so
that the person may feel worse during the first treatment sessions. This is
because a person is beginning to face the past and present conflicts that a person suffers from, and a person may need several sessions before he feels
better.
➤Performing the duties assigned by
the patient's psychological therapist between the treatment sessions, because
these duties help the patient to practice what he learned during the sessions.
➤If the patient does not feel any
improvement after several sessions, the psychological therapist must be
notified of this, as a joint decision can be made between the patient and the
therapist to make some changes or change the treatment plan.
By: Mahtab Alam Quddusi