Why do people have cbt

Cognitive behavior therapy can be used as a short-term treatment to help individuals learn to focus on present thoughts and beliefs. CBT is used to treat a wide range of conditions including:. In addition to mental health conditions, CBT has been found to help people cope with the following:. The underlying concept behind CBT is that thoughts and feelings play a fundamental role in behavior. For example, a person who spends a lot of time thinking about plane crashes, runway accidents, and other air disasters may avoid air travel as a result.

The goal of cognitive behavior therapy is to teach people that while they cannot control every aspect of the world around them, they can take control of how they interpret and deal with things in their environment.

CBT is often known for the following key benefits:. One of the greatest benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it helps clients develop coping skills that can be useful both now and in the future.

CBT emerged during the s and originated in the work of psychiatrist Aaron Beck , who noted that certain types of thinking contributed to emotional problems. Beck labeled these "automatic negative thoughts" and developed the process of cognitive therapy. Where earlier behavior therapies had focused almost exclusively on associations, reinforcements, and punishments to modify behavior, the cognitive approach addressed how thoughts and feelings affect behaviors.

Today, cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most well-studied forms of treatment and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a range of mental conditions including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorder. CBT is one of the most researched types of therapy, in part because treatment is focused on highly specific goals and results can be measured relatively easily.

There are several challenges that people may run into during the course of cognitive behavioral therapy. Initially, some patients suggest that while they recognize that certain thoughts are not rational or healthy, simply becoming aware of these thoughts does not make it easy to alter them. Cognitive behavioral therapy doesn't tend to focus on underlying unconscious resistances to change as much as other approaches such as psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

It is often best-suited for clients who are more comfortable with a structured and focused approach in which the therapist often takes an instructional role. For cognitive behavioral therapy to be effective, the individual must be ready and willing to spend time and effort analyzing their thoughts and feelings. Such self-analysis and homework can be difficult, but it is a great way to learn more about how internal states impact outward behavior. In most cases, CBT is a gradual process that helps a person take incremental steps toward a behavior change.

For example, someone with social anxiety might start by simply imagining anxiety-provoking social situations. Next, they might start practicing conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances.

By progressively working toward a larger goal, the process seems less daunting and the goals easier to achieve. Cognitive behavior therapy can be an effective treatment choice for a range of psychological issues. If you feel that you or someone you love might benefit from this form of therapy, consider the following steps:. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter.

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It's most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression , but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems. CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.

CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts. Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past. CBT has been shown to be an effective way of treating a number of different mental health conditions.

Although CBT cannot cure the physical symptoms of these conditions, it can help people cope better with their symptoms. If CBT is recommended, you'll usually have a session with a therapist once a week or once every 2 weeks. The course of treatment usually lasts for between 5 and 20 sessions, with each session lasting 30 to 60 minutes.

During the sessions, you'll work with your therapist to break down your problems into their separate parts, such as your thoughts, physical feelings and actions. You and your therapist will analyse these areas to work out if they're unrealistic or unhelpful, and to determine the effect they have on each other and on you. CBT makes us more aware of how these thought patterns create our reality and determine how we behave. CBT aims to transform any ways of thinking and behaving that stand in the way of positive outcomes.

For example, when a person has depression, their perceptions and interpretations become distorted. If people learn fearful or negative ways of thinking, they can start to think in this way automatically. CBT focuses on challenging these automatic thoughts and comparing them with reality. If a person can change their way of thinking, their distress decreases and they can function in a way that is more likely to benefit them and those around them.

As the individual acquires new skills, it becomes easier for them to solve problems in a constructive way. This can reduce stress, help them to feel more in control, and reduce the risk of a negative mood. A person with dental phobia, for example, fears going to the dentist because they believe they will experience severe pain or even death by having a dental procedure. This fear may have started with a previous negative experience, perhaps in childhood.

Together, the client and the therapist can develop a plan to see dental treatment in a new way and overcome the fear. CBT is a form of psychotherapy where a person learns to change their perceptions, and how they see things in their life.

This can have a positive effect on behavior and mood. A counselor and client work together to identify goals and expected outcomes. The individual must be an active participant to benefit.

Anyone considering CBT should find a qualified professional. A doctor may be able to recommend CBT specialists locally. Counseling and therapy can be costly, but self-help courses are also available. In , some researchers reported that an online self-help program for CBT was beneficial for people with chronic back pain. This could be promising as a cost-effective option for some people in the future.

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