Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Anxiety Disorders

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Anxiety Disorders

Concepts and Procedures of CBT

In broad terms CBT may be thought as the combination of behaviour and cognitive therapy. It focuses on the unhealthy behaviour and emotional patterns. It is all about how a person gives meaning to the world around him and how this affects the person's behaviour and feelings. The duration of CBT ranges from 6 weeks to 6 months depending on the condition of the patient. This treatment takes place in the form of weekly sessions. The sessions are usually for one hour once a week (Treanor, 2011). These sessions are a self exploration for the patient. They sit and talk with the therapist to find out the root cause of a problem. Finding the root cause is equivalent to solving half the problem. The best part of the therapy is that it not only provides solutions to the problem at hand but also suggests actions that must be taken in the future after the completion of the therapy.

CBT is a treatment method used in psychology for several disorders founded on the belief that cognitions strongly influence people's emotional responses and reactions. This therapy follows that the meaning individual's attribute to themselves or their situations are based on their personal thoughts, beliefs & interpretations (Westbrook, Kennerley & Kirk, 2011). Therefore, by observing and altering how individuals perceive their cognitions, treatment to anxiety disorders may be effective. Through the experiencing of situations, one's thoughts and perceptions regarding it form, leading to an emotional reaction (or development of emotions) to the situation. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) looks to treat anxiety disorders by attempting to regulate patients' psychological states. Disorders are seen to be as more extreme forms of psychological emotion, and through the observation and alteration of one's cognitions they are able to return to the 'normal states'. (Westbrook et al., 2011). Additionally, one's behaviour and reaction to their perceptions of their environment are significant in maintaining or changing their psychological states.

Treatment aims to observe and target the symptoms themselves; i.e. the psychological structuring that allows for the development of anxious or distressing responses to situations experienced. The cause of the anxiety is observed and targeted in the course of therapy in order to be changed to produce more balanced emotional responses.

CBT is vey closely related to negative thoughts. Negative thoughts refer to the inability of a person to find good and look at the brighter side of things. It is common knowledge that most of our worries come not from the events that happen in our life, but the way we react to them. People who have low resilience get frustrated soon and hold on to the negative thoughts (Wilson, 1998). Their reaction is more pronounced then the others who are in a position to see the brighter side of things even in the midst of bleak circumstances. The CBT relates to feelings, behaviour and thoughts. People who develop negative feelings are often found depressed, they ...