Anxiety is a feeling that affects many people across the United Kingdom. For most people, their moments of anxiety are temporary. These moments will pass, and they will resume their normal emotional state, and there’s normally a good reason for their anxiety.
However, excessive worry is almost a constant for some, and there’s not always an apparent reason for it. Some people are just anxious, and this can be incredibly debilitating and affect various facets of their day-to-day lives. For some people, the symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder can stop them from living normal lives at all.
Because of how debilitating anxiety disorders can be, a lot of people look for ways to treat their anxiety so they can live normal lives. One of those ways is a widely used therapeutic modality called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
But does cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety work? And how exactly does it help mental health disorders?
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
CBT is a form of therapy that helps people identify and address negative thoughts and beliefs, also called cognitive distortions, that can contribute to anxiety symptoms. By identifying these unhelpful thought patterns, patients are taught to replace them with more positive thoughts and beliefs.
CBT is a versatile modality that can be used for a variety of mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression. It can also be vital for treating behavioural health concerns such as substance misuse and process addiction.
Cognitive behavioural therapy can also help a person develop healthy behaviours and teach people who suffer from anxiety relaxation techniques to manage their symptoms.
How Can CBT Treat Anxiety Disorders?
A therapist can use CBT for anxiety in a variety of ways. Some of the techniques that a therapist may use during sessions include:
Cognitive Restructuring
This technique helps people identify the thought patterns that lead to anxious thoughts, such as overgeneralisation, focusing on minor details, or believing that the worst possible outcome will happen regardless of its likelihood.
Therapists will help patients identify these negative thought patterns, thus beginning to reframe them.
Guided Discovery
In guided discovery, a therapist will familiarise themselves with the patient’s point-of-view. In doing so, the therapist will begin challenging a patient’s negative beliefs.
Patients will be asked to give evidence to support these unhealthy beliefs. They’ll also be asked to give evidence that contradicts them. This can help a patient discover other ways to think.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy can be particularly beneficial for people with specific phobias, which is when a person has an acute fear of something specific. In this kind of treatment, a person is gradually exposed to what they are afraid of in safe, controlled therapy sessions.
The patient will also be guided on how to cope with their fear healthily. Throughout treatment, a person will become less afraid and more confident in coping skills.
Journalling and Recording Thoughts
This treatment option can help a person stay connected to their thoughts. A therapist may ask patients to write down any negative thoughts they have and any positive thoughts they choose to replace the negative thoughts with.
Behaviour Activation
Some people can be anxious or apprehensive about a certain activity. In this treatment, a person schedules the activity and commits to doing it. Now that the decision has been made for them, a patient will likely follow through on the activity.
Behavioural Experiments
These are used for people whose anxiety disorders include catastrophic thinking, which is when a person believes that the situation they are in is worse than it is.
In this form of treatment for anxiety, a person is asked to predict what will happen before they begin a task that can trigger their anxiety. Then, they’ll be asked if that prediction came true. Over time, a patient will slowly realise that their catastrophising was irrational.
Relaxation and Stress Reduction
A major component of CBT is healthy coping mechanisms. In treating anxiety, a person will learn techniques to calm down and reduce anxiety and fear. Some of the relaxation techniques that are taught include deep breathing exercises and muscle relaxation.
Role Playing
Role-playing can help a person work through different scenarios. This can help a person develop their social skills, which can be beneficial for a person who struggles with Social Anxiety Disorder.
Successive Approximation
Anxiety can often be rooted in tasks or the fear of failure. This treatment technique teaches a person to break tasks down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This allows a person to build confidence as they complete these smaller tasks. This can help alleviate the fear and stress of undertaking big tasks.
Pros and Cons of CBT
While CBT can be effective and versatile, that does not mean that it is a quick fix, nor does it mean that there aren’t any drawbacks to CBT.
One of the pros of CBT is that it is highly structured, which allows it to be applied in both individual and group therapy. The skills learned in CBT can be used in daily life, including any difficulties a patient may face.
However, a patient must fully commit to the process to benefit from CBT. Attending sessions and doing work outside of sessions can also take up a lot of a person’s time. It may also be emotionally troubling initially.
Live a Life On Your Terms
Anxiety can be debilitating. It can stop a person from living life. In some cases, a person’s symptoms of anxiety can be so severe that they are unable to form meaningful relationships or even so much as leave the house. Fortunately, there are ways for a person to manage their symptoms, and cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety is one of them.
At Sierra Recovery, we’ll help you or a loved one find a path toward managing anxiety and build a life on your terms.
