According to helpguide.org, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most extensively used therapy for anxiety disorders.
A clinical psychologist, Ph.D., Carissa Wott specializes in anxiety and health psychology and is co-owner of The Anxiety Treatment Center of Greater Toledo. Wott says that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
As stated by the American Psychological Association, many research studies propose that CBT leads to remarkable development in functioning and value of life. In numerous studies, CBT is as successful as or more successful than other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications.
For instance, In a new study, 41% of unemployed or underemployed individuals experiencing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) discovered a new role or went from part- to full-time work by the end of a 16-week treatment for depression, according to The New Reddit Journal of Science.
Wott says that the main principle of CBT is that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors all impact each other in a bi-directional (functioning in two directions) manner. In simpler terms, that thoughts impact feelings, and feelings impact thoughts.
"Because they impact one another, changing unhelpful thought patterns and changing unhelpful behavioral patterns can help to modify one's feelings," says Wott.
Wott explains that the CBT model of anxiety suggests feelings of anxiety are associated with thoughts/perceptions of danger and avoidance behaviors. She says that when someone feels anxious about something, they perceive it as a threat and attempt to avoid it.
"If we use social anxiety as an example, the individual perceives social situations to be threatening as these situations could result in negative judgments or evaluations. Thus, this person finds ways to avoid social situations," says Wott.
Wott says that thoughts of threat and avoidance behaviors maintain and increase anxiety over time, even though the avoidance may provide initial relief from the anxiety. She explains that CBT aims to help evaluate the perceptions of threats and determine if these thoughts are accurate.
"If the thoughts found to be inaccurate, then the goal is to create new and more accurate thoughts about the situation. This is the "Cognitive" part of the model. It then seeks to reduce/eliminate avoidance behaviors, typically through a process called exposure," says Wott.
Wott says that the goal of exposure is to help the individual to engage in the avoided behaviors. She explains that this is to help the brain learn that the person can tolerate the situation and that the feared outcome is either unlikely to happen or that if it does, the person can tolerate that experience too. She explains that through repetition, the brain ultimately learns to feel less anxiety in these situations.
Wott shares an example that might help this idea make more sense. She says for an individual to imagine walking into their home and there is a beautifully wrapped present sitting on the table from their significant other.
She says if their initial thought is, "oh how sweet! I love presents!" then they will likely feel happy. If their initial idea is, "what did they do wrong and what are they making up for?" then they will likely feel suspicious. If their initial thought is "I don't deserve this," then they might feel guilt or shame.
"The situation in each example is the same - a present on the table. It is the way that you think about the present/interpret what this present means that causes you to feel a certain way," says Wott.
Wott explains that these thoughts and interpretations can come from individuals' past experiences. For instance, what they have learned from parents, teachers, spiritual mentors, culture, etc. She says that they have a direct impact on how they feel.
Thought challenging is a simple and effective technique used in CBT. According to innermelbpsychology.com, thought challenging is not about thinking positively in a negative situation. This technique will assist someone in viewing things from various angles by using real confirmation from their life and includes looking at the whole picture and considering it.
Wott shares an example to explain a situation where thought challenging could help an individual.
"For example, let's use the thought: my racing heart means that I'm having a heart attack." To challenge this thought, we would begin asking questions about it. For example, "What is the evidence to support this thought? Is there evidence that goes against this thought?" says Wott.
"What would you tell a friend in a similar situation? Would others interpret this situation similarly or differently? Are you confusing something that could happen (low probability event) with something that will happen (high probability event)?" etcetera," says Wott.
Wott says that through this careful and extensive questioning, someone can determine if their thought is accurate and helpful. She says that they can work and develop a new and more exact idea if the original one is determined to be unhelpful.
So, in this example, the new thought may become that their racing heart is a normal bodily response to many things and is an indication that their heart is working well rather than a sign of a heart attack, according to Wott.
Wott says that CBT can help individuals understand unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviors that contribute to and maintain anxiety and other MH conditions. She explains that this therapy may help individuals recognize that their emotions are not random or unpredictable, which increases confidence in one's ability to cope in difficult situations.
"It teaches individuals that they can act in ways that are opposite to how they feel, and ultimately learn that their feelings can change based on what they think and what individuals do," says Wott.
Wott explains that the ultimate goal of CBT is to teach someone to become their therapist, and they learn to catch their unhelpful patterns of thinking and modify these thoughts independently. She says that individuals gain an understanding of what behaviors promote health and wellness. Also, how to maintain these behaviors over time.
For individuals looking for Cognitive behavioral therapy services, there's a business called Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Center for CBT), located in Media, Pennsylvania. Their Anxiety Treatments include Social Anxiety or Shyness, Generalized Anxiety, PTSD, School Anxiety, Panic, Emetophobia, Specific Phobia, Skin-Picking, and Trichotillomania. For more information, individuals can visit their website.