Cognitive Behavior Therapy

It is a form of behavioural treatment combined with the use of cognitive techniques. It reveals the relationship between beliefs, thoughts, feelings and the behaviours. Through CBT, people learn that their perceptions directly influence how they respond to specific situations which means that a person’s thought process is directly linked with the behaviours and actions. It works on the belief that thought process and perceptions of an individual change their behaviour and reactions.
Cognitive behaviour therapy uses the principles of both cognitive treatment and behavioural treatment. It works on changing the distorted cognitive patterns that causes maladaptive behaviour. Common cognitive distortions include:
• Self-references
• Selective abstraction
• Overgeneralizing
• Excessive responsibility
• Dichotomous thinking
Each session of the cognitive behaviour therapy is focused on the goal assigned to that particular session. The treatment using CBT uses different type of techniques based on the symptoms that the person is facing. Some common techniques are
• Positive reinforcement
• Punishment and consequences
• Journaling
• Challenging beliefs
• Mindfulness
• Relaxation
• Token economy
• Systematic desensitization
Treatment done by using techniques of CBT help people to learn new skills and to handle their issues. They develop positive beliefs and change their negative beliefs and also change the maladaptive behaviours. CBT can be useful for resolving long-term issue that are stemmed in early childhood.
People who show symptoms of behavioural and emotional problems find CBT especially helpful. Those individual who problems that affect their quality of life can also benefit from this therapy. The therapist and the person seeking treatment knows which issue to target and in what order which makes CBT a problem-solving and goal-oriented approach. It can be used to treat many conditions, including:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Substance-use disorder
• Phobias
• Disordered eating
• Persistent pain
• Erratic sleep patterns
• problems in anger management
CBT is used to treat many mental health issues. But as with any type of therapy, benefits are greatest when people commit fully to the process.