Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A Step-By-Step Program. Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety

Philip Vargas

• Éditeur: Youcanprint
• Année: 2022
• ISBN:
  9791220372312
• Sujet: Psychology
• Sous-sujet: Cognitive Psychology & Cognition

Description Did you know that in our entire worldly population, that 450 million people are suffering from some sort of mental disorder on a daily basis? The most common mental disorders that people struggle with every day are depression and anxiety. Are you someone that feels like they are always burdened by their mental disorders? Do you feel like you're being held back from your full potential? Are you feeling stuck and are struggling to get out of this slump? If you identify with this, then this book can help you not only learn Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat your disorders, but it will also equip you with the right knowledge to understand what is happening and why. Millions of people give up on their mental health treatments every year because they think that it isn't effective, or it isn't working quickly enough. Well, treating mental health is a complicated matter, and it is not a one size fits all. Although it is true that cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be the most effective treatment for most mental disorders, it is crucial to learn as much as you can regarding your own mental health, and from there, apply your own CBT methods to properly treat your individual situation. This book will be able to help you with that by arming you with information from these following topics: The history behind Cognitive Behavioral Therapy The modern day uses of CBT How CBT works Anxiety disorders, causes, and symptoms Depression disorders, causes, and symptoms The benefits and drawbacks of choosing CBT as treatment How to use CBT to manage your anxiety and/or depression Other methods that also help to manage anxiety and/or depression How to manage your anger CBT has been proven to be effective for up to 75% of people who use it as treatment. In fact, the effectiveness level rises up to 90% if it is combined with other methods as well. This book will teach you how to apply CBT to your individual mental health case, and it will also teach you other methods that help treat mental disorders. By combining CBT with other treatments like meditation and lifestyle improvements, the effectiveness of the entire set of treatment rises significantly. Most people in our society today are mistaken about mental health disorders. People think that every one that is diagnosed needs to take medication in order to treat it properly. Although this is true in severe cases of mental disorders, a lot of mental health disorders can be well managed and prevented by practicing CBT and other forms of treatment. Unlike most mental health medications, CBT has minimal to zero side effects and is much longer-lasting. It takes medication over 6 weeks for the person to feel the effects of it, while people state that within 8 – 15 sessions of CBT, they begin to feel a lot better. This goes to say that CBT is a low risk and high reward type of treatment. So if you are someone that is looking to gain better mental health and to learn how to properly and safely manage your anxiety or depression, look no further. Buy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy today and begin to heal yourself.

Chapter 1: What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

As we discussed at the very beginning of this book, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a type of talking therapy that is used to treat people with mental disorders. The fundamentals of CBT

are based on three components; cognition (thought), emotion, and behavior. All three components interact with each other, which leads to the theory that our thoughts determine our feelings and emotions which then determines or behavior.

How does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works by emphasizing the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

When you begin to change any of these components, you start to initiate change in the others. The goal of CBT is to help lower the amount you worry and increase the overall quality of your life.

Here are the 8 basic principles of how Cognitive Behavioral

Therapy works:

1. CBT will help provide a new perspective of understanding your problems.

A lot of the times, when an individual has been living with a problem for a long time in their life, they may have developed unique ways of understanding it and dealing with it. Usually, this just maintains the problem or makes it worse. CBT is effective in helping you look at your problem from a new perspective, and this will help you learn other ways of understanding your problem and learning a new way of dealing with it.

2. CBT will help you generate new skills to work out your problem.

You probably know that understanding a problem is one matter, and dealing with it is entirely another can of worms. To help start changing your problem, you will need to develop new skills that will help you change your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions that are affecting your anxiety and mental health. For instance, CBT will help you achieve new ideas about your problem and begin to use and test them in your daily life.

Therefore, you will be more capable of making up your own

mind regarding the root issue that is causing these negative symptoms.

3. CBT relies on teamwork and collaboration between the client and therapist (or program).

CBT will require you to be actively involved in the entire process, and your thoughts and ideas are extremely valuable right from the beginning of the therapy. You are the expert when it comes to your thoughts and problems. The therapist is the expert when it comes to acknowledging the emotional issues. By working as a team, you will be able to identify your problems and have your therapist better address them. Historically, the more the therapy advances, the more the client takes the lead in finding techniques to deal with the symptoms.

4. The goal of CBT is to help the client become their own therapist.

Therapy is expensive; we all know that. One of the goals of CBT

is to not have you become overly dependent on your therapist because it is not feasible to have therapy forever. When therapy comes to an end and you do not become your own therapist, you will be at high risk for a relapse. However, if you are able to become your own therapist, you will be in a good spot to face the

hurdles that life throws at you. In addition, it is proven that having confidence in your own ability to face hardship is one of the best predictors of maintaining the valuable information you got from therapy. By playing an active role during your sessions, you will be able to gain the confidence needed to face your problems when the sessions are over.

5. CBT is succinct and time-limited.

As a rule of thumb, CBT therapy sessions typically last over the course of 10 to 20 sessions. Statistically, when therapy goes on for many months, there is a higher risk of the client becoming dependent on the therapist. Once you have gained a new perspective and understanding of your problem, and are equipped with the right skills, you are able to use them to solve future problems. It is crucial in CBT for you to try out your new skills in the real world. By actually dealing with your own problem hands-on without the security of recurring therapy sessions, you will be able to build confidence in your ability to become your own therapist.

6. CBT is direction based and structured.

CBT typically relies on a fundamental strategy called ‘guided recovery.’ By setting up some experiments with your therapist, you will be able to experiment with new ideas to see if they reflect your reality accurately. In other words, your therapist is your guide while you are making discoveries in CBT. The therapist will not tell you whether you are right or wrong but instead, they will help develop ideas and experiments to help you test these ideas.

7. CBT is based on the present, “here and now.”

Although we know that our childhood and developmental history play a big role in who we are today, one of the principles of CBT actually distinguishes between what caused the problem and what is maintaining the problem presently. In a lot of cases, the reasons that maintain a problem are different than the ones that originally caused it. For example, if you fall off while riding a horse, you may become afraid of horses. Your fear will continue to be maintained if you begin to start avoiding all horses and refuse to ride one again. In this example, the fear was called by the fall, but by avoiding your fear, you are continuing to maintain it. Unfortunately, you cannot change the fact that you had fallen off the horse but you can change your behaviors when it comes to avoidance. CBT primarily focuses on the

factors that are maintaining the problem because these factors are susceptible to change.

8. Worksheet exercises are significant elements of CBT

therapy.

Unfortunately, reading about CBT or going to one session of therapy a week is not enough to change our ingrained patterns of thinking and behaving. During CBT, the client is always encouraged to apply their new skills into their daily lives.

Although most people find CBT therapy sessions to be very intriguing, it does not lead to change in reality if you do not exercise the skills you have learned.

These eight principles will be your guiding light throughout your Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. By learning, understanding, and applying these eight principles, you will be in a good position to invest your time and energy into becoming your own therapist and achieving your personal goals. Based on research, individuals who are highly motivated to try exercises outside of sessions tend to find more value in therapy than those who don’t. Keep in mind that other external factors still have an effect on your success, but your motivation is one of the most significant factors. By following CBT using the principles above, you should be able to remain highly motivated throughout CBT.

When is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Used?

Now that we have learned how CBT works, when is CBT used?

The main answer to this question is that CBT is used when an individual decides to pursue therapy in order to help with the problems they are facing. A lot of the time, these problems are disorders such as depression, anxiety, or more serious ones like OCD and PTSD.

To dive a little more in-depth, the most common uses for CBT is actually depression and generalized anxiety disorder. However, CBT is also used and is very effective for other disorders such as:

● Body Dysmorphic Disorder

● Eating Disorders

● Chronic Low Back Pain

● Personality Disorders

● Psychosis

● Schizophrenia

● Substance Used Disorders

Since CBT focuses on the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behavior, those who suffer from disorders that stem from mental health may find it helpful to try CBT. Most

modern-day therapists opt for CBT as the best technique to handle the problems that the client may be facing as it covers numerous disorders, and the client can learn it and continue to use it without the therapist’s help.

On a simpler note, CBT can just be used for general therapy.

This may be a situation where somebody is attending therapy sessions in order to remain in touch with their thoughts and feelings. Although this person may not be suffering from any particular disorder, CBT is a helpful tool for someone who wants to organize their thoughts.

Who Uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

A large variety of people use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, whether it is to help others or to solve their own problems. The most general answer to who uses CBT would be a therapist and somebody who is suffering from a mental disorder. However, CBT is also used by professionals within the psychology space, alcohol addiction, substance abuse, eating disorders, phobias, and anger management. CBT is a flexible tool that many types of people can use to treat the problem at hand.

Like I mentioned in the previous subchapter, CBT can be used even if you are not facing a serious problem like mentioned

above. Many people who used to go to therapy continue to use CBT to maintain a healthy mindset. CBT has also been used for events like interventions. However, the people that typically use and gain the most from CBT are the people who are willing to spend the time and energy analyzing their own thoughts and feelings. Since self-analysis is typically difficult, a lot of people may give up after realizing how uncomfortable it could be.

However, CBT is very well-suited for the people who are looking for short term treatment that does not require medication. This is very suitable for people who don’t want to take drugs in order to manage disorders like depression and anxiety.

Comparison of CBT and Other Types of Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other types of behavioral therapies share a lot in common but also have a lot of significant differences. The typical behavioral therapies that you may see on TV and movies seem to involve a lot of dream interpretation or complex discussion of one’s childhood experiences. This type is therapy is very outdated compared to CBT. In fact, not many therapists in modern-day use this type of treatment. CBT is different from other therapies by focusing mainly on the ways that a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all

connected. Both CBT and other behavioral therapies have common approaches, such as:

 The therapist and client work as a team with an understanding that the client is the expert on their own thoughts while the therapist has the theoretical and technical expertise.

 Treatments are often short term (usually lasting between 6 - 20 sessions). The client actively participates in the treatment inside and outside of the sessions. Homework and worksheets are often mandatory.

 The therapist aims to help the client realize that they are strong and capable of choosing to have positive thoughts and behaviors.

 Treatment is aimed to resolve present-day problems and is goal-oriented. The therapy involves achieving goals by working step by step.

 The client and therapist choose their goals for therapy together and track their progress throughout the treatment.

Since the foundation of CBT is the theory that thoughts influence feelings and that a person’s emotional response to a problem comes from how they interpreted the situation. Here’s an example to help you further understand: Imagine feeling the

sensations of your heart beating irregularly fast and feeling shortness of breath. If these symptoms occurred while you were sitting quietly at home, you would likely assume that it is a medical condition like a heart attack, which will cause anxiety and worry. However, if these symptoms occurred while you were running outside, you would likely not attribute it to a medical condition, and therefore it will not lead to anxiety and worry. Do you see here that different interpretations of the exact same sensations (e.g., heart racing and shortness of breath) can lead to different emotions entirely?

CBT suggests that a lot of the emotions that we are feeling is completely due to what we are thinking about. In other words, our emotions are entirely based on how we perceive and interpret our environment or a situation. Sometimes these ideas and thoughts become distorted or biased. For example, an individual may interpret an ambiguous text message as personal rejection when they may not have any evidence to support that.

Other individuals may begin to set unrealistic expectations for themselves regarding being accepted by others. These thoughts contribute to illogical, biased, or distorted thinking processes, which then affect our emotions. In CBT, clients will learn to distinguish the difference between an actual thought and feeling. They will learn to be aware of the ways that thoughts can influence their emotions and how it is sometimes unhelpful. In

addition, they will be able to evaluate critically whether their automatic thoughts are accurate and have evidence, or if they are simply just biased. At the end of their therapy, they should have developed the skills to notice these negative thoughts, interrupt them, and correct the thoughts properly.

Now, let’s talk about how other behavioral therapies are different. Most of them focus on how certain thoughts and behaviors are accidentally “rewarded” within an individual’s environment. This contributes to these thoughts and behaviors increasing. Behavior therapies can be used in a wide selection of psychological symptoms in a wide range of ages. Here are a couple of examples to further explain it: Example #1: Imagine a teenager that is constantly asking for permission to use the family car to go and hang out with friends.

After the parents asking repeatedly and receiving numerous denials, the teenager becomes angry and disobedient towards the parents. Afterward, the parents come to the conclusion that they do not want to take the hassle from their teen anymore and allow their teen to borrow the car. By giving permission, the teenager has actually received a “reward” for throwing a tantrum. Behavior therapists say that by giving permission to the teenager, the teenager has learned that bad behavior is a strategy that works if they are going after permission. Moreover,

behavior therapy aims to understand the relationships between behaviors, rewards, and learning, and changing negative patterns. In conclusion, the parents and children in this example can unlearn these unhealthy behaviors and reinforce good behavior instead.

Example #2: Imagine being afraid to ride in vehicles. To avoid being scared and anxious, you may eventually begin to avoid all vehicles and walk or ride a bicycle instead. The extra energy and time required for your transportation may cause you to be constantly late for events or work. However, despite these consequences, your fear of avoiding riding in a car has been rewarded with the absence of fear and anxiety. Behavioral treatments would consist of riding in a car under a supervised environment and reward you when you are successful. These rewards will be given after each success, and its aim is to help you unlearn these negative associations. Although behavioral therapies are different based on the disorder they are treating, a common thread is that behavioral therapists help their clients try new or feared behaviors and disallows them from letting negative rewards dictate their behavior.

Chapter 2: What Is Anxiety?

So, what...

Table des matières

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
• Chapter 2: What Is Anxiety?
• Chapter 3: What Is Depression?
• Chapter 4: Benefits and Drawbacks
• Chapter 5: Using CBT to Manage Your Anxiety and Depression
• Chapter 6: Other Methods to Manage Anxiety and Depression
• Chapter 7: How to Manage Your Anger