All of these, and so many other anxiety-based issues can and do respond to CBT.įor patients with anxiety disorders, Rifkind says she typically begins the therapeutic process by defining the individual’s goal, which may be to drive long distances on the highway or attend a large social event. Rifkind says she has patients who are afraid to leave the house, afraid to take the subway, afraid to have sleepovers, go to the movies, and a host of activities they may avoid because of anxiety. “We gradually reintroduce things and pair them with new thoughts,” she says. She also points out that the behavioral part of CBT is to address the avoidant behavior.
“Once the person is outside of the situation, we need to challenge the catastrophic thinking by asking, ‘Have you ever been trapped in the classroom before, and if so, did anything bad ever happen?’” The key in CBT is to counter catastrophic thinking with evidence of past experiences, and realistic probabilities, Rifkind stresses. Once the child is not in that anxiety-provoking situation, then he can use CBT as a framework to challenge his fear of being trapped and to show that it isn’t rational. “Perhaps a child is afraid of being trapped in the classroom and feels dizzy and sweaty, and notices the heart and head are pounding,” she says. When a person is in the midst of a panic attack, adrenalin is rushing through the body, making it difficult to think clearly and logically.
We need do our best to help the child identify the thoughts that trigger his or her physical symptoms of panic,” Rifkind says. “Let’s say an adolescent is having panic attacks in school. Take a Mental Health Quiz Looking at the Specifics of CBT Take one of our 2-minute mental health quizzes to see if you could benefit from further diagnosis and treatment. Worried you may be suffering from a mental health disorder? Often CBT is used in conjunction with other behavioral health approaches the treatment protocol is personalized for an individual’s specific diagnosis and needs. Rifkind also points out that CBT is appropriate to use with varying populations including children and adolescents, using age-appropriate language and explanations. The American Psychological Association’s website says that CBT can be effective in addressing a range of disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol or drug abuse, relationship issues, and other serious forms of mental illness. Who Should Use Cognitive Behavior Therapy? “CBT is an approach that focuses on identifying and restructuring negative patterns of thought and behavior that can cause distress and perpetuate anxiety and depression,” Rifkind says.
She knows from her own experiences working with patients just how powerful CBT can be. Rifkind, LCSW, ACS, an Anxiety, Phobia, and OCD Specialist and Owner of Wellspring Counseling in New Jersey, specializes in using structured CBT. In recent years, a growing number of clinicians are adopting this technique to teach people to “reset” their thoughts and reactions. Aaron Beck, founder of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?ĬBT is a structured, action-oriented type of psychological treatment that was created in the 1960s by Dr. Unlike psychoanalysis, a common form of therapy that analyzes people’s behaviors and patterns to gain deeper understanding of motivations and reactions, CBT takes a more proactive approach to actually change disordered or negative ways of thinking. Many people who are coping with a variety of mental health diagnoses find using CBT helps them manage their fears, improving their quality of life and functioning. With the help of an approach called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), you can gain better control of your situation. But you don’t have to resign yourself to dealing with this distress every day. If you suffer from an anxiety disorder or depression, even the simplest activity, like going to school, work, or the grocery store, may at times feel overwhelming.