CBT for Anxiety

Anxiety disorders can have a serious and negative effect on people’s quality of life. Among the typical symptoms are frequent / constant worry, obsessive thoughts, or panic attacks. These symptoms are usually accompanied by an array of unpleasant physical sensations, i.e., excessive sweating, pounding heart, dizziness. In the past the most common approach in treatment was to offer psychotropic medications in order to alleviate the symptoms. It has, however, become a norm that those who suffer from an anxiety disorder are offered psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy specifically. This approach provides them with tools and skills in beating anxiety, without the necessity of bearing with, usually unpleasant, side effects of psychotropic medications.

Finding Ways To Cope

People who suffer from anxiety disorders often turn to psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be particularly effective for these issues. Medication might alleviate the symptoms temporarily, but CBT can help you understand the cause of the problem and teach you how to control your thoughts and cope with your fears. Therapy can uncover the underlying causes of your worries and then help you see these situations in a new way that does not bring about anxiety.

 How Many Sessions Will I Need?

CBT is designed to be a short to medium term treatment. The length of any therapy process is determined by the severity and the complexity of your symptoms. At the beginning of therapy we will conduct a detailed assessment, which will help us to predict the length of the therapy process.  In the cases of mild to moderate anxiety, without any underlying trauma, or other mental health problem, it typically takes no more than 12 to 15 sessions to significantly reduce the intensity of anxiety, and improve the overall quality of life. If the anxiety is more severe, or if it is accompanied by other symptoms, such as depression or difficult social or family situations, it is likely that the initial twelve sessions will provide some improvement in mood and overall functioning. Further sessions will address other mental health problems, and bring more lasting improvement.

 How Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Work?

As the name implies, CBT is two therapies in one. The first is the cognitive aspect which involves looking at how negative thoughts contribute to your anxiety. Types of irrational thinking styles are explored in session which is followed by the process of cognitive restructuring. Cognitive work is followed by behavioural aspect of CBT. Here the work focusses on identifying avoidance strategies, and all the behaviours that perpetuate the problem. Further, new, healthier behaviours are identified and slowly introduced. CBT typically works with the here and now problems, and it aims to equip you with effective solutions and strategies to present issues. As there are different types of anxiety disorders, the specific ways of applying cognitive and behavioural strategies in therapy differ as well. These are always tailored to your specific symptoms and concerns. If for instance, you have obsessive-compulsive disorder; your treatment will be different from someone who’s getting therapy for panic attacks, or social phobia. Finally, if there are issues from the past, such as trauma, or abuse, other models of CBT are utilised to address these in depth.

What Shall I Expect During My First Session?

The first session is devoted to a collaborative process of reaching an understanding of what your issues are. You are likely to hear questions about your thoughts, feelings, and attitudes that come up during your daily life. This is called assessment, and allows the therapist to come up with a treatment plan. At the end of the session the therapist should be able to tell you how long the process is likely to take to make a difference.

In What Other Ways is CBT Helpful?

By undergoing a successful course of CBT for anxiety, you discover it also teaches you coping mechanisms that can be applied to other situations. Perhaps you are seeking treatment for social anxiety, so learning to correct negative thoughts and beliefs in this area becomes a skill that you can use later if you need to deal with a challenging person at work. For example, you’ll know how to assess the likelihood of a difficult person having any negative impact on your life if you stand up for yourself. You will also be able to keep any negative worry afterthoughts to a minimum, when you walk away from the situation, having addressed it, with a self-respecting confident response.

However, especially in the long run, it can be helpful to identify the problem in order to then take all the necessary steps to regain the ability to enjoy your life again. Cognitive behavioural therapy is highly effective in helping people overcome anxiety disorders. If you struggle with obsessive thoughts or uncontrollable anxiety, therapy can be an answer. It may, actually, be the first step to regaining control over your emotions, and finding strength to lead a fulfilling life. At the Ark Psychotherapy we will design a bespoke approach to the treatment of your anxiety to ensure that you regain your good mental health and joy in life.