Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological treatment or therapy used to help people recognize, and thereby change, certain patterns regarding the negative effects of destructive or harmful thoughts. CBT focuses on preventing the recurrence of these negative thoughts, and their influence on negative emotions, leading to some form of self-harm or harm to others.
CBT has been shown to work well in reducing the extent of problems like depression, drug and alcohol abuse, anxiety disorders and other major mental illnesses. It may also be better than any other treatment for some chronic mental disorders, including medication.
It’s hard to say whether CBT is the best option for you, since different illnesses and disorders and situations require different treatments. However, a good starting point is the realization that there is a problem, and consulting a professional about it. If you think you can benefit from that, you may want to check out these Best Psychiatrist in Karachi.
What can CBT treat?
As we’ve said before, CBT can treat a number of different psychological disorders, and in some cases may be the best option for them. These conditions include:
- Bipolar disorder
- Certain irrational fears
- Schizophrenia
- Eating disorders such as bulimia
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Alcohol and drug abuse (depending on the case)
What is CBT all about?
CBT has a few core principles which include the beliefs that a lot of psychological disorders and problems are partly the result of negative thoughts and their impact on behaviour. Another belief is that people can learn better ways of coping with their problems instead of returning to the same old detrimental behaviour.
If you’re wondering what steps are involved in CBT, we’ve made a list of some of the major points of the treatment.
- Getting the patient to recognize and understand that an important part of the problem is the negative and perhaps false thoughts they have, and view them in a more realistic light, or try and address their causes.
- Getting the patient to empathise with the people involved in their problems and their negative thoughts.
- Helping the patient to build-up their self-confidence and develop necessary skills to solve both mental and physical problems.
There are also certain strategies that can be used in CBT that can help with certain disorders and problems. For example:
- Getting the patient to face their problems head on, like putting them face to face with their fears, in the case of phobias.
- Teaching the patient how to calm one’s mind and body, which can include stretching and meditation.
- If certain situations are responsible for the negative thoughts that one is seeking to overcome, the therapist and the patient can act out the situation to prepare for it.
It’s important to understand that CBT doesn’t work unless you want and allow it to. The primary purpose for the therapist is to bring you in touch with your problems, help you understand their causes, and help come up with a strategy to over come those causes. The bulk of the work comes from you. CBT is a means to help you treat yourself, and break out of problematic patterns.
If you’re suffering from any of the disorders we’ve mentioned above, or any other psychological disorder, you might want to talk to a specialist. We recommend these Best Psychiatrist in Islamabad.
