How effective is CBT for anxiety? How does it work?

Anxiety is also your body’s natural response to stress, so a person suffering from stress is most likely to be anxious all the time. Anxiety can also be described as constant apprehension of what’s about to come next. It is very normal to feel anxious or nervous in stressful situations. But if you are anxious almost constantly without any obvious cause and it’s interfering with your life then you might be suffering from anxiety disorder

There are several types of anxiety disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety disorder, Panic disorder, etc. People suffering from any sort of anxiety disorder find it extremely difficult to deal with their anxiety all by themselves. In such cases, one should immediately seek the help of a medical professional because if not dealt with good anxiety can aggravate and have severe consequences.

Anxiety is generally treated with a combination of therapy and medication. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely-used form of therapy for anxiety disorders as it can quickly help you identify and cope with specific challenges. CBT addresses negative patterns and distortions in the way we look at the world and ourselves.

What is Cognitive behavioral therapy?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of Psychotherapy. CBT is used to treat a variety of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or an eating disorder. It is an especially popular method of treatment for most anxiety-related issues. It is a short-term program that strives to change one’s patterns of thinking or behavior that are behind his/her difficulties and help them respond to their problems more effectively. In some cases, CBT is most effective when it’s combined with medications.

How does it work?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy may be done one-on-one in a private setting or it can be done in groups with other people facing similar issues or with people you’re close to.

With the development in the field of technology now one can even go for online therapy for illnesses like anxiety, depression, OCD, etc. The online resources that are available have made seeking help easier for a large chunk of the population and have been proven to be as effective as in-person therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety often includes:

Learning about your mental health condition in detail. You learn to identify your stressors and triggers and how severely they affect you.
Learning and practicing techniques such as relaxation exercises, coping strategies, resilience, stress management, and assertiveness
A form of CBT known as exposure therapy is a process for reducing fear and anxiety responses. In this form of therapy, a person is slowly and gradually exposed to a feared situation or object. The objective is learning to become less sensitive to the situation or object over time. Exposure therapy has been found to be particularly effective for individuals suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias.

Results:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy may not entirely cure your condition or make an unpleasant situation go away. But it surely gives you the power to cope with your situation in an effective and healthy way. CBT helps you feel better about yourself and your life.

Risks of CBT:

Typically there’s little risk in getting treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy. But there is a slight chance that you may feel emotionally uncomfortable at times. This is because CBT makes you explore painful feelings, emotions, and experiences. The sessions can often be physically and emotionally draining.

Some forms of CBT, such as exposure therapy, may require you to confront situations that you might have been consciously trying to avoid — such as airplanes if you have a fear of flying. This can result in temporary stress or anxiety.

However, working with a skilled therapist will minimize any sort of risks and the coping skills that you learn will help you manage and conquer negative feelings and fears.

How to make CBT more effective?

CBT isn’t equally effective for everyone and the results may differ in people suffering from the same issue. But there are a few steps you can take to get the most out of your therapy and help make it a success.

Approach the therapy as a partnership. Therapy is only effective if you’re actively participating and sharing in the decision-making. You and your therapist need to work as a team for your betterment. Both of you can set achievable goals for yourself and assess progress over time.
Be honest. The key to success with therapy is your willingness to honestly share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. While receiving therapy you also need to be open to new insights and ways of doing things.
Stick to the treatment plan given to you. Do not skip sessions or discontinue your medicine dose (if prescribed) by consulting your therapist. Doing so can significantly disrupt your progress.
Don’t expect instant results. Working on emotional issues is painful and often requires a lot of hard work. It’s very natural to feel worse during the initial part of therapy as you begin to confront past and current conflicts. You need to be patient with your recovery; it might be a while before you see any significant improvement.
Do the assigned homework between sessions. If your medical health professional asks you to read, keep a journal, or do other activities outside of your regular therapy sessions, follow through. Following through these homework assignments will help you get more accustomed to what you have learned in therapy.
If therapy isn’t helping, tell your therapist. If you don’t feel that you’re benefiting from CBT after attending several sessions, talk to your therapist about it. Your therapist may decide to make some changes or try a different approach for treatment.