Why is Cognitive Behavior Therapy Effective for Depression and Anxiety?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that examines and modifies your thoughts, belief system and behavioral patterns to enhance your moods and functioning. The cognitive model suggests that the way you react to a situation depends on your perception about it. Negative thoughts and behaviors are not a result of external events or conflicted childhood, as Freudian psychoanalysis suggested. CBT blends cognitive and behavior therapy to help you recognize negative thought patterns and works on getting through circumstances, starting at the least threatening stage. CBT is effective in treating depression, anxiety and trauma. Here’s how it works to treat depression and anxiety:

Your therapist works with you to identify and evaluate negative thought patterns and replace them with more realistic ones. CBT enables you to gain awareness of these thoughts, monitor your reactions or different types of thoughts in unpleasant circumstances, replace them with positive and get though the situation. A change in your thinking pattern and attitude would change your behavior. That can help you cope with depression, anxiety and enhance your life satisfaction.

During CBT session, you learn to record your past experiences and how you felt. Your therapist may convince you to keep a journal to record circumstances and your reactions. The counselor helps you break down the situation into more manageable parts and get through them starting with the easiest stage. The therapist also breaks down the types of thoughts that you get in certain situations.

You learn to modify cognitive distortions and to control your reactions, prevent rumination, think about the solution, examine external circumstances and your thoughts and reactions, what thoughts and reactions are triggered during distress, practice positive self-talk for effective problem-solving and use self-evaluation to respond in the correct manner.

Recent research has shown combining cognitive behavior therapy with a health oriented approach can improve anxiety and depression. This may include exercise, supplements, and herbs. Many doctors recommend 30-minutes of exercise daily can help increase serotonin levels. Research has shown magnesium supplementation can be beneficial as well as the use of tumeric.

If you are looking for help with depression and anxiety contact one of our Burbank therapists.