Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that is based on the notion that our thoughts affect our feelings, which affect our behaviors. This therapy focuses on helping people examine their thoughts and how they affect their lives and mental health. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used alone or with pharmacological treatment and medication to treat many mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder that is characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors such as washing your hands 10 times in a row. According the Mayo Clinic, a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication is the best treatment for this disorder.
CBT helps a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder gradually learn to cope with a feared item or idea. For example, someone with OCD may be afraid of germs and have to clean a dish five times before eating out of it. With CBT, the therapist would the patient gradually decrease the amount of times he has to wash the dish and cope with the feelings of anxiety that it creates. The most common pharmacological treatment for OCD is antidepressants.
Insomnia
Sleep issues are linked to multiple mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. For many years doctors treated sleep issues with sleeping pills. According the Mayo Clinic, sleeping pills mask the real issues, can negatively interact with other medications, cause drowsiness during the next day and can cause bizarre behavior. Many doctors are recommending that people struggling with insomnia seek CBT from a licensed mental health professional because it is short-term treatment that delivers long-lasting results for sleep issues.
Depression
CBT and medication are effective forms of treatment for depression. The most common pharmacological treatment is antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. CBT is helpful in treating depression, because it helps people use positive self-talk, evaluate automatic thoughts and combat irrational beliefs and ideas. For example, someone who is depressed may feel like the world is out to get them and not realize how much control they really have. A CBT therapist would help that person look at irrational thoughts such as, "No one could ever love me," and realize that they aren't true.
Many times cognitive behavioral therapy includes homework. Someone struggling with depression may have a hard time exercising on a regular basis, but exercise can be just as effective as medication in some circumstances. The therapist may assign exercise as a homework assignment and help the person get past the mental blocks that stop her from exercising.
