Cognitive Behaviour Therapy- A Peep Into Your Mind

Every second of our lives we are confronted with different situations. Every individual perceives a certain situation in a different manner and then reacts to it. It’s our perception only which makes us feel happy or depressed. Ever wondered that the way we think and act can actually be changed in order to solve many of our psychological problems?

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is one such treatment which can really help to change the way an individual thinks and reacts. The thinking part is called ‘cognitive’ and the reaction part is termed as ‘behaviour’. Hence the treatment is named as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

This therapy focuses on the present. It tries to find out solutions to improve an individual’s state of mind “now”. The treatment does not focus on past incidents.

CBT is based on the assumption that most of the negative thinking and the emotional reactions to situations are learned over a period of time. So this therapy basically tries to identify such unhelpful thinking that causes unwanted feelings and helps to replace that with more emotionally balanced thoughts.

A situation gives rise to thoughts, emotions and ultimately actions. Each of these are inter related. How you think about a problem can affect your physical as well as mental health.

Cognitive behaviour therapy breaks down the problem into simpler units. When you see the whole sequence in parts you are able to analyze the situation a much better way. In this way you can change the way you feel.

CBT can be used alone or with a combination of medicines. It is helpful in cases of anxiety, depressiondefine, phobias, schizophrenia etc. The treatment consists of 8 to 20 sessions. Each session varies from about half an hour to an hour.

As mentioned above the therapist breaks down your feelings into much more simpler thoughts. For this purpose the patient might be asked to maintain a diary.

Depending on the situation, the therapist recommends the patient to replace an upsetting thought with a more realistic one. He helps out the patient in case things don’t work out as recommended.

There might be some problems initially. For e.g. you might not be able to concentrate and feel even more depressed. Also some people think it is shameful to share their weaknesses with someone else. But with each session things improve.

The best part about CBT is that one can continue developing these skills even after the sessions have finished.

CBT does not have a negative impact and if one keeps on practising it, it can be helpful for a lifetime.