Anxiety, CBT

CBT for Anxiety: What to Know and How It Helps

Anxiety disorders are the world’s most common mental health condition. Even so, the reported and diagnosed cases are probably just a fraction of what’s really going on. Anxiety is a normal, inevitable emotion with the capacity to save our lives. However, if it manifests in a dysfunctional manner, it can hamper our life. In far too many instances, anxiety is dismissed as temporary stress and it doesn’t get the attention it needs.

But if you’re experiencing chronic worry, sleep disturbances, fatigue, restlessness, social withdrawal, and more, you may be well-served by speaking to a therapist. If you do, you might be introduced to the myriad benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Let’s start with some introductory basics:

CBT is talk therapy that typically takes place over a set number of sessions
It is an effective option for many specific mental disorders and also for managing stress in a more general sense
CBT’s primary focus involves identifying and addressing patterns of cognitive distortion
A CBT therapist will often give their clients “homework” to help facilitate carryover between sessions

Unhealthy thinking can play a huge negative role in our daily choices. Such choices pile up and become long-term patterns that begin to feel “normal.” As too many of us might assume, “It is what it is.” CBT assists you in the process of identifying this cycle — shifting the power and control back to you.

Having clarity about what is challenging you allows you to:

Identify triggers
Preempt anxious episodes
Reframe your thinking and self-image
Introduce these changes into your life

As you might imagine, such developments can have a powerful healing impact on anyone currently coping with an anxiety disorder.

CBT for Anxiety

When a person is stuck in a chronic loop of anxiety, they can lose sight of what dangers are real or perceived. The presence of an anxiety disorder has caused their own thinking to be the primary source of stress. Thus, a CBT therapist will help you cultivate the coping skills you need to provide a countermeasure to the distortions. For example:

Learning to Be More Mindful

Mindfulness is like kryptonite to runaway anxiety. When you stay present, you are better able to resist the urge to regret the past and dread the future.

Reducing Fixation and Rumination

Anxiety’s lies and deceptions can trap us in a cycle of fixated thought. We find a target for worry and this plants seeds of self-doubt. Conversely, CBT guides clients to make observations and judgments from an informed, realistic mindset. By definition, this fosters a decrease in anxious rumination.

Accepting Uncertainty

When struggling with anxiety, it may feel comforting to imagine ridding yourself of uncertainty. Your CBT sessions will teach you that the more realistic and sustainable path is to build up a tolerance for life’s twists and turns. In turn, this prevents the introduction of perfectionism — a corollary and source of anxiety.

All of the above highlights some of the ways CBT can short-circuit the cycles of chronic anxiety. When inaccurate thought patterns are exposed and rejected, we are free to entertain a far more nuanced and self-loving mindset. CBT puts you back in the driver’s seat.

Getting Started With CBT

As common as anxiety disorders are, they are something you have to grin and bear. With the knowledge garnered during CBT sessions, you are empowering yourself to better understand how your mind works. From there, when negative episodes arise, you have a wide range of tools to handle them with discernment, patience, and self-confidence. If you found yourself nodding along as you read this post, I’d love to talk with you soon and tell you more.