Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (or CBT) is a treatment that has proven to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of psychological difficulties including, depression and anxiety. Research has demonstrated that CBT is at least as effective as medication in helping people overcome these emotional problems. It has the advantage over medication in that individuals are able to use it long term to keep at bay the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as the name would suggest is made up of two components;
- Cognitive Therapy
- Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Therapy
Our 'cognitive processes' or in everyday terms our thoughts include our memories, ideas, mental images, beliefs and attitudes. Cognitive therapy is based on the underlying principle that it is the way we think about an event or situation rather than the situation itself which affects how we feel (the emotional response) to that event or situation. The aim of cognitive therapy is to help the person experiencing the emotional difficulty think about the key event or situation in a less negative but more realistic fashion.
Behaviour therapy
Our 'behaviour' are those things that we 'do'. The guiding philosophy of behaviour therapy is that our behaviours over time can affect how we feel in certain situations. The aim in behaviour therapy is to enable individuals to change behaviours that may be harmful or not helpful.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is made of a combination of cognitive and behaviour therapies. They are often combined because how we behave often reflects how we think about certain things or situations. The emphasis on cognitive or behaviour aspects of therapy can vary depending on the condition being treated, for example the emphasis may be more on cognitive therapy when treating depression since research suggests that it is the way we think about our self and the world around us that leads to feelings of depression.
Emotional or mood difficulties (for instance feeling depressed or stressed) arise from maladaptive (negative) ways of feeling, thinking and behaving. You may be interpreting situations or feelings that occur to you each day in a negative way. If this happens you may find your mood becoming lower or you becoming more and more stressed with everyday demands and pressures.
Online application of CBT has been proposed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an effective delivery mechanism for therapy aimed at many mild to moderate mental health issues including depression, stress and anxiety. ThinkWell is an interactive online self-help programme to help you identify the connections between your thoughts and how you feel and also what you do about them to help you feel more in control of your life and less depressed or stressed.
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