How it works - Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) Flashcards
What are the problems that are broken down into 5 main areas in CBT?
- Situations
- Thoughts
- Emotions
- Physical feelings
- Actions
CBT is based on the concept of these 5 areas being interconnected and affecting each other. For example, your thoughts about a certain situation can often affect how you feel both physically and emotionally, as well as how you act in response.
How CBT is different to other psychotherapies?
Pragmatic – it helps identify specific problems and tries to solve them.
Highly structured – rather than talking freely about your life, you and your therapist discuss specific problems and set goals for you to achieve.
Focused on current problems – it’s mainly concerned with how you think and act now rather than attempting to resolve past issues.
Collaborative – your therapist will not tell you what to do; they’ll work with you to find solutions to your current difficulties
Provide an example of a negative thought cycle.
There are helpful and unhelpful ways of reacting to a situation, often determined by how you think about them.
For example, if your marriage has ended in divorce, you might think you’ve failed and that you’re not capable of having another meaningful relationship.
This could lead to you feeling hopeless, lonely, depressed and tired, so you stop going out and meeting new people. You become trapped in a negative cycle, sitting at home alone and feeling bad about yourself.
Provide an example of how CBT can help accept a negative situation.
For example, when a marriage ends instead of feeling like you failed. You could accept that many marriages end, learn from your mistakes and move on, and feel optimistic about the future.
This optimism could result in you becoming more socially active and you may start evening classes and develop a new circle of friends.
This is a simplified example, but it illustrates how certain thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions can trap you in a negative cycle and even create new situations that make you feel worse about yourself.
How does CBT help you get to a point where you can tackle problems without the help of a therapist?
CBT aims to stop negative cycles by breaking down things that make you feel bad, anxious or scared. By making your problems more manageable, CBT can help you change your negative thought patterns and improve the way you feel and process the information in the future.
What is Exposure therapy?
Exposure therapy is a type of therapy in which you’re gradually exposed to the things, situations and activities you fear. It can help treat several conditions, like phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic disorder.
Based on a targeted approach what is the difference between Exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
CBT: CBT is a broad therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and changing maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors. It can be used to address various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and OCD.
Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy is a specific subset of CBT designed to treat anxiety disorders, particularly phobias and PTSD. It involves gradual and controlled exposure to anxiety-inducing stimuli.
Based on Fear and Anxiety Reduction what is the difference between Exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
CBT: CBT addresses the cognitive aspect of anxiety by challenging and changing irrational beliefs and thought patterns. It may also involve behavioral interventions but not necessarily exposure.
Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy directly targets the emotional and physiological response to fear and anxiety by exposing individuals to feared situations or objects. It aims to desensitize them over time through repeated exposure.
Based on Specific Phobias and PTSD what is the difference between Exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
CBT: CBT can be used to address a wide range of mental health issues beyond specific phobias and PTSD.
Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy is considered the treatment of choice for specific phobias and is often recommended as a primary treatment for PTSD. It’s highly specialized for these conditions.
Based on Efficiency and Focus what is the difference between Exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
CBT: CBT can be a more time-consuming and resource-intensive treatment due to its broader scope. It may be preferable when addressing complex issues that require a comprehensive approach.
Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy is often more focused and can lead to quicker symptom reduction for specific phobias and PTSD.
Based on Patient Preference and Tolerance what is the difference between Exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
CBT: Some individuals may prefer a cognitive-behavioral approach that focuses on thoughts and behaviors without direct exposure to feared stimuli.
Exposure Therapy: Others may prefer exposure therapy if they are motivated to confront and overcome their specific fears directly.
Based on Comorbidity what is the difference between Exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
CBT: CBT can be adapted to address multiple co-morbid conditions simultaneously.
Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy is more specialized and may be used in conjunction with other therapies or interventions to address comorbid conditions.
What is the process of Exposure Therapy? *Simplified
Exposure therapy involves starting with items and situations that cause anxiety, but anxiety that you feel able to tolerate.
You’ll be exposed to an item or situation for a length of time and frequency recommended by your therapist.
After the first few times, you’ll find your anxiety does not climb as high and does not last as long.
You’ll then be ready to move to a more difficult situation. This process should be continued until you have tackled all the items and situations you want to conquer.
Exposure therapy may involve spending 6 to 15 hours with the therapist, or can be carried out using self-help books or computer programs. You’ll need to regularly practise the exercises as prescribed to overcome your problems.
What does the first season of CBT look like?
The first few sessions will be spent making sure CBT is the right therapy for you, and that you’re comfortable with the process. The therapist will ask questions about your life and background.
If you’re anxious or depressed, the therapist will ask whether it interferes with your family, work and social life. They’ll also ask about events that may be related to your problems, treatments you’ve had, and what you would like to achieve through therapy.
If CBT seems appropriate, the therapist will let you know what to expect from a course of treatment. If it’s not appropriate, or you do not feel comfortable with it, they can recommend alternative treatments.
What does post first season of CBT look like?
After the initial assessment period, you’ll start working with your therapist to break down problems into their separate parts. To help with this, your therapist may ask you to keep a diary or write down your thought and behaviour patterns.
You and your therapist will analyse your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to work out if they’re unrealistic or unhelpful and to determine the effect they have on each other and on you. Your therapist will be able to help you work out how to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
