Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a saving grace for many people with OCD, Anxiety, Depression, Panic Disorder, etc. There’s a lot to dive into here, so let’s get started.
“Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.” – Lowell Thomas
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, therapist, social worker, etc. Nothing in this article is to be perceived as medical or treatment advice. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. APA. In many studies, CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective as, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications. Id.
I have personally been using CBT for quite a few years. Originally I started using it for my GAD, but then I started using it for my OCD.
Quick History
A rudimentary form of CBT started around the end of World War II due to a need to help the returning veterans cope with anxiety and depression. Yes, you could make the argument that it started earlier with Pavlov, Watson, or Skinner. I still think the Little Albert was a messed up experiment, but I digress.
The 60’s through the 90’s brought about the understanding that thoughts were the link between external events and feelings and behaviors. The Anxiety Workbook, p. 19, 2017. At the turn of the millennium, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emerged. Id. This is when CBT evolved into the treatment we all know and love.
SMART
SMART is an acronym for how to set a goal and achieve it. The S stands for specific. This means you must define your goal so you can understand it. M stands for measurable. You can’t reach a goal when you don’t have any ability to measure your progress, so set an easily measurable goal. A stands for Action-oriented. You should state actions that are necessary to achieve your goal. R stands for realistic. Self-explanatory, but set a goal you can actually achieve. T stands for time-based. Set a time frame in which you want to complete your goal. In your treatment, set a SMART goal and once you achieve that, set another. It is like weight loss, set an overall goal, but also small achievable goa.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Process
For CBT, you need to identify what negative what problem(s) you are having in your life. I usually keep a list in my notes app. They don’t have to be similar, but I like to have a separate list for each type of problem. Once I have the list, I do a list under each problem identifying my problematic and negative thoughts. This usually includes categorizing my thoughts under whichever cognitive distortions are present. Lastly, I re-frame my thought.
I’m weird and do the last part separate from the rest. I make a chart in my notes app and and list the thought, the cognitive distortion, and re-frame the thought. Each one of these has its own column in the same row. When re-framing the thought, I usually go with a neutral thought and not positive. To me it makes it easier, but like I said, I’m weird.
Why does CBT matter?
CBT matters because ERP is a part of CBT. Also, if you just have anxiety or any of the other issues listed, CBT can potentially help you.Exposure and Response Prevention is supposed to expose you to the stimuli and have you ignore the response. You do not avoid the response, you sit with the anxiety and do not perform any compulsions. Next week, I will be reviewing a great book about ERP, called Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D.
CBT has helped many people and it has definitely helped me. I was fascinated by it when I learned about it in college. I love reading about any advances in the subject. CBT is hard work and very structured. If you think it is right for you, maybe grab a book that has a program or contact your/a therapist. Again, I make no guarantees that what works for me, will work for you. Only you and a professional will know what works best for you.
Check out my review of an OCD Workbook that I love.