| We live in troubled times. While the world as we | | | | impact the kind of behavior that get expressed. The |
| know it may have become a global village, it has also | | | | word cognition refers to the process of thought |
| been accompanied by an unprecedented increase in | | | | which explains the linkage between thought patterns |
| the levels of stress and tension that people have to | | | | and moods of people. |
| face almost on a daily basis. There are situations | | | | The primary technique followed in CBT is to ask |
| where people have to perhaps do more than just | | | | patients of panic attacks or phobias and fears to |
| one job to make both ends meet. It is thus no | | | | maintain an inventory of the kind of thoughts, |
| wonder then that a large number of people fall prey | | | | emotions as well as feelings that they experience. An |
| to symptoms like panic attacks and anxiety attacks | | | | analysis of these would help in understanding the real |
| that bring in their wake a sense of foreboding of evil | | | | causes of these fears and phobias that seem so real |
| and a kind of nameless fear that just refuses to melt | | | | to the patient even though they may seem rather |
| away. Sometimes these symptoms become quite | | | | trivial to someone else. CBT encourages and teaches |
| chronic and acute which leads to a call for urgent and | | | | patients to question their fears and also reactions to |
| immediate medical attention. | | | | circumstances so that they can come up with |
| There are a lot of people who believe that | | | | alternative and more positive responses. This is a |
| treatments that are medicine or drug based would be | | | | learned behavior program whereby patients spend |
| able to cure discomfort and mental distress brought | | | | prolonged sessions with CBT therapists and |
| about by prolonged anxiety and stress. While it is | | | | counselors who are specifically trained to treat these |
| true that such remedies can be used to alleviate | | | | conditions. |
| some of the externally manifested symptoms, the | | | | CBT is not a quick fix as it is a process that can be |
| real cause of the condition can be treated more | | | | quiet long drawn out requiring cooperation on the |
| effectively by what is known as Cognitive Behavior | | | | part of the patient and untiring efforts on the part of |
| Therapy or CBT. CBT is based on the premise that a | | | | the therapist. It goes without saying that getting a |
| lot of the mental problems can be traced to the kind | | | | suitable therapist is the key to treatment. |
| of thoughts and feelings that people have and which | | | | |