| Psychotherapy is a widely used technique to help | | | | thoughts with a more positive thought. This type of |
| treat people who are suffering from anxiety and | | | | therapy has been used to successfully treat many |
| other mental health related problems. In this type of | | | | anxiety disorders, not to mention phobias and |
| treatment, the therapist creates a sense of peace, | | | | depression. |
| calm and inner well being inside the patient and helps | | | | The Development of Anxiety Cognitive Therapy |
| him to overcome his anxiety by building a strong | | | | Anxiety cognitive therapy was first developed in the |
| interpersonal relationship. There are many forms, or | | | | 1950s and since then the treatment has undergone a |
| branches of psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral | | | | lot of honing and refinements. The treatment is |
| therapy, psychoanalysis and anxiety behavior therapy | | | | based on understanding the link between thoughts |
| all fall into this bracket. | | | | and emotions. It is true that people who suffer from |
| How Does Anxiety Cognitive Therapy Work? | | | | depression and anxiety usually also automatically have |
| Anxiety cognitive therapy is a treatment which is | | | | negative thought patterns, which in turn lead towards |
| designed to help patients in dealing with their | | | | these negative emotions. This seems normal because |
| perception of various situations and events. Everyone | | | | the patient is not aware that his thought patterns |
| has a set of beliefs and emotions which are related | | | | are actually distorted. Anxiety cognitive therapy |
| to different surroundings and environments. The | | | | works to make patients take notice of their |
| problems occur when these emotional responses are | | | | thoughts, and make adjustments whenever they |
| too rigid; for instance, when a patient continues to | | | | have a negative thought. Through repeatedly making |
| feel anxious, anxiety cognitive therapy is designed to | | | | these adjusts, the patients learn to create a more |
| help the patient learn how to change his emotional | | | | positive thought process. |
| response so that he becomes much less extreme | | | | This technique employs a four-step approach. The |
| and more manageable. | | | | first three steps help the patient to analyze his |
| Anxiety disorders and depression, among other | | | | thought process, to make a record of the negative |
| mental health issues, are caused by irrational | | | | thoughts he experiences and the situations that |
| emotional responses. Therefore, anxiety cognitive | | | | trigger these negative thoughts. The final step |
| therapy is used to help a patient recognize these | | | | involves challenging the negative thoughts and then |
| irrational thoughts, and then replace these irrational | | | | replacing them with healthier, more positive thoughts. |