Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a very often used psychotherapy for anxiety disorder. Its focus is on current issues and symptoms versus more traditional forms of therapy which tend to focus on a person's past history. Cognitive therapy suggests that psychological distress is caused by distorted thoughts about stimuli giving rise to distressed emotions. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is designed to be as short term as possible, though sometimes with complex cases and severe mental illness treatment takes longer. CBT also places a strong emphasis on relapse prevention, which essentially teaches patients skills so they can learn to be their own therapists. Cognitive behavioural therapy can benefit nearly everyone, including older adults who have been taking sleep medications for years, people with physical problems such as restless legs syndrome, and those with primary insomnia, an intractable, lifelong inability to get enough rest.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy does not tell people how they should feel. This therapy most closely allies with the scientist practitioner model of clinical psychology, in which clinical practice and research is informed by a scientific perspective; clear operationalization of the "problem" or "issue;" an emphasis on measurement, and measurable goal-attainment. In recent years, cognitive behavior therapy has been used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions and hallucinations. The use of cognitive behavioral therapy has been extended to children and adolescents with good results. Cognitive behavioural therapy is also used to treat depression, and symptoms related to trauma and post traumatic stress disorder.

Who gets it?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is good for people who have chronic fatigue syndrome.
It is also used for people who suffer from insomnia.
This method should also help someone who spends a lot of time in bed doing things other than sleeping. This includes such things as reading, writing, and studying.
People who have post traumatic stress disorder.

Precautions

Those who don't have a specific behavioral issue, cognitive behavioral therapy may not be suitable.
Cognitive behavioral intervention may be unsuitable for some severely psychotic patients and for cognitively impaired patients such as patients with organic brain disease or a traumatic brain injury, depending on their level of functioning.

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