If you’ve made the decision to undergo psychotherapy to treat anxiety disorder, you might be thinking about what your treatment alternatives are. There are a variety of therapies offered, based on the therapist’s style and their training background.
Psychodynamic therapy with a focus on panic (PFPP) can be one method that has been proven that it is effective at treating the symptoms of panic. Another effective psychotherapy, which is often thought as the most well-known kind of treatment for anxiety disorders is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Eye movements desensitization processing (EMDR) treatment is an additional option that is effective in treating anxiety disorder. It is commonly employed to treat the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers have suggested that EMDR may help in the treatment of panic disorder, for the same reasons that it’s effective in treating PTSD because panic disorder usually has a difficult memory and stressful panic attacks.
Because of its proven effectiveness, focus on the goal, and rapid results, professionals treating panic disorder typically prefer CBT in comparison to other forms of therapy. Research suggests that CBT is more efficient than psychodynamic psychotherapy focused on panic (PFPP) and the application of relaxation techniques (ART) for the treatment of panic disorder.
The following article outlines the CBT method and explains how it can be employed to combat the symptoms of panic disorders and panic attacks and agoraphobia.
Click here for information on cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder online.
What is CBT?
CBT, also known as CBT is a type of psychotherapy utilized to treat mental health problems. The basic concepts of CBT stem from the idea that one’s perceptions, thoughts and beliefs affect their behavior and actions.
Based on the principles of CBT one isn’t always in a position to alter their situations, however they do have the ability to decide how they view and respond to life’s ups and downs.
CBT is a method of helping to alter the negative or flawed thoughts, as well as assist in reversing unhealthy habits. CBT is used in the treatment of many mental health conditions, including major depression, phobias, the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction.
The CBT treatment has been proven to be a viable treatment option for certain ailments, including IBS, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.
The research has also revealed that CBT that is online is just as effective as CBT in person. This is especially beneficial for dealing with panic disorder because it could help patients feel more easily accessible and at ease.
CBT as an Treatment
One of the major objectives of CBT is to assist clients in overcoming negative patterns of thinking so that they can be capable of making better decisions when it comes to their actions and behavior. The general rule is that people suffering from panic disorder are typically more vulnerable to negative self-defeating and negative beliefsthat can cause a decrease in self-esteem and an increase in anxiety.
The negative and anxious thoughts of people are often linked with panic attacks, which is the most prominent symptom of panic disorder.
The majority of panic attacks occur with a variety of cognitive and physical symptoms. The most common symptoms are breathing problems as well as chest pain, heart palpitations and excessive sweating. The symptoms are typically viewed as scary and may result in anxiety-provoking thoughts like the fear of getting out of control, being insane or dying.
Panic attacks can trigger anxiety and are so intense that they start to affect negatively an individual’s behaviour. For instance, someone may be frightened of being attacked when driving or around other people (thoughts). The person may then refrain from driving in crowds or places (behaviors).
These behaviors can lead to an additional condition called agoraphobia.8 In the case of agoraphobia, frightful thoughts are triggered over years, while avoidance behavior can only strengthen these fears.
CBT can aid people suffering from anxiety disorders and panic disorder in identifying ways to control their symptoms. One may not be able to manage the fear of panic attacks, however they are able to be taught to cope with the symptoms. CBT aids the client to achieve lasting change by using an ensuing two-part process.
The CBT Process
Recognize and replace negative thoughts. The therapist in CBT will help the client to identify his negative thoughts or patterns. For example, someone might be asked to think about what they believe about their own thoughts, perceive the world, or is feeling when they are experiencing an anxiety attack. When looking at the thought process one is able to begin to understand their usual thinking patterns and how they affect the way they behave.
The therapist can use many different exercises and tasks to assist the client in becoming conscious of negative thoughts and how to change them into better methods of thinking. In addition, homework tasks are typically scheduled between sessions to assist the client to keep track of and removing faulty thinking.
Writing exercises are an effective method to overcome the faulty patterns of thinking. They can be used to improve awareness and counter negative thoughts. A few of the most common CBT activities for writers include journaling and keeping a gratitude journal with affirmations, as well as keeping a diary of panic.
Skills Building and Behavior Changes. The next stage of CBT is to build healthy strategies for coping to alter the behavior that is not optimal. In this phase the client will be taught how to use these skills to aid in decreasing stress, managing anxiety, and overcoming anxiety attacks. The skills can be practiced in therapy, but it’s essential that the patient develops new habits outside of therapy, too.
Desensitization is a popular CBT technique used to help clients get over avoidance behavior. Through systematic desensitization, the practitioner gradually exposes the client to the stimuli that cause anxiety while teaching him to manage his anxiety. The client is gradually introduced to situations that cause fear in order to develop strategies to deal with anxiety symptoms in every fearful situation.
To keep calm in stress-inducing situations Relaxation techniques can also be developed. These techniques aid in managing anxiety by reducing heart rate, decreasing tension, and enhancing solving skills. A few of the most popular relaxation techniques include the practice of deep breaths, progressive muscular relaxation (PMR) yoga and meditation.