The CBT Approach: Taming Anxiety Effectively
Anxiety is currently the most common mental health condition in Australia. For that reason, if you or your loved one is struggling with anxiety, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the condition and the treatments available.
Anxiety disorders can come in many shapes, such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, specific phobias or social anxiety. Living with too much anxiety can negatively impact both physical and mental health and prevent you from living your most fulfilling life.
Anxiety can lead to avoidance behaviour which becomes reinforced as avoiding the perceived threat brings relief. Successful avoidance can form a dependence on the safety behaviour. Each time the perceived threat is avoided the anxiety will be worse the next time since the brain is continually being validated in avoiding it. If your anxiety hinders your everyday functions and is disproportionate to the trigger then an anxiety disorder may be present.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the leading treatments for persistent anxiety and is comprised of anxiety psycho-education, recognising and challenging negative thoughts, exposure therapy and relaxation exercises.
Some of the most common protocols used in CBT include:
Learning about your specific anxiety disorder
Challenging negative thoughts patterns
Being able to recognise cognitive distortions
Reframing thoughts (learning adaptive and realistic thinking)
Creating plans for catastrophic thinking
Discussing specific problems and goals to achieve
Collaborating with your therapist to find solutions
Exposure therapy which can be useful for phobias or OCD
Much more
Other common treatments for anxiety include medication, support groups and changes in lifestyle.
Our psychologists are experts in using CBT to treat numerous disorders and are committed to helping you improve your mental well-being and achieve personal goals. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, or other issues, booking a session today will be the first step towards a healthier, happier you.