Table of Contents
How does CBT help the brain?
In depression, CBT can cause brain changes like improved connectivity between various parts of the brain, increased activity in certain parts of the brain, and reduced threat responses in the amygdala. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. What is CBT? CBT is based on the cognitive model of mental illness, initially developed by Beck (1964). In its simplest form, the cognitive model ‘hypothesises that people’s emotions and behaviours are influenced by their perceptions of events. CBT can help children, teenagers and adults with emotional, psychological and psychiatric issues such as anxiety and depression. CBT has also been shown to help people with: anxiety issues like generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, health anxiety and phobias. Specifically, patients with greater capacity to identify and articulate thoughts and feelings and to share them in a nondefensive, focused way benefit most from CBT.
Why is CBT the best therapy?
CBT is effective because it has the capacity to engage even the most serious problems. Therapists using CBT as a primary method for treating their clients report success with highly complex disorders like PTSD, specific phobias, generalized anxiety, social anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and many more. Research shows that CBT is the most effective form of treatment for those coping with depression and anxiety. CBT alone is 50-75% effective for overcoming depression and anxiety after 5 – 15 modules. Medication alone is effective, however, science still does not understand the long-term effects on the brain and body. In some cases cognitive behavior therapy stresses the therapy technique over the relationship between therapist and patient. If you are an individual who is sensitive, emotional, and desires rapport with your therapist, CBT may not deliver in some cases. CBT is used as a restorative therapy for memory loss since it can help those affected manage their condition. It can also teach them to overcome challenges and regain their independence. Criticisms of Traditional CBT Given the dominance of CBT in certain settings, it is not surprising that the approach has garnered its fair share of critics. Opponents have frequently argued that the approach is too mechanistic and fails to address the concerns of the “whole” patient. A key cognitive concept in CBT is ‘guided discovery’ (Padesky, 1993). This is a therapeutic stance which involves trying to understand the patient’s view of things and help them expand their thinking to become aware of their underlying assumptions, and discover alternative perspectives and solutions for themselves.