Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Do you know what Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is? CBT is a model of psychological change, used by some psychologists to treat anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and other mental helath conditions. Throughout the last decades, CBT has been subjected to many studies, having earned its place as one of the main (although not the only one) empirically-proven therapy for these kinds of disorders.

We will take a closer look at how it applies to anxiety disorders, in the near future, so stay tuned to our CBT news.

Remember: Even though CBT may be learned as a self-help technique, having also shown good results when being used that way, it is best learned and applied with the help of a licensed professional.

Hope versus anxiety

In the late 1960's, American psychologist Martin Seligman developed the concept of Learned Helplessness, as he observed the behaviors of both animals and humans. This concept assumed some relevance in the field of mental health, being one that many may recognize by essence, even if not by name.

What is this learned helplessness, then? Seligman noted that when people are subjected to an unavoidable stress and discomfort for a long time, such as the stress many of us face daily in our frantic lives, they start behaving as if there is nothing they can do to help themselves out of their unpleasant circumstances. As time goes by, people simply resign themselves from even trying to improve things, conforming to whatever is hurting them... sometimes, for a long time after the actual ability to change things has been restored to them. It is something akin to a depressive state.

People sometimes learn to feel this way, that they have no control over the outcomes of things in their lives... one day they simply conform to being towed daily by their external circumstances. Well, if truly nothing can be done, then acceptance can be positive... but often, something CAN be done to improve, even if only a bit. If we can't see it, then we should ask for other people's opinions, since someone looking from the outside in can have a clearer perspective. But for it to be possible, we first need to believe it, and to understand that however small the improvement may be, it is still worth it: the smallest of things can sometimes do the greatest of differences.

In our quest to deal with our anxieties, it is important to constantly remind ourselves that we CAN change things. Even if there is no clear path to a best-case scenario, we can at least attempt make our own lives a bit better, little by little, one thing at a time. Realizing that today is today, tomorrow will be a bit better... if we just do something to make it that way.

(PS: Avoidance of feared situations is seldom the best solution, if that's the first thought that came to mind.)

The important thing is to not let yourself fall into a learned helplessness: Hope is more than just a word, if only you hold on to it. "Action" equals "possibility of change".

Book Review: Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness

Author: Butler, G.
Publisher: Basic Books

[For your convenience, you can find links to the product at Amazon.com (US residents) and Amazon.co.uk (UK residents) at the end of this article.]

Gillian Butler's Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques is a compact and very useful book. It is very popular, being part of the series that is currently the international market leader of self-help titles. However, usually you're only given a generic description of that series, not knowing what a specific book is really worth... so, here's a full review of the book itself.

First things first. From the very first information you see, the index, you will expect to find chapters on:

- Understanding Social Anxiety (origins, causes, awareness and the experience of it)
- Overcoming Social Anxiety (where to begin, changing thinking patterns and behaviours, building confidence)
- Related Topics (assertiveness, the influence of bullying, relaxation)

In its 288 pages, this book starts by introducing Social Anxiety Disorder itself: the history of its diagnosis, possible causes, and how it is like for the people who experience it. This, in my opinion, is fundamental, not only in order to create awareness, but also to show people who have the disorder that they are not alone. To show them that others share the same concerns and anxieties. And for those who don't know for sure if their problem is at a level in which treatment could be beneficial, it also includes diagnostic questionnaires.

Different types and degrees of social anxiety are talked about in Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques. As for actual treatment, it presents a number of techniques derived from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to help in identifying and changing automatic thoughts, be aware of emotional states that influence behaviour. As far as self-help goes, it has quite a number of very helpful material... if you find that something doesn't suit you, try it another way. But as could be expected in a responsible work, the book also discusses formal treatment, beyond self-help. So, in short, it is useful not only for self-help, but also as a worthy complement to something more thorough.

One of the things I like best about this book is its organization, meant for clarity. At each chapter, there are often bulleted lists that sum up the most important aspects to know or follow. Its clear orientation for the public makes it a possibly good choice of book for professionals to recommend to their patients, as a complement to actual cognitive-behavioural therapy.

Conclusion: A must for socially anxious or simply shy people, or just about anyone who'd like to know more about social anxieties or the disorder that characterizes higher levels of that same anxieties. More oriented for the public than for health professionals, and thus more accessible.

Order it today from Amazon.com:
Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

Or, if you live in the UK, you can order from Amazon.co.uk:
Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Self-help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

Recommended.

The anxious experience today

Nowadays, billions of dollars are spent yearly in the treatment of anxiety. More funds are spent on the treatment of anxiety-related problems than in many other areas of healthcare. Accordingly, the anti-anxiety psychopharmacology business grew exponentially (and keeps on growing), to the point where these medications are the most widely prescribed in the world. Anxiety and stress are considered THE problem of the century.

However, it is important to point out that (regular) anxiety is a normal part of life. It most often serves as a protection of the individual, warning the body that the person is in a potentially dangerous situation. If there is danger around, you will want to be anxious enough to be ready to react. For many, even our ability to adapt and plan ahead depends on anxiety. A little anxiety is normal, even good... a lot of it is not, especially when it hinders everyday life.

So, what about the disorders? Anxiety disorders are diagnosed when the situation that causes the effect is not proportional to the level of anxiousness it originates. For people suffering from them, the anxiety felt is very real (even if they themselves recognize it is excessive) and should not be underestimated or ignored.

In cognitive-behavior methods (the most widely used), treatment often starts with a deeper understanding of the processes involved in the anxious response, followed by cognitive restructuring (altering the underlying thoughts and beliefs) with the support of behavioral techniques.