Cognitive behavior therapy is definitely an advanced set of psycho-therapeutic techniques that really help draw a common point in how we think (cognitive abilities) and thereby the way we behave (mannerisms and behavior).
Let’s start off with an example. Many people are really scared of crowds. Despite the fact that there might be no logical reason behind that to happen. Or so you may think. Then why does that happen? Let’s provide you with an example of what might have happened. Suppose like a small child, this person was separated in the parents and lost his/her means by a crowd. The anxiety that he/she felt when dealing with that experience was something that set an indelible mark on his/her mind making him/her vary of crowds. Despite growing up and being able to think on their own and understanding that the chances of the same incident repeating itself don’t stand very high, they are still unable to rid the fear.
Cognitive behavior treatments are probably the most well-known and the most practiced type of modern psychotherapy and has been built-into highly structured package for that treatment of patients suffering from social phobia. The current case study is an attempt to provide therapeutic intervention program to some 27-year-old, unmarried Christian man struggling with social phobia. The patient was treated by utilizing cognitive behavioral techniques. After 17 sessions of therapeutic intervention program, significant improvement was discovered. He was under follow-up for 6 months and recovered towards the premorbid level of functioning.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Social Anxiety
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is definitely an advanced set of psycho-therapeutic techniques that really help draw a common point in how we think (cognitive abilities) and thereby the way we behave (mannerisms and behavior). Our behavior is guided incidentally in which we think, and our system is influenced by our experiences. If there have been negative experiences, our actions depends on those negative influences. Along with a pattern will thus be formed. How the varied cognitive behavioral therapy techniques jobs are that they target the negative thought patterns within the human mind and are designed for changing those so that the cause of the problem can be solved and social anxiety could be overcome.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety happens when people harbor the fear to be in a social situation since it makes them uncomfortable, vulnerable and leads to the fear of being judged. These situations that cause a person harboring social anxiety disorder might be several, like public speaking, being brought to a crowd or something similar where they’ll be in the public eye and the fear of being judged is going to be maximum. This factor is much more popularly known as social anxiety disorder (SAD) and may cause several physical symptoms inside a person like a racing heart, sweating, stammering, difficulty in swallowing etc.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety
Tackling Social Anxiety through CBT
Once social anxiety takes hold, it becomes very difficult to overcome. That is because we mold our thoughts to consider negatively. We harbor that anxiety and feed it by constantly residing in that fear. And it is something which comes naturally to us with many years of constantly thinking in that direction alone. Also, it isn’t that one hasn’t ‘thought’ about overcoming it or was not telling themselves that this fear is baseless and it has no real ground to reside on. But simply thinking about it isn’t the way in which this fear of social anxiety could be overcome and that is where the introduction of cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety is available in.
As we have said earlier, the various CBT techniques aim at the core from the problem and thereby challenge it disappear. CBT will differ from one person to another when it comes to dealing and overcoming social anxiety. With respect to the severity of the disorder, a therapist will mold the treatment to suit the needs of an individual.
The initial step in dealing with social anxiety is to locate the root of the fear – of why that fear was harbored to begin with. This makes the treatment easier. The treatment will also focus on dealing with the physical symptoms which make way as a part of social anxiety through relaxation and breathing techniques.
The therapist will use ways by which the mental poison that are being constantly fed is going to be changed. This is where the main workings from the CBT techniques come into play. All of this will be performed in a systematic way along with a gradual process will follow, with respect to the progress of the patient. How this will be done will be through certain sessions and activities that could involve exercises and games, positive reinforcement techniques, hypnotherapy along with other methods. These will solely rely on the severity of the case and therefore will vary from person to person. Other than trying to eradicate how a person thinks (negative thoughts), an infusion of positive thoughts may also be carried forth so that the person’s system is replaced by positive thoughts.