Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a tool most often used to help people change their negative thought patterns and develop newer, healthier mind scripts. CBT has been proven to be an extremely effective way of training emotion regulation skills. A 2013 meta-analysis conducted by researchers from Boston University found that CBT has been most used to treat substance use disorder, schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders, depression and dysthymia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, insomnia, personality disorders, anger and aggression, criminal behaviors, general stress, and so much more. Â If you are currently in therapy and are learning about cognitive behavioral therapy, or you are researching this on your own, there are some necessities of CBT that can be challenging but are worth it, and you need to be prepared for these to be most successful:
- Be prepared to recognize when you are thinking negatively, and be ready to work on making positive changes. Negative thoughts lead us to have negative feelings towards someone or something, which then leads us to perform behaviors that perpetuate negativity. A therapist will help you to identify your negative thought patterns which can be challenging at first, but identifying these scripts will help you form healthier ones.
- Be prepared to work on an action plan. Homework outside of therapy is necessary to help people take steps in their day-to-day lives. Simply talking during therapy isn’t enough – we need to make sure we are acting all throughout the day to better our mental health.
- Be prepared to debunk your own irrational assumptions about life. This is a wonderful outcome of CBT, and if you work hard, you will soon enough be able to evaluate your own thinking and talk yourself out of irrational and negative thoughts.
Cognitive behavioral therapy requires both the patient and therapist to be ready and willing to work through the patient’s thought patterns and emotional responses. These are just a few aspects of CBT, but they are incredibly important and are necessary for success in this form of therapy. If you work hard, develop a support system, rely on your therapist, and know that you can improve, you will! Stay positive and know that you are already on the right track by speaking with someone and making daily steps to improve your way of thinking. Recovery is possible and you are fully capable of becoming a happier, more improved version of yourself. Never give up.
As one of California’s few certified residential facilities for providing primary mental healthcare, Avalon Malibu stands out from conventional treatment. Our luxury residential treatment programs offer a haven environment, nestling our two beautiful homes on a breathtaking estate above the iconic Malibu coastline. Call us today for information on our holistic approach to treatment and our full continuum of care options: 888-958-7511
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