Table of contents:
- What is cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT)?
- Conditions that can be treated with CBT
- Benefits of CBT therapy
- 1. It doesn't take too long
- 2. Prevent dependence on drugs
- 3. The techniques taught can be applied on their own for life
- Drawbacks of CBT therapy
- 1. Requires commitment and very strong self-motivation
- 2. Less effective for those whose psychological conditions are quite complicated
- 3. Only focus on individual factors in the present
When you have a wound or suffer from certain diseases, you will definitely get checked out and go to a health service center. This action has become normal and normative. So, so it is with your psychological condition. When you are depressed, face serious life burdens, or have certain psychological conditions, you should immediately seek help by joining psychological therapy. Psychological therapy can take many forms and is usually facilitated by a psychologist, therapist or psychiatrist. One of the most common psychological therapies is cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT).
What is cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive and behavioral therapy (hereinafter referred to as CBT) is a branch of psychotherapy that aims to change your thought processes (cognitive) and behavior for the better. In this therapy, the client will meet face to face with the therapist to explore the root of the problem at hand. After that, the client and the therapist will work together to change the client's mindset and behavior according to the expected target.
For example, a heavy smoker cannot get away from cigarettes, especially when under stress. In CBT, the therapist will invite the client to realize that his mindset, namely smoking can relieve stress, is a wrong mindset and needs to be changed. After that, clients will be trained to form new positive behaviors to replace old harmful behaviors. Instead of smoking, these clients will be accustomed to light exercise and take deep breaths when stress strikes. This is done using a variety of techniques, from telling stories to a therapist, keeping a diary, or doing relaxation.
Conditions that can be treated with CBT
CBT is a powerful therapy for many psychological disorders. However, this therapy should not be applied to people who have serious mental development problems or mental disabilities. Here are some examples of psychological disorders that can be treated with CBT.
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Addiction (alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, gambling, etc.)
- Phobia or psychological trauma
- Multiple personality
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, etc.)
- Sleep disturbances (insomnia, delirium, etc.)
- Stress due to work, personal relationships, and other pressures
- Grief over the loss of a loved one or being divorced
Benefits of CBT therapy
CBT is a psychological therapy that is quite popular compared to other therapies. This is because CBT offers many advantages that other therapies do not. Here are some of the advantages.
1. It doesn't take too long
Compared to other therapies such as psychonalytic therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy usually progresses faster. This is because CBT focuses on your current thought patterns and behavior. Meanwhile, other therapies usually need to explore problems you experienced in your childhood or events in the past.
2. Prevent dependence on drugs
Usually the therapist will not prescribe drugs such as antidepressants, sleeping pills, or sedatives to help with behavior change. This is because your mindset is actually being trained so that it can be reset instinctively, not because of the help of drugs. The results will be more pronounced in the long run. In addition, you are less likely to experience side effects or dependence on drugs.
3. The techniques taught can be applied on their own for life
CBT has a very clear structure and is easy to follow. So, even though you have finished a therapy session, you can apply these techniques to change your mindset and behavior continuously. Unlike other therapies, namely hypnotherapy or psychodynamic therapy, which require you to enter the subconscious mind, CBT is more practical and can be used on your own without the help of a therapist.
Drawbacks of CBT therapy
Although it is very beneficial for mental health, that does not mean that CBT is suitable for everyone. Here are some reasons why CBT is less effective for some people.
1. Requires commitment and very strong self-motivation
In this therapy, clients are required to have a strong commitment and self-motivation to change. The reason is, the techniques applied in CBT are not coercive. The therapist can only provide guidance and advice, but it is the client who must bring about the desired changes. The client must be willing to open up and apply the techniques taught by the therapist. If you take CBT only because someone else forces you to, it is almost impossible for a client to achieve the desired results.
2. Less effective for those whose psychological conditions are quite complicated
CBT cannot treat multiple psychological disorders at once. Thus, it is difficult for people with more than one psychological disorder, such as PTSD and eating disorders to achieve targeted changes. Therapist and client must focus on one problem first. However, this is difficult because usually one psychological disorder is closely related to another.
3. Only focus on individual factors in the present
Cognitive and behavioral therapy targets a very specific problem - your own current thought patterns and behavior. In fact, sometimes external factors such as your family or social environment greatly influence the formation of your mindset and behavior. Likewise with events that you have experienced in the past. Unfortunately, these external factors are not well processed in this therapy.
