CBT is one of the most used therapies when it comes to treating anxiety disorders. There has been a lot of research on this modality, and the research shows that CBT has proven to show results to be effective against phobias, social anxieties, and overthinking.
CBT involves two components.
CBT examines the effect of negative thoughts and other factors that build up to long-term anxieties.
Behavior therapy evaluates your behavior in pressure or anxious situations.
The basic theory of CBT is that there are no external events that affect the way we think but our thoughts that affect the way we think and perceive things.
Thought challenging in CBT for anxiety
Thought Challenging – This is a process in which you try to embrace positivity by trying to replace your anxious thoughts with positive thinking and be more realistic. There are three steps involved in this:
The foremost step is to identify your negative thoughts It is very necessary for you to identify your fear and analyze what exactly is troubling you. However, it can be very difficult and sounds easier as compared to doing it. You can begin by talking to yourself, analyzing yourself and your therapist is also going to be alongside you to help you through it.
The next step is to challenge your thoughts. This is something your therapist is going to help you with as well. There are some tried and tested methods that help you challenge your negative thoughts. These strategies include realizing the benefits of ignoring your anxieties or your fears.
The last step is to replace your negative thoughts with positive and realistic ones. Once you have realized the negative impacts your overthinking and anxiety create on you, the process of reversing is going to start automatically. However, with a little more effort you can boost this process and get rid of your worries much faster. Your therapist can tell you ways of how to replace your thoughts and get your anxiety levels down once and for all.
CBT may also include:
Realizing when you feel anxious and what effects it has on yourself.
Confronting your fears