ARP 411 To CBT or Not to CBT

The way it is presented you'd think that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the only therapy treatment for anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. No, it isn't. It does work, but not for every person or every mental health condition.

In this episode, a quick review of what CBT is and some of the pros and cons. This isn't an attempt to praise or condemn the therapy. I just want to point out that it might not be right for you at this time or you might needs to get your symptoms in control before you can consider this type of treatment.

Episode Transcript due to Audio Technical Error:

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapy treatment that seeks to help people change patterns of thinking or behavior. You can't shake a stick on an anxiety or mental health site that doesn't at some point have a mention of CBT.

The basic concept is that you identify your goals, and then learn a process of how to re-set your brain to control your thinking and symptoms. You also monitor your thoughts and experiences and learn techniques like patterned breathing meditation.

More in a bit, but first, if you are new here, this is the podcast that looks at medical, behavioral health, meditation, relaxation and x=the unknown resources for those of us that have an anxiety disorder or mental health condition.

The Pros: 

CBT focuses on the concept that if you change the thought, you reduce or eliminate the possibility of an attack. CBT is used to treat mental health conditions, like  depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. 

There are many ways to access CBT therapy:

There are apps that provide CBT education and have journaling and progress trackers. More advanced and sometimes more costly options include videos, meditation recordings and other features including AI chat bots.

Group therapy sessions are also an option in some areas where you might meet with six to ten people to go over the CBT process, introduced to the skills and have weekly check-in to track your progress.

And there is one to one therapy CBT sessions. Both online and in person. Some session can be short term to help you learn the skills and techniques or as part of a long term therapy session.

You are basically re-wiring your brain's though processes. There are specific things you have to do in order for this to work. If you are willing and motivated to go through this process, it might work for you. Or not. You can be motivated and it still doesn't work for you.

In terms of financial accessibility, an app might be the way to go. This could also work for people that are not ready for a traditional therapy session or do not have geographic access to a therapist.

If you have insurance, some plans have access to commercial mental health apps as part of the features of the plan.

All of the previously mentions treatment options gives you the opportunity to learn new coping skills and relaxation techniques. If it works, you can get on with your life.

The Cons:

If your symptoms are off the chain crazy, meaning that the are external presenting or they embarrass you then this might not be the time to try CBT. 

It is a lot of work, there is a specific way that CBT is practiced and a lot of it requires you to be honest with yourself and do the required tasks and homework. 

Now there are a lot of variations of CBT to handle different mental health populations and conditions. 

For example, If you have a dual diagnosis, like substance abuse and depression you might need another type of treatment plain. If you have underlining trauma issues, it might not be the best thing to start with CBT but you could gain help from the breathing and meditation practices.

The therapy doesn't resonate with you. Or you have a bad therapist, app or it doesn't make sense to you. You might require a different approach or you might need to get your symptom in control before you can even think about sitting in a room with another person talking about personal stuff.

I hope this gives you some understanding about CBT and some of the pros and cons about this type of therapy.

Resources Mentioned: 

American Psychological Association on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Book publisher Wiley has the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dummies book. On the website you can read sample chapters and there is a cheat sheet you can review to see if the book is a good match for you.

MindDoc is an app that is a CBT type education that you can access via your phone. You can read or listen to a variety of topics, monitoring and self-management your mental health and check in on you daily. There is a free and paid version of the app that is available to Android and iOS users.

What's Up app for iPhone/iPad users provides a basic grounding in CBT topics and skills. it has a journaling and notes section, breathing exercises and grounding tools. It is free but there are in-app purchases.

Emergency Resources

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.