Anxiety is a serious ailment that affects the mind, the emotions and the body. Psychologists in New York see it manifest in many forms: obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias and others. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is among the most common subtypes of the condition. Characterized by persistent worry, near-constant nervousness and tension, GAD can affect adults as well as teens. Because it is diffuse and not related to a particular situation such as a phobia, it colors an individual?s entire life, making normal life very difficult.
Despite its imposing hold on one?s life, there is a way out. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT for short, has been proven to be extremely effective in helping people regain their normal sense of self. In the mid 1950s, Albert Ellis developed Rational Emotive Therapy as an alternative option to psychoanalysis. Origins of this forerunner to CBT trace back to the Stoic philosophers of Ancient Greece and Rome:
?Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.? ? Epictetus
Since then, theorists and practitioners including Aaron Beck, Dr. Maxie Maultsby, Jr. and, more recently, Marsha Linehan have made important contributions to the method, helping to make it what it is today.
The aim of CBT is to help patients realize how their own negative thoughts ? called cognitions ? fuel their anxiety, and to objectively examine how their behavior and situational responses trigger their anxiety. Beliefs held, in some cases for a person?s whole life, profoundly affect how that person sees the world. In general, those who suffer from anxiety hold irrational and/or unrealistic beliefs that must be supplanted before positive change can occur.
Treatment is split up into two sections: cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. During the first part, the therapist helps the individual identify cognitive distortions, which are a kind of assumption resulting from negative thoughts. For instance, if someone believes they will appear awkward and strange at a party (negative thought), he might mistakenly assume everyone will dislike him because of his awkwardness. A prediction of the worst-case scenario and jumping to an irrational conclusion are the distortions caused by the initial thought.
The basic outline is to distinguish negative thoughts, and to learn to challenge them and exchange them with positive ones. The last step can be very difficult, for the negativity might be reinforced by lifelong patterns. Because of these hardened belief systems and patterns of self-negating behavior, it?s vital that a person actively take part in their therapy, which involves individual and group sessions in addition to homework. CBT often shows results after just a few months, but only if the individual works at it.
Curing depression isn?t merely a matter of taking medication ? that only covers up the symptoms for a short time period. Similarly, trying to motivate oneself to calm down or not get anxious is trickier than it sounds, for the triggers of anxiety are usually deeply rooted in one?s psyche. In addition to being a major disruptive force in daily life that impacts thoughts and emotions, anxiety can have physical implications as well. Tension, edginess, insomnia and stomach issues are quite common among people who suffer from anxiety issues.
People suffering from GAD have the same worries as other people, only theirs are more intense and largely inseparable from their daily lives. New York City psychologists can help people of all ages conquer this chronic disorder. The cognitive behavioral therapy will help a person identify the relationship between his thoughts and behaviors and his anxiety. Together with a program of regular exercise and relaxation techniques such as meditation, it?s possible to see the world in a whole new, positive light.
Reproduction permitted only if all active links are maintained and byline is preserved, and/or your byline is omitted. 2012 All Rights Reserved.
If you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety, author Stephen Daniels highly recommends the expertise of Manhattan DBT therapists for treatment of emotion regulation problems. The counselors there specialize in the use of CBT, MBCT, and DBT in working with their patients.
mcrib pumpkin seeds mark herzlich malawi malawi angela davis angela davis
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.