CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy has been revealed to be one of the most effective forms of medication when it comes to the treatment of depression and anxiety issues.
While there are always the risks that those bad feelings associated with your problems will come back, you will find it easier to manage and put them under control with the help of your CBT skills. This is the reason why it is recommended that you continue to practice your CBT skills long after you have finished all your sessions and you are already feeling much better.
However, it is important to note that CBT is not for everyone because what might be suitable or successful for others might not have the same effects on you.
To give you a good idea, take a look at the most common pros and cons of the CBT approach:
Table of Contents:
Pros of CBT
Cognitive behavioral therapy can have the same level of effectiveness as medication when it comes to the treatment of certain mental health disorders. This may also come in handy in instances when medications alone didn’t work.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talking therapy
The process can also be finished in a shorter period of time than other forms of talking therapies. The focus of CBT is to retrain your thoughts and alter your behaviors to change the way you feel.
Those skills that you learn in CBT are helpful, useful, and practical strategies that you can incorporate into your everyday life. These can help you keep up better with future difficulties and stresses, even long after you finished your treatment.
CBT also has a highly structured nature, which means that this can be provided in various formats such as computer programs, self-help books, and groups.
Cons of CBT
Cognitive behavioral therapy also has its own set of disadvantages. For one, attending regular sessions of CBT and doing the additional work in between sessions may end up taking up too much of your time.
Since CBT also involves confronting your anxieties and emotions, you might experience some initial periods when you might feel more emotionally uncomfortable or anxious.
Limits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT also focuses on the capacity of the person to change themselves, including their behaviors, feelings, and thoughts, and doesn’t address bigger issues in families or systems that usually have a substantial effect on the wellbeing and health of an individual.
With CBT having a structured nature, this may also be unsuitable for those who have more complex learning difficulties or mental health requirements.
There are also critics who argue that CBT addresses only current issues and puts more emphasis on specific problems, this doesn’t address the potential underlying causes behind mental health conditions like an unhappy or traumatic childhood.
For you to fully take advantage of cognitive behavioral therapy, it is important and recommended that you commit yourself fully to the process. The therapist will be able to advise and help you. However, remember that these professionals won’t be able to make all your issues go away if there is no cooperation on your part.
