Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, often referred to as CBT.

CBT  is a way of talking about how you think about yourself, the world and other people.

• It also explains how what you do affects your thoughts and feelings

CBT can help you to change how you think (“cognitive”) and what you do (“behaviour”). These changes can help you to feel better.  Unlike some of the other talking treatments it focuses on the “here and now” problems and difficulties.  Instead of focusing on the causes of your distress or symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve your state of mind now.

It has been found to be helpful in:

• Anxiety
• Panic
• Agoraphobia and other phobias
• Bulimia
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Schizophrenia

CBT can help you to make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts. This makes it easier to see how they are connected and how they affect you.

You begin by identifying a situation, a problem, event or difficulty

You then identify your thoughts, emotions, physical feelings and actions

Each of these areas can affect the others.  How you think about a problem can affect how you feel physically and emotionally.  It can also have an effect on what you do about it.  CBT guides you to react helpfully in a situation.

CBT can help you break the vicious circle of unhelpful thinking, feelings and behaviour.

CBT can be a very effective treatment for anxiety and depression.  It isn’t for everyone and other types of therapy may suit you better.

In my view to try something is better than doing nothing about your situation!