What can be addressed in CBT?
I have listed some psychological issues that can arise but this is not exhaustive.
When our thoughts get so negative and distressing we can become stuck.
When stuck, we continue to hold on to the same old negative thoughts and fail to learn new ones and thats when we run into problems!
ANXIETY
SOCIAL ANXIETY
SEPERATION ANXIETY
GENERAL ANXIETY
and any related issues causing over anxiety and consternation at a level causing you upset almost daily and interfering with your thoughts and mood.
Anxiety is what we feel when we are worried, tense or afraid – particularly about things that are about to happen, or which we think could happen.
DEPRESSION / LOW MOOD
DEPRESSION, LOW MOOD and related issues where this effects everyday functioning and interacting. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest and it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems
ANGER
ANGER AND EMOTIONAL problems. Extremes of emotion causing you quick mood turns effecting everyday life. It is an emotional state that can make you feel as though you’re at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion.
TRAUMA
TRAUMA...stress, fear and distress related to a trauma situation or event. Causing persistant negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs attached to the event
OCD OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
persistant and compulsive daily checking, repetitive behaviours related to anxiety thoughts and fear
Low self-esteem
Poor self image and belief in yourself. Feeling hopeless or worthless, blaming yourself unfairly, hating yourself, worrying about being unable to do things or letting others down, poor self-image
ALCOHOL
ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY AND RELATED ISSUES -using alcohol at a level that interferes negativeley in relationships, your health, work and social events. Using alcohol to 'self medicate' masks problems and creates dependency.
DRUG MISUSE
DRUG DEPENDENCY AND RELATED ISSUES - using drugs and substances at a level that negatively impacts your health, relationships, work, social events and your mood. Dependency on drugs masks problems and can add to them.
PANIC ATTACKS
PANIC ATTACKS and related panic issues - where you suffer panic thoughts that upset your breathing and functioning. Panic attacks are a type of fear response. This panic state is an exaggeration of your body's normal response to danger, stress or excitement.
LOSS or GRIEF
DIFFICULT or OVERWHELMING and UNEXPECTED EMOTIONS related to grief and/or loss. Persistant negative thoughts and beliefs attached to your loss and difficulty moving ahead
PTSD
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER... including flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts Persistant in nature and not diminishing after a while
LOW CONFIDENCE
INADEQUACY issues, SELF-BLAME, COMPENTENCY issues, SELF-CRITICAL traits - all that persist negatively day to day affecting how you react in day to day situations
BODY IMAGE
BODY IMAGE and DYSMORPHIC ISSUES - how you view yourself in a negative way affecting your day to day functioning. This is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about their percieved flaws in their appearance even if reassured they are not there or unnoticeable.
WORRY
persistant worrying, negative thinking, and always expecting the worst to happen, this affects your responses and daily choices
SLEEP PROBLEMS
SLEEP ISSUES AND RELATED PROBLEMS - lack of sleep due to persistant negative thoughts and stuck beliefs which causes persistant sleep irregularities
PHOBIAS
PHOBIAS / HEALTH ANXIETY fear causing health and behavioural issues or any aspect of your health that causes you worry and anxiety
MOOD SWINGS
MOOD DYSREGULATION... sudden or intense change in your emotional state that impacts you negatively day to day
COVID
COVID RELATED ISSUES - the impact of this virus was felt world wide and personally. Any aspects of Covid that have caused you anxiety, worry or fear can be explored cognitively.
CBT can help break the vicious cycle
CBT looks at the sequences or events more clearly to work on the meaning we give them.
The meaning we attach to certain things determines how we think and feel.
Although CBT cannot cure your physical conditions or symptoms, it can help you cope better with your symptoms.
CBT aims to unravel problematic thoughts and attach new meaning with positive thought changes...it gets you unstuck!
The ultimate goal is to get you to the point where you become your 'own therapist', you maintain your goals thus maintaining your alternative positive thoughts and behaviours and feel better within yourself.