Can CBT Change Negative Thought Patterns?

Your mind is a bigger factor than you may realize when it comes to having the best possible overall health. Feeling overwhelmed from overthinking and stress can take a toll on the mind and body. As you get older stress can become more difficult to manage in your everyday life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to look at how thought patterns, behaviors, and relationships affect our well-being. Thought patterns can influence some of the biggest decisions we make in life. Having a strong mindset that manages negative thoughts well can prevent self-harm and strengthen your relationship with other people. 

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of psychotherapy (talk therapy) used to avoid destructive behaviors based on negative thoughts and emotions. A therapist works with you to identify negative thought processes and find coping strategies. The goal of CBT is to take control of your thoughts and feelings.

Who Can CBT Work For?

Anyone can use CBT to manage challenges in life. CBT challenges negative thought processes by encouraging new perspectives. Don’t be afraid to take your time to integrate yourself into treatment. Results from therapy don’t happen overnight.

It’s a great type of therapy for those with the following health conditions:

• Depression

• Anxiety disorders

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Chronic pain

• Cancer

• Tinnitus

• Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)

You don’t have to be diagnosed with a health condition to benefit from CBT. It can help people who tend to catastrophize situations in their lives. Catastrophizing is overgeneralizing with negative scenarios about what will happen. 

Who does CBT not work for?

CBT is great for finding solutions to current problems. However, other types of psychotherapy like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) may work better for processing past trauma. People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) may benefit more from DBT. 

What are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques?

CBT is based on the belief that behaviors do not stay stagnant in a person. While talking through current problems, a therapist can help you come up with steps to better address them. 

Unlike some other forms of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy looks more at the present than the past. There are five main steps in cognitive behavioral therapy created to help a person find coping mechanisms that work for them.

What are common CBT techniques?

There are nine common CBT strategies a therapist can use to help you. Common techniques for treating CBT include:

Cognitive restructuring: As your healthcare provider asks you questions about your thought processes, you will work with them on ways to reframe negative thought processes.

Guided discovery: Through dialogue, a therapist asks more questions about your thought patterns to help you use alternate forms of thinking.

Exposure therapy: If you struggle with phobias, exposure therapy is the process of exposing yourself to things you fear in small increments.

Journaling: Putting your thoughts down on paper can help you have an outlet for managing those emotions.

Role-playing: A therapist may ask you to play out scenarios during a session to practice problem-solving skills.

Behavior activation: This strategy involves tackling activities and habits that you may have had fear about completing.

Behavioral experiments: Typically used for people with anxiety disorders, this strategy involves verbalizing what you think the outcome will be. This helps to rationalize how someone thinks about the future.

Relaxation techniques: Deep breathing exercises and muscle relaxation can help you to stay calm in high stress situations. This may also reduce pain for people with chronic stress.

Successive approximation: If you find everyday tasks overwhelming, a healthcare provider may work with you to break those tasks down to gradually achieve them.

What are the 5 Steps of CBT?

The following steps are not concrete, but they are a small reflection of what the structure of CBT is for someone receiving care.

Step 1: Identifying problems and concerns you have in your life that may be increasing stress and negative emotions.

Step 2: Define goals that you want to achieve with treatment.

Step 3: You and your therapist work together to set parameters for reaching your goals and checking in on progress.

Step 4: Practice relaxation exercises and techniques to reduce stress. This often works for people with chronic pain to reduce pain. You can learn problem-solving techniques that help with conflict resolution. This is the first step to incorporating what you learn into real-life scenarios.

Step 5: Start incorporating self-care strategies you learn from your therapist into your everyday life. This final step in your treatment may also include some reflection on what you have learned and how to move forward on your own.

Can Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work for Families?

Some families may engage in cognitive behavioral therapy together to work on communication issues or other present issues they are working through. Like other forms of psychotherapy, CBT does not have to always be only for the individual.

How Can I Find a Therapist?

The process of finding a therapist can feel daunting. Be sure to take advantage of free consultations offered by licensed therapists. A consultation is an opportunity to meet with a healthcare provider and discuss what you hope to get out of therapy. 

During a consultation, you can let them know a little bit about yourself and learn more about how they work to know if they would be a good fit for you. It’s normal to not go with the first therapist you try.

How much does therapy cost?

Most private practice therapists have higher rates. If you’re looking for an affordable therapy option, many community organizations, universities, and online services offer discounted therapy options.

If you have health insurance, be sure to check with your insurance company about in-network providers. Some therapists offer flexible rates based on your income.

Where Can I Learn More About Mental Health?

LifeMD works with insurance plans that cover mental health services for at least 95% of our patients. Still, there are tips and alternate options for care for people without health insurance.

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