Three Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety

Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety is widely considered by psychiatrists and psychologists in Farmingdale and elsewhere to be one of the most effective and best supported treatments for anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other related psychological conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist helps the patient identify irrational ways of thinking and feeling that lead to maladaptive behaviors, in order to change the client’s response to anxiety-triggering situations and events.

There are six key phases involved in cognitive behavioral therapy:

1.       Psychological assessment of the client by the therapist

2.       Reconceptualization, in which the client learns to reexamine their ways of thinking about anxiety-triggering situations or events

3.       Skills acquisition, in which the client learns new skills for coping

4.       Skills consolidation and application, in which the client applies their newly learned skills

5.       Generalization and maintenance

6.       Post-treatment assessment and follow-up

There are several different approaches to cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety available in Farmingdale. Some of these include rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive emotional behavior therapy, and structured cognitive behavioral therapy.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety that emphasizes the resolution of emotional disturbances and related behavioral problems. REBT was originally developed in the 1950s by American psychiatrist Albert Ellis, who continued to develop this approach until his death in 2007. The central premise of REBT as cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety, is that people tend to become upset not so much by unfortunate circumstances or adversities in and of themselves, but by their own ways of thinking about these adversities.

This is shaped by the person’s overall philosophical outlook and how they construct their view of reality. Albert Ellis described the relationship between events and the person’s reaction to them in terms of the A-B-C Model:

·         A for adversity or activating events

·         B for the person’s beliefs regarding the events

·         C for the emotional and behavioral consequences of the person’s beliefs toward the activating events

Ellis’s REBT aims to help patients realize that, although they cannot control certain events and circumstances in their lives, they can control how they think about, feel about, and respond to those events or circumstances. Many people have cognitive and behavioral tendencies, often developed early in life, that become self-defeating; REBT aims to help people reexamine their feelings, behaviors, and ways of thinking to respond in a more healthy manner to adversities.

Cognitive Emotional Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive emotional behavioral therapy (CEBT) is another form of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety. CEBT aims to help clients self-evaluate the basis of emotional distress, and to better understand what causes and contributes to their emotional states. Achieving a better self-understanding reduces the need for dysfunctional coping behaviors. CEBT is distinct from CBT, per se, in that it places more emphasis on the emotional component of anxiety and other disorders. Although CEBT was originally developed for treating eating disorders, it has also proven to be effective for many individuals as a form of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety.

Structured Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A third approach to cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety in Farmingdale and elsewhere is structured cognitive behavioral therapy (SCBT). SCBT is distinct from CBT in that it is considered less of an indefinite therapy and more as a finite form of training. In SCBT, clients undergo a program divided into progressive sessions arranged into a particular order. The design of SCBT is tailored more to the disorder than to the individual. SCBT stresses willpower, in the form of urge conditioning and desensitization. Although SCBT is most commonly used for addictive behaviors, it can also be effective for some individuals as cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Paranoid Personality Disorder

Paranoid personality disorder in New York is a psychological disorder characterized by longstanding, pervasive patterns of paranoid, mistrust, and suspiciousness that permeate an individual’s entire personality structure. People with paranoid personality disorder tend to be hyper vigilant and very suspicious, often mistakenly seeing clues in their environment that they misinterpret as evidence confirming their fears and biases regarding the malicious intent of others. This often causes anxiety and social withdrawal, and overall corresponds to a decidedly “warped” worldview that is, at its core, decidedly irrational. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is focused on identifying and correcting irrational thought processes and maladaptive behavioral patterns, is well established for helping people with paranoid personality disorder in New York. 

Symptoms and Subtypes of Paranoid Personality Disorder 

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the following symptoms for paranoid personality disorder. To be clinically diagnosed, a person in New York must fit the majority of the criteria:

·         Excessive sensitivity to setbacks or disagreements with others

·         Tendency to persistently bear grudges against people

·         Suspiciousness, and a tendency to misconstrue the actions and intents of others as malicious

·         A sense of combativeness and personal rights

·         Recurrent suspicious, often not justified by evidence, regarding the fidelity of romantic partners

·         Tendency toward excessive self-importance

·         Preoccupation with “conspiracy theories”

In addition to these criteria, many psychologists in New York recognize multiple subtypes of paranoid personality disorder. These subtypes were originally outlined by psychologist Theodore Millon, who is known for his work on personality disorder subtypes. Millon’s subtypes of Paranoid Personality Disorder include:

·         Obdurate. This subtype has compulsive features, and tends toward self-importance, self-righteousness, and stubbornness.

·         Fanatic. This type of paranoid personality in New York tends to be prone to grandiose delusions, often wild conspiracy theories. They often feel arrogance and contempt toward others, and use extravagant and self-important fantasies to maintain ego and pride.

·         Querulous. This subtype is often argumentative and fault-finding.

·         Insular. This type of paranoid personality tends to be socially withdrawn, secluding themselves to protect against imagined threats and dangers.

·         Malignant. This type of paranoid personality in New York, with sadistic features, is prone to persecutory delusions and tends to be vengeful and spiteful toward others.  

Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients with Paranoid Personality Disorder

Patients with paranoid personality disorder in New York can be challenging for therapists to treat, since they tend to be suspicious and are often hesitant to comply with therapy. Nonetheless, cognitive behavioral therapy is widely recognized as one of the most effective approaches to addressing this condition. Paranoid personality disorder is characterized by irrational thought patterns, generally revolving around delusions about other people’s malicious intent and sometimes permeated by a sense of self-importance and grandiosity. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help to make the person aware of these processes, and to recognize that they may not be rational or rooted in fact. By recognizing that the paranoia and fear are largely delusional, maladaptive behaviors like social withdrawal and a contentious style of interpersonal interaction can be addressed. The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to help the person self-evaluate how they think about what happens around them, so that more productive and enriching behavior patterns can be developed.

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