When going through the lesson this week I found it very interesting that phobias can be cured by the person with the phobia watching an actor perform the phobia activity and then the person feels little to no fear in doing that activity themselves. After learning this new therapy technique, I was very curious about other therapies that are out there that have been successful with things such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has proven to be very successful especially with people who suffer from anxiety. The fact of the matter is that many more people suffer from anxiety than you would realize.
According to the ADAA over 40 million Americans over the age of 18 suffer from anxiety. That is definitely more people than I myself even thought and I personally suffer from anxiety myself so I know on a personal level how it affects people (Egen, Sean P).
Another thing about anxiety that many people don’t realize is that there are many different kinds of anxiety that someone can have. Just to name a few there is general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and phobic disorders which I talked about the treatment of above. As far as anxiety disorders are concerned therapy is proven to be the most effective treatment (Smith, Melinda, et al.). Among all of the different therapies that are used to treat anxiety, Cognitive Behavior Therapy is one of the leading approaches.
How Cognitive Behavior Therapy works is it addresses the negative patterns the person experiences and goes through and helps them change the way they view themselves and the world around them. By helping them change the way they view the world this will help them to see that there is nothing they need to be anxious about. The main purpose of Cognitive Behavior Therapy is to address the main concerns the patient has and their negative thinking that contributes to their anxiety (Smith, Melinda, et al.).
I think overall when we discuss anxiety in today’s society a lot of people over look just how much of an impact it can have on the people it affects. I think a lot of people also don’t realize just how many people are affected by it. But most importantly I think a lot of people who suffer from anxiety don’t realize that therapy such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy can be incredibly helpful. I hope we start to see more people who seek out therapy and can reap the benefits of it.
References:
Egen, Sean P. “8 Facts About Anxiety and Anxiety Disorder.” Elements Behavior Health, 10 Jan. 2015, www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/mental-health/8-facts-anxiety-anxiety-disorders/.
Smith, Melinda, et al. “Therapy for Anxiety Disorders.” Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and Other Options, Dec. 2017, www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/therapy-for-anxiety-disorders.htm.