“CBT remains the treatment of choice for adults with depression”
In June 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK) issued revised guidelines regarding its previously stated recommendation that CBT should be the recommended frontline treatment for adult mood and anxiety disorders. The new guidelines have reinforced the original findings – cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBT) are the treatment of choice for less severe and more severe depression.
What exactly is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.
CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions (behavior) are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a negative cycle. CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts. You are shown how to change negative patterns to improve the way you feel.
Unlike some other talk therapies, CBT deals with current problems, rather than focusing on issues from the past. It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.
In addition to depression and anxiety disorders, CBT can also help people with:
- Bipolar Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Eating disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Psychosis
- Sleep problems such as Insomnia
- Problems related to Alcohol Misuse
Courses of CBT generally last a shorter period of time than other types of talk therapies. Doing it intensively over a period of days rather than months can have a stronger impact with longer last results.