What is CBT?

CBT is a talking therapy. It has been proved to help treat a wide range of emotional and physical health conditions in adults, young people and children. CBT looks at how we think about a situation and how this affects the way we act. In turn our actions can affect how we think and feel.  It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems.

How does CBT work?

CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle. CBT aims to help you manage overwhelming problems in a more effective way by breaking them down into smaller parts. You’re shown how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel. Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past. It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

Uses for CBT

CBT has been found to be an effective way of treating a number of different mental health conditions.

In addition to depression or anxiety disorders, CBT can also help people with:

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Panic disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Phobias
• Eating disorders – such as anorexia and bulimia
• Sleep problems – such as insomnia
• Problems related to alcohol misuse

CBT is also sometimes used to treat people with long-term health conditions, such as:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Although CBT can’t cure the physical symptoms of these conditions, it can help people cope better with their symptoms.