Using CBT to Address Things that Contribute to Anxiety Part 3
Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a great evidence-based therapy for decreasing anxiety. Anxiety is usually based in a desire to control. It could be control of uncertainty, control of a possible feared outcome, or control of other people's behaviors. When we feel anxious, we feel like we have no control. The worst-case scenario is about to occur and there's nothing we can do about it.
Often people who are anxious have a belief that if they are in control then they can avoid the worst possible scenario. For example, people who have anxiety about flying often have anxiety because they have no control over flying the plane or keeping the plane safe. At Flourishment Psychology, I've worked with people who have flight anxiety and who have rituals and behaviors that they do to try to create some sense of control. These rituals might include entering the plane on your left foot, always sitting in an even-numbered row, or saying certain prayers or mantras prior to take off. None of these behaviors actually keep the plane in the air or keep you safe. But they create a sense of control over something that is absolutely out of your control.
CBT for Anxiety Works to Address the Cause of Anxious Thoughts & Behaviors
Do You have Anxious Behaviors?
As I've said in my previous blog post, CBT starts with identifying behaviors that contribute to anxiety and thoughts that contribute to anxiety. It can be helpful to know which types of behaviors and thinking strategies we try to use to push away anxiety. Some examples of behaviors that we use to try to push away anxiety are avoiding the situations that trigger anxiety, leaving situations whenever we feel anxious, seeking reassurance from people around us, engaging in compulsions or rituals, or using drugs or alcohol to numb the anxiety. The problem with these behaviors is that they might create immediate relief from the anxiety and the perception that you've controlled it. Yet in the long term, it does not change the anxiety.
Instead, you have created a dependence on a maladaptive control response and now you have to use that coping behavior in order to decrease your anxiety. The most common maladaptive control response is avoidance. When we aren't around or in the situation that makes us anxious, we don't feel that anxiety. So we began to avoid social situations to avoid social anxiety, avoid situations where we may fail to avoid fear of failure, or avoid even sensations in our body, such as a higher heart rate, so that we can avoid medical anxiety. Avoidance works really well to decrease anxiety but unfortunately, it can leave our lives feeling very limited and small.
Tired of thoughts that lead to more anxiety?
Another important part of CBT is to become aware of thoughts that might contribute to anxiety. When you feel anxious, you may try to control your anxious and worry thoughts in order to decrease the sensation of anxiety in your body. Here are some thoughts that may actually increase your worry or prolong it.
Trying not to think of what makes you worried.
Trying to distract yourself from the worry.
Being self-critical or engaging in negative self-talk about being worried.
Going over and over in your mind about something that's happened in the past or a feared outcome that could happen in the future.
Trying to suppress the anxious thoughts or sensations.
None of these strategies work very well for decreasing anxiety and often reinforce your perception that a situation or feared outcome is very dangerous or threatening and also underestimate your ability to cope with the anxiety.
CBT helps you shift your thoughts to more adaptive or helpful thoughts, consider evidence about probability or how bad something might be, and also addresses how likely it is that you could handle a situation effectively if a bad thing happened. CBT also boosts your confidence that you can cope when you're anxious.
Get Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Treatment in Los Angeles, CA
Are you struggling with thoughts and behaviors that lead to increased anxiety? At Flourishment Psychology in Los Angeles, I specialize in using cognitive behavioral therapy address both thoughts and behaviors that contribute to anxiety. As a caring CBT therapist, manage your symptoms and improve your overall well-being. Follow these steps to start getting help:
Reach out now and schedule a free consultation.
If we are a good fit schedule your first session for CBT for anxiety.
Start shifting your thoughts and behaviors so you can feel better.
Other Therapy Services in Los Angeles, CA
I offer a variety of mental health services for individuals and families. That includes EMDR trauma therapy and therapy for therapists as well as corporate wellness training, and clinical training.
