What problems can CBT treat?

It is widely used for various mental health disorders and behavioral issues.

  1. Mood disorders

    • Depression: Aids in detecting and confronting antagonistic reflections, reducing avoidance behaviors, and building healthy coping strategies.
    • Bipolar disorder: Often used alongside medication to help manage mood swings and prevent relapse.
  1. Anxiety disorders
    • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Teaches techniques to challenge excessive worrying and develop relaxation skills.
    • Social anxiety disorder: Helps individuals push through fears of judgment and engage in social situations more confidently.
    • Panic disorder: Reduces panic attacks by teaching breathing exercises and facing catastrophic thinking.
    • Phobias: Uses exposure therapy to gradually reduce fear responses.
  1. Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
    • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Uses Exposure and response prevention (ERP) to decrease compulsions and intrusive thoughts.
    • Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD): Assists in reframing negative body image perceptions.
      A woman standing in front of a mirror while holding her waist.
    • Hoarding disorder: Addresses thought patterns that contribute to the extreme accumulation of items.
  1. Trauma and stress-related disorders
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Helps to process traumatic memories and ease distressing thoughts.
    • Acute stress disorder: Similar to PTSD, but for recent trauma.
  1. Eating disorders
    • Bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder: Addresses dysfunctional beliefs about food, body image, and self-worth.
    • Anorexia nervosa: Often used in combination with nutritional counseling and medical care.
  1. Substance use and addiction
    A drunk woman holding her drink while lying passed out drunk on the bar.
    • Alcohol and drug addiction: Helps identify triggers, develop coping mechanisms, and prevent relapse.
    • Gambling addiction: Deals with irrational beliefs about winning and losing.
  1. Personality disorders
    • Borderline personality disorder (BPD): A form of CBT called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is highly efficient in managing emotional instability and impulsivity.
  1. Sleep disorders
    Image of a man lying awake in bed, unable to sleep, with the clock reading 4:24.
    • Insomnia: CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold standard for treating chronic sleep problems by improving sleep hygiene and reducing sleep anxiety.
  1. Chronic pain and health conditions
    • Chronic pain: Supports change in how pain is perceived and improves coping strategies.
    • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Lowers stress-related triggers.
    • Fibromyalgia: Assists in managing pain and improving quality of life.

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