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But what is cognitive behavioural therapy? It emphasizes the role our thoughts play in how we feel. The interesting part is that even if we continue to suffer an identical, stressful thoughts without any external modification on their part, the idea is to modification the way we concentrate on them. By workout this ability, a highly negative condition such as depression, may also be averted from taking over a patient.
It's the old story, virtually. The therapists role is to help the patient look at life generally in a far more rational and balanced way, not in the depressive worst case scenario, all-or-nothing thinking pattern.
A breakdown of CBT
Intriguingly, treatment with either Prozac or C.B.T. seems to reverse it. They carried out a study comparing Prozac to C.B.T., and used the brain scanning technique known as positron emission tomography. The idea was to measure the velocity of glucose metabolism in the O.C.D. brain after Prozac on my own and after therapy on my own.
The drug businesses are at it again, they and the drugs enthusiasts. As far as they're concerned, all therapy is no more helpful than having a chat to an old friend. Doesn't benefit you one bit, except for the old saw; 'a major issue shared is a major issue halved.'
It can not be denied that there's been a awesome augment in psychopharmacology over the past ten years and of course the marketing efforts have more than kept pace accordingly. So it's now becoming 'de rigeur' to go looking upon any form of therapy as costly, ineffective and a waste of time. The result of all this is that patients who formally would have tried therapy enthusiastically, are now turning away from it in preference to medications.
However, researchers are particularly excited by the success C.B.T. has shown in treating patients suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This condition involves thoughts of continuous anxiety that spin around in your head, yet in your mind may be mitigated by some form of 'ritual.' Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, O.C.D., patients respond to Prozac, or C.B.T., or both.
It still isn't understood what causes O.C.D., yet hyperactivity in the brain cells is constantly noticed in those suffering from O.C.D. They have a manner of measuring this with increased levels of glucose, which is seen on O.C.D. patients on brain imaging, most particularly in a part of the brain called the caudate nucleus.
Not only were the results identical, yet with C.B.T. there are no side effects.
