Today’s world is becoming increasingly fast-paced and hectic. This is inevitably showing up in the psyches of everyday people. Every now and again, we often find ourselves held down by the demands of the modern world. This stress is reflected in many ways, including a plethora of psychological issues. One of the most effective methods of therapy to combat these issues and gain back control is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT. Below are six of the many great benefits of CBT.
You gain perspective on your own thoughts
One of the greatest roadblocks in the journey toward mental health is an overall lack of clarity and understanding of your thoughts. The inability to get alternative perspectives on your thoughts and closely held beliefs leads to great confusion, as these thoughts may come into conflict with each other. This leads to cognitive dissonance. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we learn to take a step back and see our thoughts in a different light. Sometimes this alone is enough to clear out the muck and bring us a higher level of clarity.
You learn more about your thought patterns
As you and your therapist dig deeper into your psyche, you will inevitably learn more about your thought patterns. With these thought patterns coming to light, you will see how you were led to believe certain things about yourself, others, and the world around you. By discovering these patterns of thinking, you can then begin to affect them with positive intention. You will discover self-defeating and negative thought patterns that you may not have been consciously aware of. You may then take honest steps to dismantle them and replace them with thoughts that serve you, instead of defeat you.
You learn how to slow down your thinking
Our minds seem to run out of control, seemingly running with the wind, in every direction imaginable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy encourages us to take a more impartial look at how we think and operate. Only by doing this, can we slow down enough to make sense of what is happening. If our thoughts are racing so fast that we can’t identify anything, there is no chance for us to be able to sort anything out and make progress. CBT allows us to slow down and gives us the space to create meaningful and positive changes.
You let go of past issues and emotional baggage
Every one of us is walking around with an entire lifetime of compounded thoughts and beliefs. Often times, when we experience distress and trauma, we bury our feelings deep inside. This is a natural defense mechanism that prevents us from feeling hurt in that moment. The problem arises later on down the road when these past traumas come back to haunt us. Refusing to deal with emotional baggage can lead to serious mental problems. If left unattended, these problems can manifest themselves physically, causing a litany of health issues and diseases. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps us to let go of these past issues and regain our natural, vibrant disposition.
You learn how to respond to stress and anxiety
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an explorative process that gives us the tools to respond to stress and anxiety in a healthy way. Too often, people try to mask the stresses of life with distractions such as drug and alcohol abuse, and other addictive behaviors. This only exacerbates the problem. In CBT, we learn how to recognize stress and anxiety as they present themselves, and take steps to actively combat them.
You begin to take control of your life and your thoughts
Most importantly, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy encourages and empowers us to take control of our lives and our thoughts. After several sessions of therapy, we learn to stop acting as if we are a victim, and learn to take an active role in guiding our lives in a more positive light. Only when we take control, can we expect consistently positive outcomes in our life. This is perhaps the most important thing that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can provide.
There are countless benefits of CBT, and each person will get different things out of it. Through this style of therapy, we are encouraged to find the root of our problems and confront them in a transformative way. These are problems that we would rather avoid, so the process of therapy may be uncomfortable at times, but that is necessary in order to regain our mental health and move on.
