Do you know someone who seems emotionally deregulated? Does that person get very angry and very happy in the same day and at a moment’s notice? Does the person have a difficult time controlling his or her emotions? Do you suspect your loved one may struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety or a mood disorder? If any of these descriptions sounds like someone you know, then behavioral therapy can help. Behavioral therapy is the clinical term for a special type of therapy that psychiatrists use to replace poor behaviors with better ones. It can be extremely effective in treating mood and anxiety disorders including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, depression, bipolar disorder and more. However, any good psychiatrist will tell you that behavioral therapy would be good for anyone to experience, as it helps all people replace poor habits with better ones and leads to a more peaceful and happy life when applied. Read on to learn more about the three top ways behavioral therapy produces positive results in patient’s lives:
Reason #1: Mindfulness Techniques
When you participate in behavioral therapy, you learn a very helpful set of skills called mindfulness techniques. These practices teach you how to calm down, how to breathe and to refocus, how to distract yourself from an upsetting event or conversation, and how to temper yourself so that you do not engage in emotional outbursts. These practices are relaxing and meditative without being connected to any one religion, and that’s why they are so helpful to all people. It’s not just people who are struggling with a mood or personality disorder who can benefit from taking a few minutes and finding a little peace.
Reason #2: Coping Ahead
Patients engaging in behavioral therapy also will learn to cope ahead in order to anticipate the emotions they may feel if a certain situation were to occur. According to Dr. Judith Zackson, PhD, “This is extremely beneficial, as it allows the patient to feel the emotions associated with the event and then apply skills so that they can address the issue and be ready should it happen.” For example, if a patient is concerned he may lash out at his boss in an angry outburst following the discussion of a low raise, then the patient can envision that situation, feel those feelings of anger and disappointment and then plan for the effective ways he might address his boss. By doing this, even if the situation doesn’t occur, the patient is learning how to regulate his emotions, decrease the chances of an emotional outburst, and even think through the most effective ways for describing his achievements and asking for a higher raise. This is a win-win in the world of psychology, but it’s also a win-win for anyone who tries it. Learning to cope ahead is an empowering and effective skill that patients in behavioral therapy will learn to use and to perfect until it becomes habitual.
Reason #3: Positive Change
Because behavioral therapy is about learning to cope with a situation and emotions and then positively addressing those challenges with skills, there is a lot of positive change that a patient can experience over time and with practice. For example, the person likely will have less emotional outbursts, less incidents of harming themselves, better social skills and the sharper ability to recognize when they need the help of a medical professional and to seek out that help instead of engaging in harmful behaviors.
SOURCE:
http://www.healthline.com/health/behavioral-therapy#Overview1
