In the US alone, an estimated 31.1 percent of the adult population experienced an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Among these different anxiety disorders, the most common diagnosis is generalized anxiety disorder, often referred to as GAD. It affects about 6.8 million US adults – that’s about 3.1 percent of the adult population – but only around 43 percent of people are actively getting treatment.
However, treatment methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy are proven to be highly effective in addressing symptoms. But what is CBT, and how does it work for generalized anxiety disorder? Let’s look at essential techniques for managing GAD and why it’s beneficial.
What Does CBT Mean?
Developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960s, CBT targets unhelpful thought patterns as the main source of problem behaviors. So, in generalized anxiety disorder, anxious feelings and their resulting behaviors are fueled by negative thinking patterns. Therefore, the solution is to change how you think and, consequently, change how you feel.
Using Different CBT Techniques
There are different ways of implementing CBT techniques depending on the practitioner’s approach. Some will only rely on CBT as a way to address the disorder, while others use complementary strategies such as relaxation techniques and family therapy by URP. Similarly, some treatment programs will call for individual CBT sessions only, while others include group sessions as a way to practice your newly learned skills.
Psychoeducation
Because CBT involves being aware of one’s thoughts and their effect on feelings, it makes sense to understand the reasoning behind the treatment process. Psychoeducation is a CBT technique that provides you and your family with knowledge about the disorder you’re struggling with – in this case, generalized anxiety.
This includes informing you about aspects of treatment to increase collaboration and cooperation for better outcomes. After all, when your family can understand why you feel and behave a certain way, they’ll be more compassionate and helpful during the treatment process.
Cognitive Restructuring
A core component of CBT is cognitive restructuring, which means evaluating your negative thought patterns. In generalized anxiety disorder, you worry excessively about different things throughout the day, which impairs your functionality. During CBT sessions, a practitioner will help you assess thought patterns, helping you spot negative thought patterns. When you’re aware of them, you’re better equipped to reframe them.
Guided Discovery
One of the ways that your practitioner will make you aware of your thoughts is through guided discovery. Because the process depends on your active participation, it requires a strong therapeutic alliance and collaboration.
The practitioner will ask questions that encourage you to think about your thoughts and how they affect your life. With this process, you gain awareness of how your brain works, which empowers you to make positive changes.
Tracking Patterns
With CBT, the goal is to alleviate anxious thoughts and enhance functioning by altering your behavior and thought patterns. During the early stages of treatment, your therapist will focus on helping you spot these thoughts, which you can do using logs.
In these logs, you’ll keep track of thoughts, particularly when you’re stressed, your emotions, and your responses. You’ll also need to explain which internal and external circumstances contribute to those feelings. Maybe you feel sick or have a major report due at work.
Behavioral Experiments
In CBT, behavioral experiments are used as a way to test your beliefs. After each session, your therapist may give you homework that requires having a certain experience in order to test the accuracy of your beliefs.
Most people with GAD believe that they need to plan and worry excessively; otherwise, things will go wrong. So, completing such experiments is a great way to challenge those thoughts and eventually change them.
Positive Belief Log Worksheet
People who struggle with anxiety often have negative schemas, and these core belief systems contribute to the maintenance of long-term anxiety. The aim of CBT is to weaken maladaptive schemas (such as the belief that over-worrying about a test will help you pass) and build positive ones.
Positive belief records or logs gather evidence for an adaptive belief and strengthen it over time. So, if you prepare for a test with less worry and are able to perform just as well, keeping a log of such experiences helps you learn that you don’t need to over-worry before exams.
Worry History Outcome Forms
In generalized anxiety disorder, it’s common to have thoughts about future threats without realizing that things usually turn out fine. For example, worrying that you’ll be late for an appointment because of traffic but failing to realize that you usually arrive on time. To remind yourself of these outcomes, therapists recommend Worry History Outcome (WHO) forms.
Using these forms, you’ll record which things you worried about excessively and whether the negative outcomes you expected actually occurred. After the event (for example, after you arrive at your appointment), you’ll rate whether things turned out better or worse than expected.
Coping Techniques
Of course, things won’t always turn out better. There will be times when you’re worried about arriving late, and you will. To prepare you for these situations, practitioners recommend coping techniques such as:
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: It involves contracting (tensing up) and relaxing your muscles so that your body recognizes muscle tension (a common anxiety symptom) as a signal for relaxation.
- Diaphragmatic Breathing: A common coping strategy for anxiety management, deep breathing requires taking deep breaths using the abdomen.
- Behavioral Activation: This involves deliberately engaging in things you find enjoyable. Actively seeking positive experiences can alleviate stress levels and help you cope.
CBT As Part of a Holistic Treatment Program
As helpful as CBT is for generalized anxiety, implementing it in concert with other treatment modalities can lead to better outcomes. In this case, holistic therapy is an excellent example of combining evidence-based treatments like CBT with wellness-focused methods. For instance, balanced nutrition and relaxation techniques can complement individual and group-based CBT sessions.
