Baruch N. Greenwald (M.S.W.)

How is Anxiety treated with CBT?

One needs to understand that in most cases anxiety is a common and quite normal reaction to a real or imagined threat. It won't be the same for everyone as it depends on the each individual's assessment of the threat. Symptoms of anxiety are not pleasant and may include sweating, palpitations, high blood pressure, muscle tension, unsteadiness, dryness of the mouth and throat, chest pains, hyperventilation or difficulty breathing, nausea, and even diarrhea and frequent urination. Extreme anxiety requires immediate attention in order to prevent the symptoms from spreading and leading to avoidance and severe malfunction. Early CBT intervention can stop the symptoms from spreading and prevent malfunction by assisting the patient to continue his daily routine. Treatment will include:

1. Reaching a full cognitive understanding of the automatic thought distortions feeding the anxiety.

2. Explaining and understanding anxiety.

3. Exposure to the sources of anxiety. Self – help exercises. Success will be dependent on cooperation.

deals directly with the root of the problem: irrational automatic thoughts that feed our depression.  The patient learns to understand the distortion in his/her thinking and corrects it.