Anxiety is a debilitating ailment that affects the mind, the emotions and the body. Psychologists in New York see it manifest in several forms: obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias and others. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is among the most common subtypes of the affliction. Characterized by chronic worry, near-constant nervousness and tension, GAD affects adults as well as teens. Because it is diffuse and not attached to a specific situation such as a phobia, it colors an individual’s whole life, making normal life extremely difficult.

Despite its imposing hold on a person’s life, there is a way out. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT for short, has proven to be extremely effective in helping individuals regain their normal sense of self. In the mid 1950s, Albert Ellis established Rational Emotive Therapy as an alternative to psychoanalysis. Origins of this precursor to CBT trace back to the Stoic philosophers of Ancient Greece and Rome:

“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.” – Epictetus

Since then, theorists and practitioners including Aaron Beck, Dr. Maxie Maultsby, Jr. and, more recently, Marsha Linehan have made crucial contributions to the method, helping to make it what it is today.

The aim of CBT is to help patients realize how their own negative thoughts – called cognitions – fuel their anxiety, and to objectively examine how their behavior and situational responses set off their anxiety. Beliefs held, in some cases for a person’s entire life, profoundly affect how one views the world. Generally speaking, people who suffer from anxiety hold irrational and/or unrealistic beliefs that must be supplanted before positive change can occur.

The therapy is split up into two sections: cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. During the first part, the therapist helps the patient identify cognitive distortions, which are a type of assumption resulting from negative thoughts. For instance, if someone believes they will appear awkward and strange at a party (negative thought), he might mistakenly assume everyone will dislike him as a result of his awkwardness. A prediction of the worst-case scenario and jumping to an irrational conclusion are the distortions caused by the initial thought.

The basic outline is to identify negative thoughts, and to learn how to challenge them and replace them with positive ones. The last step can be very difficult, for the negativity might be reinforced by lifelong patterns. Because of these hardened belief systems and patterns of self-negating behavior, it’s crucial that one actively take part in their therapy, which involves individual and group sessions in addition to homework. CBT often demonstrates results after just a couple months, but only if the patient works at it.

Healing depression isn’t merely a matter of taking medication – that only covers up the symptoms for a short time period. Similarly, trying to motivate oneself to relax or not get anxious is trickier than it sounds, for the triggers of anxiety are usually deeply rooted in one’s psyche. In addition to being a major disruptive force in daily life that impacts thoughts and emotions, anxiety can have physical ramifications as well. Tension, edginess, insomnia and stomach issues are quite common among those who suffer from anxiety issues.

People struggling with GAD have the same worries as other people, only theirs are more severe and largely inseparable from their daily lives. New York City psychologists can help people of all ages overcome this chronic illness. The cognitive behavioral therapy will help a person identify the relationship between his thoughts and behaviors and his anxiety. Together with a program of regular exercise and relaxation techniques such as meditation, it’s possible to see the world in a whole new, positive light.

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If you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety, author Stephen Daniels highly recommends the expertise of Manhattan DBT therapists for treatment of emotion regulation problems. The counselors there specialize in the use of CBT, MBCT, and DBT in working with their patients.

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