An introduction to cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a psychological treatment of choice for anxiety disorders. It works by understanding connections between thoughts, behaviours, emotions and physical feelings. It also uses the principle that anxiety is the result of overestimating threat or the individual underestimating their own capacity to deal with that threat. Exposure is a group of techniques used in anxiety disorders and involves exposing the individual to the object or set of circumstances that causes them to be afraid. Exposure aims to cause habituation and is used in different guises in all anxiety disorders. In obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it is exposure to the anxiety caused by not carrying out the compulsive ritual that is used (this is known as ERP or exposure and response prevention). Although there is evidence supporting the use of CBT in all anxiety disorders, it is likely that some respond better than others. For example, simple phobias and panic generally respond more reliably than generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).