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What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
It is a psychological intervention usually short term.
It is problem and solution focused.
Problems are created and maintained by unhelpful links between our thoughts/feelings/behaviours and physical experience.
These links are a result of learning and patients existing beliefs, attitudes and past experience.
Techniques are directed at developing a shared understanding of the problems or difficulties facing patients.
Aims to change unhelpful thoughts-feelings-behaviour patterns by experimenting with alternative patterns of behaviour and thinking.
Why CBT in Physical Health Setting?
It is proven for psychological problems common in medical conditions.
Fits with the chronic disease management agenda.
It adopts a self management approach.
May be cheaper than medication.
Is empirically validated in many conditions for example cardiac patients, Pain, Chronic Fatigue, Cancer, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Diabetes, PMT.
Psychosocial variables often better predictors of outcome than disease severity.
Therapists work in partnership with patients to help identify thoughts, feelings and behaviours which are causing difficulties in the patient's life.
Cognitive-behavioural therapists aim to gain a very good understanding of their clients' concerns or goals and then help them achieve those goals. The therapist's role is to ask questions, listen, facilitate and support, while the patient's role is to express concerns, learn, and put into practice some of the techniques and strategies discussed. CBT therapists do not tell their patients what to do - rather, they teach their clients how to do it.
The aim of treatment is to identify more helpful ways of coping with these difficulties. One example could be someone who, thinks "I hate doing my physiotherapy". This may make them feel depressed. As their mood is low they may spend more time in bed and eat less. Therapists try to identify "problem cycles" and work together to change this. The success of CBT depends on the active participation of the patient in the whole process. It is about working together.
CBT is a short-term treatment that has a very practical approach to problem-solving. It is increasingly being used to help people manage chronic illnesses and help them cope with the difficulties they may encounter on a regular basis. If you would like to know more about CBT ask your specialist nurse or psychologist. Some areas are fortunate enough to have health care professionals who are trained CBT therapists but in many areas this is not easily available. A number of training courses are available and hopefully this will help improve the well being of patients in the future.
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