Cognitive Therapy for Agoraphobia

Popularized by psychologists Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck in the 1950’s and 1960’s, cognitive therapy focuses on identifying and correcting irrational thought patterns. In cases of agoraphobia, faulty thought patterns intensify feelings of anxiety and fear.

The most commonly used forms of cognitive therapy for agoraphobia are:

1) Thought Replacing (also called Cognitive Restructuring): Identifying, correcting, and replacing irrational thoughts with more rational ones.

2) Thought Stopping: Identifying and stopping irrational thinking before it begins.

3) Focusing: Drawing your attention away from irrational thinking by focusing the mind on something tangible in the present moment.

Why Cognitive Therapy is Effective for Treating Agoraphobia:

Cognitive therapy is effective for treating agoraphobia and other anxiety disorders because of the link that exists between human thought and feeling. Cognitive therapy is based on the principle that thoughts can lead to feelings, and feelings can lead to physical symptoms.

To illustrate this, let’s say you were going to an interview for a new job. If you were to start thinking self-defeating thoughts such as, “I probably don’t have the skills to be successful in this new position” or “I will probably be asked questions that I won’t be able to answer,” then you would be likely to worry a lot and feel anxious before the interview. The more anxious and worried you felt before the interview, the more likely you would be to experience physical symptoms during the interview like being jittery, having butterflies in your stomach, or freezing up.

At the same time thoughts can lead to feelings and physical symptoms, feelings and physical symptoms can reinforce thoughts. Going back to the interview example, if you felt anxious and froze up during the interview, you would, no doubt, fail the interview. Your failed interview would reinforce the thoughts that you don’t have what it takes to succeed in a new job.

To sum it up, thoughts, feelings, and physical symptoms can create a cycle of negativity that goes something like this:

1) Faulty, negative thoughts lead to negative feelings (fear, anxiety, worry).
2) Negative feelings lead to ineffective or destructive behaviors.
3) Ineffective or destructive behaviors lead to negative outcomes.
4) Negative outcomes reinforce negative thoughts.

Cognitive therapy stops this vicious cycle by challenging “cognitive distortions” and correcting them through a process called “cognitive restructuring.” Put in everyday language, cognitive distortions are just faulty ways of thinking that lead to irrational fear.

Cognitive restructuring is becoming more aware of your faulty, negative thoughts, changing the way you think, and replacing fear-producing thought patterns with more rational, healthy thinking. This helps relieve fear and anxiety.

Article Source: http://www.agoraphobia.net

Stephen Price is a recovered agoraphobic with a master’s degree in psychology. He has an informational website on agoraphobia with a free newsletter. You sign up for the newsletter at: www.agoraphobia.ws/newsletter.htm

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