Using cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety is quite a widespread type of therapy. Research has proved that it is an effective treatment for generalized and social anxiety disorders, phobias, and panic disorders and many other similar conditions. This therapy deals with the distortions and negative patterns that affect our perception of self and the world.

The main premise of this therapy is the effect our thoughts have, on how we feel. To put it simply, the outside situation does not affect how you feel, but the way you perceive the situation. Here you use a process of cognitive restructuring or thought challenging, where you challenge patterns of negative thinking, and replace them with positive thoughts that are realistic.

The process can be broken up into three steps.

First, identify the negative thoughts. People suffering from anxiety disorders, falsely perceive situations to be dangerous, when in reality they are not. For instance, a person having germ phobia, will find shaking another person’s hand to be life threatening. Although this can easily be seen as irrational, it is quite difficult to identify scary thoughts in oneself. The strategy is to ask what the thoughts were when the anxiety arose, and a therapist can help in taking this step.

Second step is to challenge the negative thought patterns. In this step, the therapist teaches how an evaluation can be done of the thoughts that provoke anxiety. Here evidence for the fearful thought is questioned, unhelpful beliefs are analyzed, and the possibility of negative predictions is tested.

The last step is to replace the negative thoughts with realism. Once negative distortions and irrational predictions are successfully identified, they can be replaced with thoughts that are positive and more accurate. Here the therapist may provide positive calming statements that have to be repeated in cases where the anxiety levels usually build up.

Using cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety recovery helps the person face the frightening situation effectively, rather than avoiding it. It uses exposure therapy where the person is made to face the situation repeatedly either mentally or actually under the guidance of the therapist.