Anxiety Disorders Foundation Dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by anxiety disorders.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a teaching model that trains individuals in skills that have been found through research to be effective in managing their problem areas. CBT has been applied to many types of psychiatric conditions (e.g., depression, eating disorders). The application of CBT to anxiety disorders has arguably received the most attention, with many thought leaders in the field concluding that CBT is clearly the treatment of choice for anxiety disorders.

CBT is a school of thought encompassing many different types of skills for many different disorders. Even within the anxiety disorders, different diagnoses (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder versus panic disorder) may require learning different kinds of skills.

Due to the nature of CBT, treatment duration tends to be short relative to other types of therapy (e.g., psychoanalysis), but produces long lasting benefits (i.e., low relapse rates). Individuals are trained in user-friendly techniques that they take with them anywhere, anytime. A user's ability to perform these skills continues to improve with use and time, therefore, producing sustaining effects. Overall, success rates for anxiety disorders using CBT have been found to be roughly 75%.