ability to deal more realistically with every day problems.(Burns, 1996-2000) Dr. Frances M. Christian, a clinical social .
worker and cognitive therapist at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, says, "Thoughts and beliefs have a lot to .
do with how people feel and behave. Early in life, people develop core beliefs about themselves and other people and .
about how the world operates." Cognitive behavioral therapy has been very thoroughly researched. In study after study, .
it has been shown to be as effective as drugs in treating both depression and anxiety. In particular, cognitive behavioral .
therapy has been shown to be better than drugs in avoiding treatment failures and in preventing relapse after the end of .
treatment. A cognitive therapist directs a patient's attention to "automatic" thoughts, the things people say to themselves, .
that result in unpleasant feelings. (Stopa, 2000) For example, someone prone to anxiety attacks might automatically .
think, "I'm going to mess up," when taking an exam, participating in a school event or being interviewed for a job. After .
failing such a task, the person might conclude, again automatically, "I'm a loser." In therapy, the person is helped to .
recognize delusions in thought, which include exaggerating the sense of threat, anticipating disaster as the outcome, and .
over generalizing from one negative experience and ignoring times when things went well. Finally, once the damaging .
automatic thoughts are recognized, the person is helped to examine how realistic they are, and they consider alternative .
explanations, then imagine other outcomes and realize that the symptoms of anxiety are not the prelude to a heart attack .
or some other medical disaster. (Stopa, 2000) This same approach is practiced for depression. The difference in the .
therapeutic approach versus medicating is dramatic, and the relief people feel is immediate. Instead of dwelling on the .
