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you think about certain things, you can change how you
feel about them.
In CBT, patients try and understand why they think the way
they do. Then they practice how to react to those thoughts
in better ways. One patient might learn relaxation techniques
for when he feels a panic attack coming on. Someone with
GAD might learn to separate realistic worries from unrealistic
ones. Someone with a panic disorder, who constantly feels in
danger, might learn how to remind himself that those feelings
of danger are not real.
Most of the time, once a person learns which strategies
are helpful, she will then move on to what is called
exposure
therapy
. That’s where a patient is exposed to her fear in a
controlled situation. Someone who is afraid of flying might
Exposure therapy
helps people conquer
their fears in small
steps. For example,
someone with a fear
of flying might visit
an airport without
going anywhere, to
get used to the idea.