Royal College of Psychiatrists' Press Release: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Coping With Trauma; Two new factsheets from the revamped College website.

Two new factsheets are now available on the recently redesigned College website www.rcpsych.ac.uk

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/factsheets/pfaccog.asp discusses this well-researched psychological intervention - how it works, why it is used, problems that can arise and alternative treatments.
CBT is designed to help you to change how you think and what you do as a result.
Unlike many other talking treatments, it focuses on the 'here and now', and has been found to be helpful in treating anxiety, depression, panic, agoraphobia, social phobia, bulimia, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia.

The technique works by helping you to make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts. It encourages you to analyse how you thought about a given situation, how this affected what you felt and what you did as a result, and then to change the thoughts-feelings-behaviour 'feedback loop' next time a problem arises. For instance, you have had a bad day, feel fed up, and so go out shopping. As you walk down the road, someone you know walks by and apparently ignores you.
An unhelpful way of reacting could be to think, 'She ignored me - she doesn't like me', to feel rejected and sad, possibly lose energy or feel sick and to go home and avoid that person.

A helpful way of reacting, on the other hand, would be to think, 'She looked a bit preoccupied - I wonder if she's OK?', to feel concerned for the other person, not to have any physical symptoms and to get in touch with her to see if she is all right.

With the guidance of a CBT therapist you learn to turn an unhelpful 'feedback loop' between thoughts, feelings and behaviour into a helpful one.
Over time, CBT aims to get you to a point where you can work out your own way of tackling your problems by changing the way you interpret a situation, how you feel about it and how you react to it.

Coping with Trauma http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/trauma.asp is for people who have been through a very disturbing experience and want to understand more about how they are feeling; or for people who know someone who has experienced a trauma.

The factsheet explains the sequence of feelings immediately following a traumatic experience: shock, initial denial, followed later by fear, feelings of helplessness, anger, guilt, sadness, shame or embarrassment about strong feelings, relief and then hope.

Physical symptoms may include sleeplessness, tiredness, nightmares, memory problems, changes in appetite or libido, aches and pains and difficulty thinking clearly.

Guidance is given on what to do (give yourself time, ask for support, talk it over, take some time for yourself) and what not to do (don't bottle up feelings, don't drink or use drugs, don't make any major life changes).
The factsheet also offers advice on where to find professional help if needed.

Both CBT and Coping with Trauma include useful web links, references to research papers, suggestions for further reading and the contact details of useful organisations.

For copies of these and other factsheets or leaflets contact:
Leaflets Department, The Royal College of Psychiatrists,
17 Belgrave Square,
London SW1X 8PG.
E-mail: leaflets @rcpsych.ac.uk

Mr Thomas Kennedy
External Affairs
The Royal College of Psychiatrists
17 Belgrave Square
London SW1X 8PG

Tel: +44 (0)20 7235 2351 Extension: 154
Fax: +44 (0)20 7235 1935
E-mail: tkennedy@rcpsych.ac.uk
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk