Utilizing Cognitive Behavior Treatment for Suicidal Individuals

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Suicide rates have continued to increase over the years. Many individuals with suicidal tendencies are encouraged to visit a mental health professional to cope with their recurring thoughts. 

Cognitive behavior treatment effectively treats suicidal tendencies and has been used as the first line of treatment for many years. 

Psychologists often use cognitive behavior treatment to help individuals deal with suicidal ideation, which usually forms due to mental health illnesses like depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia. 

Let us explore how cognitive behavior therapy can be utilized to help individuals overcome suicidal ideation. 

What Is Cognitive Behavior Treatment? 

Also known as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), it is a form of psychotherapeutic treatment that allows individuals to identify the recurring thought patterns that are causing them to consider suicide and change their response to them. 

CBT focuses exclusively on changing the negative and often automatic thoughts that contribute to worsening symptoms of suicide, depression, and anxiety. 

These thoughts can cause a lot of damage and cause individuals to lose their mental edge, negatively impacting their daily mood. 

The thoughts are identified, questioned, and substituted with more helpful and practical thoughts to help people deal with suicidal tendencies. 

Types of CBT 

CBT has a range of techniques and methods that mental health professionals can utilize to produce significant results from which patients or individuals can benefit. 

Some of the types of CBT include cognitive therapy, multimodal therapy, and rational emotive behavior therapy. 

Cognitive therapy often involves helping individuals isolate the thought pattern that arises from certain triggers and helps them overcome distorted thinking by questioning its validity. 

Individuals can thus change emotions and behaviors resulting from such thoughts once they identify and predict the thought patterns, allowing them to change their response. 

Multimodal therapy is based on the premise that psychological conditions can be treated by targeting certain modalities, including behavior, affect, sensation, and others. 

Psychologists or psychotherapists engage in talk therapy to help individuals sort through their thoughts and emotions so as to isolate the root cause of their issues. 

Rational emotive behavior therapy isolates inner beliefs that create certain thoughts and effectively challenges them to make long-lasting changes. 

As you can see, there are various approaches psychologists can take to address recurring thought patterns that may be causing significant psychological distress. 

Suicide is trickier to deal with because it is very serious and patients are often volatile and have given up on the possibility that anything can work to help them. 

More Life Recovery Center allows individuals to get the best treatment for their mental illness. 

CBT Techniques 

CBT is not just involved in helping individuals identify thought patterns but also to come up with strategies that help them overcome their issues. 

Common techniques involve journaling, progressive relaxation, and mental distractions. 

First, individuals must identify their negative thought patterns, which can be difficult for people who find self-reflection challenging. 

This is the initial stage that allows individuals to gain insights into their problems and begin the process of healing or changing their beliefs. 

Suicidal people are then taught certain coping strategies to put into action when suicidal tendencies arise in response to triggers. 

Practical application is a must, and the psychologist helps them change their responses by focusing on a new way of reacting to the environment and triggers. 

Professionals must ensure that they do not re-traumatize their clients or patient by making them think about their triggers. 

Therapists may also help individuals set goals to help them devise improvement milestones, which can serve as important feedback that they are taking steps towards improvement. 

Problem-solving skills are also taught to suicidal individuals who often feel overwhelmed by their problems, leading to agitation, worry, and failure to take appropriate action. 

CBT is not just limited to suicidal tendencies but is effective in treating minor problems that negatively impact a person’s mental health. 

The main steps involve isolating the problem, creating solutions, assessing the pros and cons of each solution, picking the right solution, and then implementing it. 

Self-monitoring is also a step in the process that allows individuals to track their behaviors and symptoms to relay this information to their therapist in order to track progress. 

Initially, the therapist is getting to know the client, which can take time, so it’s important to stick with the process and give your therapist the benefit of doubt before deciding that therapy isn’t working. 

Final Verdict 

CBT is very effective at treating suicidal tendencies in individuals, and it is a well-researched method that has been producing significant results for years. 

Many people who take their mental health seriously often see results after attempting to make a change and conversing with their therapist about any changes or updates. To know more you can contact More Life Recovery Center or call 1 (888) 825-8689 to speak to our recovery specialists. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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