What is one of the goals of CBT specifically designed for anxiety?

One of the primary goals of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) specifically tailored for anxiety is to help individuals recognize and understand anxiety as an alarm mechanism. This approach facilitates insight into how anxiety functions as a natural response to perceived threats or dangers. By understanding anxiety in this way, clients can learn to differentiate between helpful and unhelpful anxiety reactions, enabling them to manage their symptoms more effectively.

Recognizing anxiety as an alarm allows individuals to explore the underlying thoughts and beliefs that contribute to their anxiety, fostering a healthier and more balanced approach to dealing with various situations. This awareness can lead to the development of coping strategies and techniques to approach anxiety-provoking situations with a better understanding, rather than simply reacting to anxiety without insight.

In contrast, focusing on physical hyper vigilance, minimizing exposure to feared situations, or enhancing avoidance behaviors does not address the root understanding of anxiety and may not lead to effective long-term management of anxiety symptoms. Instead, these approaches could reinforce maladaptive patterns that CBT aims to change.