Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) a Disease Masquerading as a Cure?

July 13, 2010 - PRLog -- Every year the use of antidepressants, antipsychotics and many other medications go up exponentially in an attempt to adjust or control one’s emotional state and behavior. As this trend continues NIMH and APA continue to support CBT as it continues to prove itself more ineffective than effective. Every year there are new stats on the number one cause of death. If you look closely at these stats the one cause of death in the United States is one’s own behavior. The billions spent each year to support CBT are in part convincing people that it is working all the way to their grave.

The January 2009 the New England Journal of Medicine noted that antipsychotic drugs doubled the risk of sudden cardiac death, while another study disclosed in March 2009 by Whang, et. al. found that antidepressant drugs also increase the rate of sudden cardiac death. If CBT worked why would there be a need to risk your life with a medication?

Children were the leading growth demographic for the pharmaceutical industry in 2009, with the increase of prescription drug use among youngsters nearly four times higher than in the overall population, according to a report by Medco Health Solutions Inc. Out of all the disturbing reports about our decline in behavioral health this one is the most disturbing.

Medco also stated that among the drugs that have experienced substantial gains in the pediatric population are atypical antipsychotics; traditionally used to treat schizophrenia, these drugs have more recently been prescribed for a variety of psychiatric disorders. The nine-year analysis revealed that the use of these treatments in children has doubled over that time period. While atypicals are still more prevalent among boys, the rate of growth (130 percent) was greatest in girls ages 10-19.

"Atypical antipsychotics are extremely powerful drugs that are being used far too commonly - especially in children - given their safety issues and side effects," said Dr. David Muzina, a specialist in mood disorders and national practice leader of the Medco Therapeutic Resource Center for Neuroscience.

"We're seeing them prescribed for a number of different conditions including depression and anxiety for which there is not good evidence that they are an effective treatment and yet we're exposing children to the possibility of extreme weight gain that could lead to a host of health problems including diabetes."

Questions of safety did have a major impact on curbing antidepressant use in young people, dropping about 23 percent since 2004 when the FDA issued its strongest safety warnings on the risk of suicidality in children using these medications.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZhPx-ZaEVs



Show Me the Data

CBT claims it is effective for depression with hundreds of studies yet finding one is almost impossible. If you do find one it is usually in a structure that includes complex convoluted math formulas that even those who specialize in CBT cannot explain. By its own definition CBT is an experimental, observational, subjective modality. In contrast a modality known as Subconscious Restructuring® has its studies readily available on its website with very straight forward numbers generated by the client, not the counselor, therapist or psychiatrist.

From 1996 to 2005 the use of antidepressants doubled and the use of psychotherapy went down. More than 164 million prescriptions were written in 2008 for antidepressants, totaling $9.6 billion in U.S. sales, according to IMS Health. Even if one’s worst subject is math it is not difficult to calculate whether CBT is working or not. By anyone’s definition if you do something that causes damage inflicts pain or convinces you to use a medication that may increase suicidal thoughts can be referred to as a disease. It is time to start questioning CBT and every other behavioral health modality that claims to be effective regardless of the billions the government spends to support it.

In our opinion  CBT is single handedly driving profit up every year for the pharmaceutical companies by causing the illusion that it is effective for issues like depression. The billions of dollars in government funding dispersed each year for CBT research in conjunction with the billions of dollars the pharmaceutical companies spend on advertising easily buys a perception that a disease is a cure.  The conspiracy theorists should have a great time with this one once they get off their medication.

Kelly Burris, PhD began development on SR® in 1984. SR® has been the only evidence-based program process in the behavioral health and life coach disciplines and the only proven process for depression since its introduction into psychiatric care in 1990. Please visit http://www.subconsciousrestructuring.com for counseling and certification in the SR® process.