Anxiety FAQ - Frequently asked questions about anxiety and CBT

A panic attack can be calmed within about 5 minutes using breathing techniques (cardiac coherence 3-6-5), sensory grounding (naming 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch...) and cognitive defusion. The key is not to fight the attack but to accept it while activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a scientifically validated therapeutic approach that works on the link between thoughts, emotions and behaviors. It helps identify dysfunctional thought patterns and replace them with more adaptive ones, through concrete, step-by-step exercises.

Rumination is a repetitive process in which the mind loops over the same negative thoughts. CBT offers effective techniques: cognitive defusion (stepping back from your thoughts), scheduling engaging activities and mindfulness. The goal is not to suppress thoughts but to change your relationship with them.

Stress triggers insomnia, which in turn increases stress: this is a well-known vicious cycle in CBT. Sleep restriction techniques, sleep hygiene and progressive relaxation break this cycle. It is essential to avoid screens before bedtime and to keep regular hours.

Burnout is an exhaustion tied to a specific context (work, a relationship), whereas depression is a generalized mood disorder. Burnout develops through 12 stages according to Freudenberger and can lead to depression if left unaddressed. Both require professional support.

CBT treats phobias through gradual exposure and cognitive restructuring. The patient is gradually led to confront the object of their phobia, starting with low-anxiety situations. This approach breaks the avoidance-anxiety cycle that maintains the phobia.

Procrastination is not laziness: it is often an avoidance strategy linked to performance anxiety or fear of failure. By avoiding the task, you relieve anxiety temporarily, but you create additional stress. CBT helps deconstruct this mechanism through task-splitting techniques and the management of automatic thoughts.

Impostor syndrome is the persistent conviction of not deserving one's successes and the fear of being "found out". It particularly affects perfectionist, high-achieving people. CBT helps identify the underlying cognitive distortions (minimizing successes, generalizing failures) and replace them with a more realistic assessment of one's skills.

Cognitive distortions are automatic thinking biases that distort reality. The most common are: all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, the negative mental filter, disqualifying the positive, jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing and emotional reasoning. Identifying them is the first step toward correcting them.

OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) is characterized by recurring intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety (compulsions). If these thoughts and rituals take up more than an hour a day or significantly affect your daily life, it is important to seek help. CBT is the first-line treatment for OCD.

Numerous studies show that online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for most anxiety and depressive disorders. It offers significant flexibility and removes geographical barriers. The therapeutic alliance is built in the same way through a screen.

Seek help when anxiety becomes disabling: frequent panic attacks, avoidance of everyday situations, persistent insomnia, an impact on work or relationships, or when you feel your own strategies are no longer enough. The earlier the care, the more effective it is.

Cognitive restructuring involves identifying negative automatic thoughts, assessing their validity (evidence for and against) and replacing them with more balanced alternative thoughts. It is a daily exercise that, with practice, becomes a natural reflex of questioning your own biases.

Panic disorder is characterized by sudden, intense panic attacks accompanied by the fear of having another. This fear of fear maintains the disorder. The CBT protocol combines psychoeducation, breathing techniques, interoceptive exposure (deliberately reproducing panic sensations) and cognitive restructuring.