All articles tagged with #behavioral therapy
Social anxiety affects up to 12% of people, often worsening during university due to isolation and self-focus. Experts advise breaking cycles of self-monitoring and safety behaviors through cognitive behavioral therapy and gradual exposure.
Data indicates nearly 30% of adults who quit vaping return to combustible cigarettes. Experts attribute this shift to the high potency of nicotine salts in e-cigarettes, which create severe withdrawal symptoms that standard cessation aids may not adequately address. Continuous indoor vaping also fosters a stronger behavioral habit than the defined breaks associated with smoking. Specialists recommend combining behavioral therapy with supervised nicotine tapering rather than swapping delivery methods.
Many people with Tourette syndrome suppress their tics for hours in social situations, a demanding practice that is not voluntary but can be harnessed therapeutically. Tic suppression is a cornerstone of treatments like comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT), which teaches recognizing pre-tic sensations and employing competing responses to reduce tic frequency. While suppression can be exhausting, clinical trials show it can strengthen self-regulation and lessen tic severity; public figures like Billie Eilish help reduce stigma and encourage earlier evaluation, highlighting the need for awareness and continued research into better treatments.
Experts warn that ADHD medications are being prescribed too early to preschool children in the US, often within a month of diagnosis, which can lead to increased side effects and treatment failure. Current guidelines recommend behavioral therapy first, but lack of access to such therapy is leading to quicker medication use.
A 31-year-old woman on dialysis in the UK developed pica, eating foam from her chair to try and absorb excess fluid due to kidney failure, highlighting an unusual and under-diagnosed behavior in renal patients. Her condition was managed through education, family involvement, and laxatives, with no evidence of nutritional deficiencies or psychosocial triggers.
Diabetes is projected to become the most expensive chronic condition in America, with a potential 700% increase in type 2 diabetes cases among people under 20 by 2060. The rising popularity of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) like Ozempic has contributed to the increasing costs of diabetes treatment. However, it is important to recognize that GLP-1s are not a cure-all and lifestyle changes remain crucial for effective diabetes management. Better Therapeutics has developed a smartphone-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) software called AspyreRx to address the behavioral and lifestyle-related root causes of diabetes. Clinical trials have shown that adding AspyreRx to GLP-1 treatment resulted in significant improvements in clinical outcomes, including reduced HbA1c levels and weight loss. Prescription digital therapeutics like AspyreRx have the potential to enhance access to healthcare and mitigate health disparities.