Cognitive Behavorial Therapy -- Low Tech Care for Mental Health

In a recent article from Money Magazine, posted on CNN, writer Patricia B. Gray, reports on a study which found that 50% of psychiatrists now use cognitive behavorial therapy (CT) in their practice.

Turns out it is effective in treating a number of conditions including including depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessions, compulsions and addictions.

The article says that patients can get better in 16 sessions with a cost of about $50-$185 per hour with much covered by insurance. The author calculates that a rate of 80% for each $100 session the patient would pay about $320 to get better! That compares very favorable to those people using drug therapies which could reach $ 40-$50 per month for years.

And a study from the The American Journal of Psychiatry showed that people with mild to moderate depression improved with CT. The author cites another study that found CT to be much more effective than a drug commonly used to treat insomnia in older adults.

Including in CT are relaxation and breathing exercises.