Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies

Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (CBTs) are brief, scientifically validated therapies that deal with interactions between thoughts, emotions and behaviors. These therapies focus on a person's current problems, while taking into account their historical causes. They help to gradually overcome disabling symptoms and aim to reinforce appropriate behaviors.
CBTs are based on different techniques that help patients identify the mechanisms that cause their difficulties, experiment with new behaviors and thus gradually break out of vicious circles that perpetuate and aggravate mental suffering. They help the person to better understand the negative thought patterns that lead to inappropriate behaviors, such as addiction, that can cause psychological distress.
And addictions
How do you become a smoker?
According to the CBT model, we learn to smoke. Indeed, smoking is a behavior acquired in line with three principles: social learning, classical conditioning learning and operative conditioning learning.
Social learning
Classical conditioning learning
Operative conditioning learning
Head on the motivation cards
This theory developed by psychologist Albert Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing and imitating the behaviors, attitudes and emotions of others. The majority of our actions is therefore inspired by our experiences acquired through other people.
As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon to hear that a person has started to smoke encouraged by relatives or simply to do "like everyone else ".
Motivation card design
This learning, described and theorized by Ivan Pavlov, explains the circumstances that trigger a desire. In conventional conditioning, a stimulus triggers the response of an organism. Thus, a person who has learned to smoke during breaks at work can easily associate his envy with the fact of seeing his colleague leave the office, for example.
Motivation card illustration
Developed by B. F. Skinner, this model emphasizes that our behaviors are influenced by their consequences. Thus, the frequency with which a person smokes will depend on the effects of smoking on that individual.
Depending on the intensity of the pleasure or soothing felt after smoking, in the short and long term, the person will smoke more or less. If smoking has been associated with very pleasant situations (informal sharing with colleagues, taking work breaks, reducing stress), the likelihood of continuing to smoke increases, even outside pleasant circumstances.
Smoking is thus a behavior that can be learnt through different types of learnings. People who smoke often doubt their ability to change their habits and sometimes do not believe in the harmful effects of smoking.
These thoughts and beliefs drive the person to maintain this smoking behavior.
There are different types of thoughts, which are organized into "triads":
Oneself, others and the future. These thoughts are equally divided according to the stages of unwanted behavior:
Before smoking
"I'm going to smoke to be more awake at work" or "I did a good job so I deserve a cigarette".
While smoking
"Smoking is the only way to decompress"
After smoking
"I have no will, I'm addicted and I'll never be able to quit"
How do you become a non-smoker again?
In concrete terms, CBTs teach strategies to deal with the urge to smoke (strategies of avoidance, replacement, repulsion, etc.).
Stimulus control strategies are oriented towards regaining control for a person who has quit smoking in situations where he is less likely to succeed, such as the following examples:
The avoidance strategy
The replacement strategy
The search for alternative thoughts
The repulsion strategy
Robot illustration
A person can avoid situations with a high risk of relapse by going to places where he can control his desires.
At work, for example, he may plan an indoor break with colleagues, get some fresh air in 100% smoke-free places or be careful not to have any cigarettes in his bag or pockets.
Illustration green motivation card
Finding alternative behaviors, which have the same role as a cigarette before. If the smoked cigarette was a symbol of a reward after a long day of work, the person can use a replacement strategy, as it is important that he continues to please himself for all his efforts !
For example if the cigarette had a relaxing effect on the person, breathing techniques may be a good alternative.
Illustration pink motivation card
Form of alternative strategy, thoughts in general are the driving force that make it easier to take action and maintain habits in the most difficult moments. The important thing is to recognize these automatic thoughts and to look for alternatives.
For example, in case of a permissive thought, the person may say to himself: "I worked well, so I’ll eat an apple. ". For a comforting thought: "I need to relax, I'm going to call a friend. "I will go to bed earlier to be more fit at work tomorrow. ".
CBT illustration
If another alternative behavior is not conceivable, it is possible to adopt a repulsion strategy. This one consists in keeping the action that the person wants to change but postponing it until later. The objective is not to automatically succumb to strong sensations, especially during withdrawal, to allow oneself time to become aware of these unpleasant sensations which are only temporary and to remember one's objectives.
For example, following a strong desire to smoke, the person can give himself 15 minutes to evaluate what to do next. Either the craving passes, or he smokes 15 minutes later. In both cases, the individual will have won a new battle.
In the application
Smiling ball
CBTs are one of the only non-medicinal approaches whose effectiveness has been scientifically proven, and that is why Kwit is entirely based on its principles.
Kwit is caring and motivating
Kwit aims to provide daily support to its users, always with kindness and positive motivation in their smoking cessation.
The user can count on this application to become a real partner; during times of distress or demotivation, the former smoker only has to shake his smartphone to receive a motivational message designed to restore his self-confidence, make him feel better and help him resist his potential cravings to smoke.
Screenshot of a kindly sentence
Kwit supports superheroes
In addition, Kwit accepts that a former smoker may go through periods of weakness and relapse. In that respect, the application encourages him to analyze the factors and emotions that triggered this intense desire in his "diary"
Acceptance of relapse thus enables the user to learn to understand and therefore over time to control his desires with his own strategies, and to adopt a behavior of which he can be proud. Kwit helps the user defend the idea that a relapse is not a failure and that he has, despite this misstep, the ability to take control of himself to achieve his goal.
Screenshot of a diary
Kwit gives them energy
Kwit is a faithful companion that invites its user to believe in himself. This self-confidence also includes unlocking successes as the Kwitter progresses through withdrawal.
He is thus valued and keeps a concrete track of his achievements, which he does not necessarily become aware of without the app. Seeing the progress on this path to a smoke-free life gives a lot of energy, and strengthens the will of the Kwitter.
Screenshot of a success card
Kwit highlights the benefits of quitting
Throughout these successes, the improvement in health and well-being, the money and time saved, as well as the number of smokeless cigarettes or the actual decrease in the level of carbon in the blood are visible.
All these indicators raise awareness and prove to the user that he is becoming the person he wants to be, by quitting smoking.
Screenshot of the dashboard