Rohan, 24, a bank employee in Pune, has sudden attacks of a racing heart and fear in crowded local trains. His therapist draws up a plan with three parts. Rohan learns to breathe slowly and to loosen his muscles one group at a time. He also writes down the frightening thoughts that come during an attack, questions them with the therapist, and practises travelling one station at a time. With his consent, his manager shifts his office hours so that he can travel when the trains are less crowded.
According to the rationale of the therapy Rohan is receiving, the breathing and muscle-loosening part of his plan addresses which realm of his distress?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The biological realm
Option (1) The biological realm — Correct. Rohan's plan is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), which sees distress as coming from the biological, psychological and social realms. Relaxation procedures such as slow breathing and loosening muscles address the biological realm, the body's tension and racing heart.
Option (2) The psychological realm — Incorrect. The psychological realm is handled through behaviour therapy and cognitive therapy techniques. In Rohan's plan, that is the work on his frightening thoughts and the step-by-step travel practice.
Option (3) The social realm — Incorrect. The social realm is addressed through environmental manipulations. Here, that is the change in his office hours.
Option (4) The spiritual realm — Incorrect. The spiritual side of existence belongs to Frankl's logotherapy, where anxiety of spiritual origin is treated through meaning making.
NCERT (2026-27): “Cognitive Behaviour Therapy … |