why does behaviour therapy work?

Question

I am doing psychotherapy atm and it’s about changing the destructive behaviours I do and replace them with something else.
TW – for example ; instead of selfharming I am supposed to eat something spicy or put effervescent Pulver in my mouth.

On the long run it’s supposed to make the feelings (that cause me to want to self harm) be more manageable- but why?
It’s not as if my brain knows the difference of if my behaviour is damaging long term or not, does it?
Why does it work for most people?

In: Other

Answer 1

Maybe it makes you focus on something else?