cbttherapy

CBT in a Nutshell
By Laura L Reed MFC45650

We have core beliefs that we gained from childhood and life experiences that influence how we see the world, people and ourselves. They are not facts but opinions and viewpoints, are negative in nature, maladaptive, unhelpful, and emotion laden thoughts. These are harmful to our wellbeing and become a habit. These thoughts are called automatic thoughts, also known as cognitive distortions or thought distortions.

We can change the way we feel by changing our thoughts / what we say to ourselves and by also changing our pattern behaviors. For example, if we are prone to withdraw from others and isolate, the answer is to become social, do something socially interactive, seek support. By engaging socially, the feeling of loneliness will not be supported and will not result in further thoughts like "I’m all alone" or "No one is ever there for me" or "No one cares".

To change these maladaptive patterns of thinking, it is important to be aware of them. We then will evaluate if there is the presence of a cognitive distortion to challenge that type of irrational thinking. We replace that negative thought with something more realistic or factual, even if we do not believe it. Do try to pick something that you can believe. Here is an example of a positive affirmation "I have the ability to make good choices" and “There are resources available to help me change my situation”. Do a Google search of positive affirmations. You can never have too many.