Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Unhelpful Thinking Habits

The following are examples of unhelpful thinking habits that individuals can develop over time and which can cause anxiety and depression. CBT can be used to ease the distress caused by unhelpful thinking habits

>All or Nothing Thinking
Thinking in extremes. For example thinking something is 100% good or bad.

>Catastrophizing
Jumping to the worst possible conclusions.

>Over Generalising
Seeing a pattern based upon a single event.

>Mental Filter
Only paying attention to certain evidence and discounting information that doesn't fit your narrative

>Disqualifying the Positive
Discounting positive information and turning a positive into a negative.

>Jumping to Conclusions
Mind reading or predicting the future.

>Low Frustration Tolerance
Saying things like ‘this is impossible’ or ‘I can’t stand it’.

>Minimisation
Ignoring the importance of something.

>Emotional Reasoning
Assuming that because we feel a certain way our hunch must be true.

>Demands
Using words like ‘should’, ‘must’ and ‘ought’.

>Labelling
Assigning labels to ourselves or others, such as ‘I’m rubbish’.

>Personalisation
Taking too much or too little responsibility.

With aspects of cognitive behavioural therapy, you will be taught strategies to help you cope with stressful/painful situations. There will be an emphasis on learning to gain insight from linking thoughts (cognitions), emotions (feelings) and behaviours (what we do). Change occurs when we learn to challenge and change some of the beliefs or assumptions that appear to be holding us back and limiting our growth. Challenging our thoughts will be supported by behavioural changes that allow us to accumulate evidence to support our new more productive, supportive and objective assumptions and beliefs.

One of the challenges with CBT is learning to interpret our own emotions and physical reactions to events and internal thoughts. This is often quite unconscious to us and requires patience and practice to develop. Many CBT psychologist call these hard to capture thoughts/cognitions, automatic negative thoughts (NATs) or sometimes, preconscious thoughts. Gaining an understanding of these NATs can give us opportunities to amend them when related to clearly faulty rationale.

For more information on how CBT can help with anxiety, depression and unhelpful thinking habits contact us by clicking on the button below.