Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Beginners: How To Use CBT To Overcome Anxieties, Phobias, Addictions, Depression, Negative Thoughts, And Other Problematic Disorders by Madison Taylor

Author:Madison Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Make Profits Easy LLC
Published: 2016-09-20T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter V: Realistic and Healthy Thinking

The negative thought patterns that we covered in the previous chapter are not helpful or realistic. Instead of helping you feel better and find solutions to your problems, they instead drag you into a whirlpool of negativity and misery. Realistic, positive, and solution-oriented thoughts are more helpful in handling life. They will uplift you and allow you to find ideal solutions.

When you find out what your negative thoughts are in your journal or in your workbook, you can start to change them. Convert all negative thoughts to more positive ones. When I say positive, I am not just referring to happy thinking. I am referring to helpful thinking. Think thoughts that help you find solutions, rather than thoughts that hurt you. Solutions will help you feel better as you begin to improve your life’s situations.

Here are some examples of positive alternatives to negative thoughts.

Assuming

Convert assumptions to thinking, “I don’t know this for sure. Maybe I should verify this belief I have before I act on it?” It is best to take a deep breath when you start to get worked up over assumptions. Do not obsess and feel hurt over things that you simply assume.

Assumptions are easy to believe because they have some level of likelihood. It is possible that your assumptions are correct. But you should not base too much emotion or energy on your assumptions. If your assumptions do prove to be true, focus on how to handle the situation.

All-or-nothing thinking

Start to see life in shades of gray. Things are so rarely black and white. Things may not be as extreme as you think. Removing the extremity from situations can result in less anxiety and a clearer mind. You stop overreacting and you start to calm down with the understanding that life is not so bad. You also stop thinking that everything will be perfect, a belief which is bound to let you down.

Research has shown that depressed people generally get happier more easily. It does not take much to make a depressed person bounce up from a low mood. Therefore, depressed people can experience a great deal of ups and downs. They feel amazing and crash down to feeling horrible. Balanced emotions are far healthier. Try to approach things with a balance perspective. Accept that there will be bad along with the good and vice versa.

Also try adding some calmness to your life. Relaxation exercises can be a good step. Relax and scale back on the emotional extremism that you are used to.

Dwelling on Pain

Think of the good things in life. Think of what makes you feel good. You can also engage in some type of pleasure-giving opportunity. But you do not need to drown in your pain because there are many better emotions that you can feel. Dwelling is not the way to feel better. Consider bereavement counseling.

Overgeneralizing

Consider that this time things might be different. Not everything in life is the same. You may have just found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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