Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Brilliant Business) by Stephen Briers

Author:Stephen Briers [Briers, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781292083940
Publisher: Pearson Education Limited
Published: 2015-01-13T23:00:00+00:00

A bleak, negative view of other people and the world in general ‘People always let you down.’

‘The world is a vicious place.’

‘Everyone’s out for themselves.’

A pessimistic outlook on the future ‘Nothing good lasts for long.’

‘There’s no point trying – I will only fail.’

Maintaining factors in depression

In order to maintain these depressive assumptions, depressed people tend to use a broad repertoire of characteristic cognitive distortions including polarised thinking, filtering, personalisation and generalisation (see Chapter 3 for details).

When explaining negative events depressed people tend to hold themselves responsible – even when they are not necessarily to blame. Any mistakes they do make are magnified and taken as examples of engrained character flaws rather than a function of particular circumstances. Needless to say they see little hope that the situation will improve.

As in Duncan’s case the behaviour of depressed people only tends to reinforce the cycle of negative thinking. Because depressed people tend to become withdrawn and lethargic, they often make themselves feel worse. By behaving in this way they no longer provide themselves with experiences and opportunities that might challenge their sense of helplessness and worthlessness.

Moreover their passivity provides ample opportunity for depressed people to reflect on their shortcomings and reinforce their pessimistic thinking style. Compulsive rumination – endlessly going over the same problem-saturated scenarios – is a key characteristic of such individuals.

Taking things easy when you feel this fragile seems at face value like a sensible thing to do, but as they withdraw from everyday routines depressed people unwittingly confirm how badly they are coping with life. As a brilliant student of CBT, you will already have recognised that this is actually a classic safety behaviour, and like most safety behaviours it spells trouble.

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