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| blogs.psychcentral.com |
Many people are in the habit of
thinking negatively, but this habit can be altered. Diminishing negative
thinking takes a willingness to question old, unhelpful, inaccurate ideas, and
practice new, more helpful, accurate ones. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
(REBT) and Cognitive Therapy , the two main foundations for cognitive-behavioral
therapy, provide detailed explanations about the influence of overly negative
thinking, as well as strategies for change.
REBT, developed by Albert Ellis,
identifies 4 main types of irrational beliefs that all humans hold. These
irrational beliefs generate extreme negative emotions and lead to more harmful
behaviors. People do better when they challenge their irrational beliefs and
develop more rational thinking (see chart ).
Cognitive therapy, founded by Aaron
Beck, also holds that all people regularly make “thinking mistakes” known as
cognitive distortions. Sticking with distorted thinking tends to make feelings
worse; developing more realistic, balanced thinking tends to improve emotions
and problem-solving. Here are some of the common thinking mistakes identified
(source: Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond by Judith Beck), with examples
and alternatives:
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Irrational Beliefs(lead to anxiety, panic, anger, rage, fury, and depression with less
effective problem-solving)
Demandingness
I should not have anxiety. The world should
be fair and easy.
Global Self/Other Ratings
I'm no good.
He's a jerk.
Low Frustration Tolerance Because I don't like this, I can't stand it.
Awfulizing
Because I don't like feeling anxious, that
means it's awful, terrible, and horrible.
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Rational Alternatives(lead to concern, irritation, sadness, or disappointment,
with more effective problem-solving)
Preferences
I wish I didn't have to struggle with
anxiety, but I can face it. I wish the world were fair and easy, but it
doesn't have to be.
Behavior Ratings (Not Judging the Worth of a Person
I made a bad decision; I'm not bad. He
behaved poorly during our talk.
Improved Frustration Tolerance
I don't like this, but I can stand
it.
De-awfulizing
Dealing with anxiety is a nuisance, but not horrible or awful.
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All-or-Nothing Thinking: You see things in only two categories (good/bad,
right/wrong, anxious/not anxious) without considering that there are “gray
areas” or “in-betweens.”
Being anxious means being miserable vs. Being anxious is inconvenient.
Catastrophizing:
You assume that the worst will happen without realizing that other, less
upsetting outcomes might be more likely.
I'll never learn to manage my fears vs. I can learn to manage my fears if
I work at it.
Emotional Reasoning: You think something is true just because you feel it is true (this is
actually a very strong belief that you hold and you're sure you're right even
if there is no evidence for your belief).
I know he's going to break up with me vs. He's told me he's very happy
with me. There's no evidence that he wants to break up at this time.
Mind-Reading:
You assume you know what someone else is thinking even without them telling
you.
They think I'm a loser vs. I have no way of knowing what they're
thinking.
Personalization:
You think you are the reason that something bad happened or someone reacted
negatively without taking other more likely explanations into account.
He didn't say hello because I've upset him in some way vs. He didn't say
hello because he was distracted by his work.
Should/Must Statements: You have a “demand” for how things should be (e.g., your
behavior, someone else's behavior) and you exaggerate how bad it is if things
don't go the way you expect them to.
I shouldn't be this anxious—it's awful vs. Feeling anxious is often a
hassle, but I can still enjoy my life.
Source: The Anxiety Answer Book by: Laurie A. Helgoe, PhD, Laura R. Wilhelm, PhD, Martin J. Kommor, MD
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