Our thoughts determine our behavior. Negative thinking can create a general feeling of negativity in an individual and also has a major influence on mood, reactions and outlook. Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is a psychological treatment that has been shown to be very effective for many types of emotional problems that affect an individual’s thinking and actions. A positive result can be created by changing thinking patterns and behavior. According to CBT, happiness comes with a healthy mind.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
By changing the way we think and behave, CBT is very useful in viewing certain situations in a way that can create a positive outcome. CBT has been tested and developed by numerous scientific studies that have already demonstrated its effectiveness. Cognitive behavioral therapy works for all kinds of problems:
- Addiction
- Fury
- Anxiety and panic disorders
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Relationship and social problems
CBT is designed to provide tools to help develop a targeted approach. This form of therapy uses the ABC approach which helps recognize and classify emotional problems that an individual may be dealing with:
- A: Event: Indicates the actual event that triggers emotions
- B: Thoughts: Specific thoughts that occur during a certain event (A)
- C: Feeling and behavior: Indicates the feelings and actions that result from certain thoughts (B)
Cognitive behavioral therapy allows you to understand that feeling that leads to a certain way of thinking, which in turn leads to a certain way of acting. The meaning you give to a certain event influences your personal reaction. CBT helps you understand that certain feelings are not caused by other people but because you have assigned meaning to the other person’s behavior that triggers feelings that emerge. Whatever meaning you assign to the people you interact with or to a particular event will arouse emotions and cause you to respond based on those emotions.
Positive events lead to positive feelings. Negative events lead to negative feelings. Perception plays an important role in what we experience as positive or negative. If our view of something is negative but not necessarily realistic or accurate, it can lead to feelings that will unnecessarily hinder us.
By looking at the relationship between our thoughts, feelings and behaviors and the thought patterns that lead to negative and even destructive actions, people can learn to direct their thoughts and change their thinking patterns which will lead to a positive way of coping. to go.
Learning to look at things differently
CBT therapists are very problem-oriented and goal-oriented, but you often have a lot of work to do in addition to the therapeutic sessions. Furthermore, people who participate in CBT sessions are also encouraged to monitor and write down thoughts that suddenly pop up in their minds, these are so-called automatic thoughts. This allows both patient and therapist to look for certain thought patterns that can lead to negative thoughts, negative feelings and self-destructive behavior.
When we process information in a biased way, we ignore information that is inconsistent with long-held beliefs. We only acknowledge information that fits within our own truths and beliefs. So when you absorb information that is consistent with negative thoughts, this negative thinking pattern will be reinforced. Some people do not have the mental space to process positive information. This often occurs in people who have difficulty accepting compliments.
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people change the way they think about certain things so that they can recognize their own positive points. change things so that a person can recognize their own good points. A negative thought pattern will disrupt positive experiences and the recognition of positive qualities.
CBT teaches people to look at things in a less negative way by changing their negative thinking patterns. CBT also uses practical everyday habits such as improvements in work and sleep habits to help people cope with depression or bipolar disorder. This helps individuals identify challenges and replaces negative thinking that is unhelpful and counterproductive.