Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Thinking Errors Part II[1]

 As we mentioned in the previous episode, thinking errors are the thought patterns that we have that are not healthy and do not serve us.  In this episode, we will go over the thinking errors and some quick strategies to overcome them.  There are 12 destructive thought patterns in all and we will talk about four of them over the next couple of episodes.  We covered the first four last blog, so we will now move on to the next four.

Emotional Reading:  You need to remind yourself that feelings are not facts.  Relying too heavily on your feelings as a guide leads you off the reality path.  As a rule of thumb, it pays to be somewhat skeptical about the validity of your feelings in the first place.  Your feelings can be misleading.  As few strategies to help are:

• Take notice of your thought;
• Ask yourself how you'd view the situation if you were feeling calmer;
• Give yourself time to allow your feelings to subside;
• If you can't find any other obvious source of your unpleasant feelings – overlook them.

The problem with viewing your feelings as factual is that you stop looking for contradictory information – or for any additional information at all.

Balance your emotions with looking at actual facts that support the contradictory view.

Over Generalizing: Avoiding the part/whole error.  This is the thinking of nothing ever goes right for me, or this always happens to me.  Situations are rarely so stark or extreme that they merit terms like "always" or "never."  Some strategies for this type of thinking are:

• Get a little perspective;
• Suspend judgment;
• Be specific.

Labeling:  Give up the rating game.  For example, someone with low self-esteem may label themselves as inferior, worthless or inadequate. Try to avoid labeling yourself, other people or the world around you.  Some strategies to tackle this are:

• Allow for varying degrees;
• Celebrate complexities.

When you label a person or aspect of the world in a global way, you exclude potential for change and improvement.  Accepting yourself as you are is a powerful first step towards self-improvement.

Making Demands:  Think flexibly.  Thoughts and beliefs that contain words like "must" "should" "need" "ought" "got to" and "have to" are often problematic because they are extreme and rigid.  The inflexibility of the demands you place on yourself, the world around you and other people often means you don't adapt to reality.

You believe you need the approval of your friends and colleagues and this leads to anxiety.  You think if you are a certain way that others ought to be the same way.  And you also believe that you should never let people down.  This leads to depression.  Some strategies for this type of thinking are:

• Pay attention to language (replace must, need and should with prefer, wish and want);
• Limit approval seeking;
• Understand the world doesn't play to your rules;
• Retain your standards, ideals and preferences, and ditch your rigid demands about how you, others and the world "have to" be.

When you hold rigid demands about the way thinks "gave got to be," you have no margin for deviation or error.  You leave yourself vulnerable to experiencing exaggerated emotional disturbance when things in life just don't go your way.

[1] Personal Development All-In-One for Dummies