Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Your Thoughts

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective method for helping clients to change their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The therapy is used in treatments for various mental health conditions, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and depression.

The Thought-Emotions-Behavior Cycle

The thought-emotions-behavior cycle, also known as the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) triangle, shows the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and how they influence each other.

For example, if you have a thought that makes you angry, you may lash out at others in response to this emotion. That is one direction of the triangle. However, your behaviors can also influence your own emotions and thoughts.

Perhaps you procrastinate on starting your workload for the week. By Wednesday, you feel depressed and anxious. Your thoughts sound like, “I never measure up. I can’t do this. Why do they give me so much responsibility? I’m not up to it.” These thoughts are based on the original action (or inaction) of procrastination. Each component of the triangle feeds the others.

Reframing Your Thoughts

Often, all actions begin with a thought, even a subconscious thought. You can control your thoughts if you can identify the ones troubling you. We have thousands of thoughts that run through our minds daily. You will need to learn how to identify and analyze the thoughts behind your emotions and behaviors.

Identifying and changing emotions is much more complicated if you do not change your thoughts or behaviors first. No matter how many times people tell you to stop feeling depressed or sad, you cannot do it unless the thoughts or behaviors change first.

A counselor can guide you in reframing your thoughts. This is not adopting a positive mindset and believing everything is fine. Sometimes, the first step is reaching a neutral mindset about a situation. For example, if you suffer from Body Dysmorphia Disorder, you may hate the way your legs look. Instead of continuing to think negatively about your legs, you can turn those thoughts neutral. You could say, “My legs are strong and carry me through my busy day.”

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is another method that can be seen alongside CBT. With DBT, you could take the above example and change the sentence using the words ‘and’ and ‘but’.

For example, if you think, “I should work my upper body more, but my legs are so big, and I don’t have the extra time,” you could change the wording, mainly but for and: I want to work my upper body more, and my legs are strong, and I don’t have a lot of extra time. Now, you can accept where you are (limited time, strong legs) and clarify the goal (find ways to work the upper body more). You are changing the emotion to a neutral feeling.

Practice New Behaviors

Behaviors are the actions everyone sees. You can hide your thoughts and emotions, but eventually, everyone will witness your actions. Even the things you do in secret will find their way to the light. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy changes these behaviors from harmful to beneficial.

For example, if you self-harm by cutting yourself when upset, your counselor may suggest other actions. Your counselor may recommend taking a bath, going for a walk, listening to music, playing a video game, or calling a friend.

Suppose you have a particular time when the impulse to self-harm is at its highest. In that case, the counselor may suggest that you make the new behavior part of your routine, creating a good habit, such as taking a brisk walk at lunchtime before the daily staff meeting.

List new behaviors you can try instead of the ones you usually do. If you struggle with anger, list items such as walking away, praying for peace, or calling a friend. If your behavior is a regular occurrence, what can you do differently? How can you make this new behavior a habit in your daily routine?

Finding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Near You

If you feel that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is right for you, don’t hesitate to contact our office. A representative will connect you to a counselor skilled in CBT and DBT. Both therapies take practice, and the more you work on your thoughts and behaviors, the more you notice a shift in your emotions. Remember, help is available.

Your counselor will assess you and create a care plan with multiple strategies to get you started. Remember, you are an active participant in this process. You can change the way you think and feel. Give us a call today.