Challenging Cognitive Distortions and unhelpful ways of thinking

Challenging our unhelpful thoughts

Thoughts arent facts

Thoughts can be upsetting because we typically take our own thoughts as the truth. One of the crucial first steps in recovery is learning to recognise that such thoughts might be true, but are not necessarily so. Some thoughts are opinions, not facts, and like all opinions they can sometimes be mistaken.

Identifying Hot Thoughts

Whenever we experience an emotion there is a thought connected to it which helps to define the emotion. Hot thoughts are the automatic thoughts that are most charged with emotion and can be identified by the highest belief rating in your thought diary. They can also be persistent thoughts. Therefore they are the thoughts that are important to identify, examine and change in order to feel better.

Challenging Thoughts

Once we have identified our hot thoughts, we then need to challenge and revise these thoughts. The aim of thought challenging is to look at our thoughts logically. We are looking to reduce our belief in unhelpful thoughts.

Cognitive restructuring focuses on challenging unhelpful thoughts and finding alternative balanced thoughts that are more accurate. We are looking to change our thoughts to realistic, more helpful thoughts. We are not asking you to simply ‘think positively.

Step 1

Identify a hot thought you need to work on. Focus on one unhelpful hot thought at a time.

Step 2

Act as if you are in a courtroom, recording factual evidence. Record all of the evidence that supports this thought.

Step 3

Now list the evidence against the hot thought.

The following questions can help you with this process:

• Is there anything to suggest that this thought is not 100% true?

• If someone I trust had a similar thought to the thought I am having, what would I say to them? What evidence would I get them to look at?

• If I was feeling better, would I think about this type of situation differently? How?

• In the past if I had a similar thought, what would I think about that would help me to feel better?

• Are you falling into an unhelpful thinking style? Remind yourself of these.

• Are you overestimating the likelihood of danger or overestimating the likelihood of a bad outcome?

• Are there any small things that go against my thoughts?

• Are there any positive things about me or the situation that I am ignoring at the moment?

• Am I making any assumptions?

• What are the other ways of viewing the situation? What else might happen?

• Are you underestimating your ability to cope? Have you coped in a similar situation before?

• Am I blaming myself for something that I do not have any control over?

• In five years, if I looked back at this situation, what would I think? Would I look at the situation in the same way?

• If a close friend knew I was thinking this thought, how would they react? What would they think? What evidence would they look at that would suggest that my thoughts are not 100% true?

Step 4

Revise thoughts. Look at the evidence for and against your thought. Create a balanced alternative thought that takes into consideration both sides of the argument.

Why do we revise the thought?

We look for alternative views for our negative thoughts because our thoughts and beliefs are a POSSIBLE way of viewing a situation, but often not the ONLY way. Looking at the evidence for and against your hot thought, what would be a fairer way of viewing the situation?

Example: Someone who felt worthless would not want to revise their thought so that they thought they were the most worthy person in the world. A fair, balanced thought might be that they are worth a lot to family and friends and the people that know them.

Revised balanced thoughts

Old patterns of thinking are like bad habits, and tend to come back again and again. It is easy to slip back into your biased ways of thinking. You can help yourself to break these old habits by making flashcards that help you to develop new habits. Flashcards are small reminders of new ways of thinking that you can carry around with you. You can keep them in your purse, wallet or pocket, or anywhere where they are close to hand.

Example:

Unhelpful thought: I always make a fool of myself

Helpful alternative: I have handled things okay many times before

Example:

Unhelpful thought: They think Im not worth having around

Helpful alternative: I know I have something worthwhile to contribute

Challenging Thoughts

1. Identify your negative thoughts.

2. Challenge them using the questions to help you identify evidence for and against.

3. Come up with alternative more balanced thoughts.

Adapted from:
Brosan, L. and Hogan, H. (2007) An Introduction to Coping with Depression. London: Constable and Robinson Ltd.
Gilbert, P. (2009). Overcoming Depression. London: Robinson. Greenberger, D., and Padesky, C. (1995). Mind Over Mood. New York: Guildford Press.
Westbrook, D. (2005) Managing Depression. Oxford: Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre.