![]() We need to remember that we can still zoom out and take a wider look at things – this is what cognitive reframing is about.Ĭognitive reframing (also called ‘reframing’ or ‘cognitive restructuring’) is a powerful tool you can use to change your negative thought patterns, reduce your fight-or-flight response, decrease unnecessary stress, and help you feel more in control of your life. Often, these changes happen slowly over several months, so it’s hard to notice that your perspective has been distorted at all. When a guy is depressed, it’s as if the lens he’s viewing life through has been zooming in and changing focus until it shows a very small and distorted picture of reality. focusing on the background will result in very different images, even though you’re standing in the same place. Imagine taking a photo – focusing on the foreground vs. Usually, the situation isn’t as bad as it seems. ![]() Negative thought patterns cause a lot of stress, and you might not even realize you have them if you’re already dealing with depression. Whenever you notice a shift in mood or a change in your emotional state, simply ask yourself: “What was just going through my head?” After identifying the automatic thought, you can then explore its validity and challenge it if needed.It’s easy to feel alone and misunderstood when you’re bogged down in negative thoughts. Evaluation provides some space or distance between the thought and the response, gives us more options, and helps enhance problem-solving and self-efficacy.Ī simple exercise can help us identify automatic thoughts more readily. We can then learn to evaluate the thought in order to decide if it is actually true, untrue or somewhere in between. ![]() We can learn to identify automatic thoughts when we notice our mood is changing, or when we notice a strong emotion arising. Identifying and evaluating automatic thoughts is a routine part of recovering from depression, anxiety, trauma and substance abuse. Now, you are experiencing unwanted emotions, possibly behaviors, and both of you are upset – all because of a distorted automatic thought that isn’t even true. It’s possible your partner truly is upset, but in reality, it has nothing to do with you. They may inform or dictate our decisions and our beliefs, about ourselves and others.īelow is a simplified cognitive model demonstrating the role automatic thoughts may play in an interpersonal interaction:Īutomatic Thought – “ It must be me, I never do anything right”Įmotion – Sadness, guilt, worry/fear/anxietyīehavior – Withdraw/Isolate/Shut down, get angry, anxious rumination Automatic thoughts may elicit a behavioral response and we may react to them as if they are actually true. We may experience a shift in mood or a strong emotional response to automatic thoughts. We can refer to these types of thoughts as automatic – they just seem to pop into our heads.Īutomatic thoughts, especially during times of depression, anxiety, high stress, traumatic stress and substance abuse, are typically distorted in some way yet we remain unaware of their unrealistic nature. We’re not deliberately trying to think them and most of the time we are not even aware of them. These thought patterns, at times, can become so habitual we may never even notice them. These thought patterns may include the typical catastrophizing and negative prediction statements built from key words such as should, should’ve, shouldn’t, must, never, always, can’t, won’t, what if, etc. Negative and/or fearful patterns of thought are almost always present as a symptom of depression, anxiety, stress overload, traumatic stress, and even substance abuse.
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