A Guide to Overcoming Anxiety and Depression for Individuals, Families and Health Professionals

Cognitive Therapy

Your thinking determines your quality of life. Your quality of life is not determined by external factors, but how you interpret external factors.

A common example of negative thinking is thinking that things have to be perfect and anything less than perfect is a failure. Another example is disqualifying the positives and focusing on the negatives. This kind of negative thinking can lead to anxiety, depression, or addiction.

If you change your thinking, you will change your life. This is the basic idea behind cognitive therapy. It is not a naive prescription to think happy thoughts. It's a reminder that you probably spend more time focused on the few negatives in your life than on the many positives.

Ask your doctor or therapist if cognitive therapy is right for you. These techniques can complement the work you do with your doctor or therapist, but they should be used in combination with professional guidance.

The basic tool of cognitive therapy is the thought record. It is a journal in which you write down your negative thoughts and review them. It gives you the chance to reflect on your thoughts and analyze them after the fact, when you are not caught up in the fears and resentments that are part of negative thinking.

The Big Four Types of Negative Thinking

  • All-or-Nothing Thinking. "I have to do things perfectly, because anything less than perfect is a failure."
  • Disqualifying the Positives. "Life feels like one disappointment after another."
  • Negative Self-Labeling. "I feel like a failure. I'm flawed. If people knew the real me, they wouldn't like me."
  • Catastrophizing. "If something is going to happen, it'll probably be the worst case scenario."

Other Common Types of Negative Thinking

  • Mind Reading. "I can tell people don't like me because of the way they behave."
  • Should Statements. "People should be fair. If I'm nice to them, they should be nice back."
  • Excessive Need for Approval. "I can only be happy if people like me. If someone is upset, it's probably my fault."
  • Disqualifying the Present. "I'll relax later. But first I have to rush to finish this."
  • Dwelling on Pain. “If I dwell on why I’m unhappy and think about what went wrong, maybe I’ll feel better.” Alternately, “If I worry enough about my problem, maybe I will feel better.”
  • Pessimism. “Life is a struggle. I don’t think we are meant to be happy. I don’t trust people who are happy. If something good happens in my life, I usually have to pay for it with something bad.”

(Reference: www.CognitiveTherapyGuide.org.)

Consequences of Negative Thinking

Negative thinking is an obstacle to self-change. Any change feels like a big deal. You can’t see the small steps, and you don’t have the energy to take big steps, therefore you feel stuck.

All-or-nothing thinking is the most common type of negative thinking, and is the main cause of many problems including anxiety, depression, and addiction.

All-or-nothing thinking leads to anxiety because you think that any mistake is a failure, which may expose you to criticism or judgment. Therefore you don’t give yourself permission to relax and let your guard down.

All-or-nothing thinking can lead to depression because when you think you have to be perfect, you feel trapped by your own unrealistic standards. Feeling trapped is one of the known causes of depression.

All-or-nothing thinking can lead to addiction because anxiety or depression feels so uncomfortable that you may turn to drugs or alcohol to escape.

(Reference: www.CognitiveTherapyGuide.org .)

More Resources

For printable a printable thought record template and an introduction to cognitive therapy click below.

Printable Thought Record Template

Printable Introduction to Cognitive Therapy

Last Modified: August 16, 2011
In AnxietyDepressionHealth.org you will learn the following information. Cognitive therapy for anxiety, depression, and panic attacks is covered. Learn CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy (cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive behavior therapy). Learn how to write thought records. Learn cognitive therapy and cbt. Also covered are cognitive behavioral therapy and negative thinking, including cognitive therapy anxiety and cognitive therapy depression techniques. Find how to overcome negative thinking patterns and distorted thinking. Cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy techniques, and cbt techniques are covered. CBT thought record examples and templates are provided to help you with cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Also learn about the history of cognitive therapy and rational therapy relating to Albert Ellis and Aaron T. Beck. For a more information please look at the book, I Want to Change My Life by Dr. Steven M. Melemis.