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How to Use Cognitive Behavioral Theory
Cognitive behavioral theory, also known as CBT, is a very common technique notorious for providing profound results. It involves recognizing the fundamental causes of your stress and perceiving them in an entirely new light. In order to achieve this, you will need to become more mindful and learn how to live in the present moment, or the Now. You should also know how to discern between an illogical and a logical thought, which is a lot easier said than done. It is just like any other skill, requiring a bit of patience and persistence in order to succeed.
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EditAdditional Information Before You Begin
The technique arises from the fact that we unconsciously induce our own suffering rather than the objects or predicaments in the material world. In other words, varying emotions are formed depending on how ‘we’ interpret the situation and not the stimulus itself. The act of assessing the ordeal is referred to as either primary or secondary appraisal which is our mind making sense of the occurrence and adding to our previous beliefs to maintain a sense of self. We may not be able to control our perceptions at the direct moment an event occurs, but we have the aptitude to analyze it with clarity once it has passed. With continued practice, the result is a natural acceptance of all the arduous tasks of life and a deep feeling of peace or serenity. You will also learn thrive beyond your false sense of self, which is based on your solid illusions acquired from the past. In order to fully understand how this works, you must be able to successfully identify the discrete levels of brain function that make thinking possible.
EditSteps
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1Assimilate how our brain has evolved over time through the myriad species of life that exist on earth. There are three main calibers of brain function that had served certain purposes in the past and incrementally developed into the mind that we now possess and use for our numerous everyday purposes.- It all began when reptiles first roamed the planet, with its most essential concern being simply to survive. They were accompanied with the primitive or reptilian brain, which is widely responsible for the ‘id’, which is a short term for the will to live. This also includes many of life’s vital processes that we are usually not consciously using, such as breathing or maintaining the heart beat.
- Sooner or later, mammals began to form whose minds were made slightly more complex than their predecessors. They possessed the limbic system, also known as the emotional brain, which is a crucial part of all relationships between different beings. It comprises of hundreds of subtly different emotions ranging from compassion to anger.
- What we know as fear is predominantly controlled by the amygdala, which triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response, used in order to escape adversity such as a predator. Humans are still suffering from this system to the point that it has been activated to auto-pilot and heavily affecting even the smallest facets of life.
- However, we have something else that easily surpasses the complexity of all other mammals, called the neo-cortex. With this new system came our natural aptitude to think deductively and to act with free will.
- In order to ensure the survival of the human species, the amygdala had to overtake the neo-cortex in certain predicaments to make sure the being knew what they were up against. This now results in conflict between the limbic system and neo-cortex, with the more primitive level of brain having the advantage over our logical thinking. CBT works to restore the application of the neo-cortex to confront our fears or unnecessary delusions that are the root cause for all the burdens we experience in our lives.
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2Observe your thoughts. The first thing to know is that thinking and consciousness are totally discrete facets of the brain and have no relationship with each other. Your thoughts are simply an incessant voice reverberating around the hollows of your mind, constantly judging or speculating about whatever we encounter. The true self has nothing to do with your compulsive thought processes; it is just an observer of the world and of the immortal concept of being. Our mind often achieves full control over our true selves since we let us get swept away with whatever thoughts or emotions arise.- We are like beggars, depending on all the external objects for enjoyment while the joy can be easily discovered within ourselves. This short sense of pleasure often rapidly transforms back into feelings of pain. The only way you can stop this addictive cycle of maintaining the ego is by passively observing that voice or mental array of visual imagery that is usually present within the mind.
- Throughout your day, inquire about your current thoughts and determine whether they are useful or just the mind trying to receive attention. You will then become connected with a higher level of consciousness, or become one with Being which comprises of everything that exists.
- It is impossible to be lonely since you consist of the same conscious energy that formed all the matter of the world. The main catalyst of worry is thinking about your future or dwelling upon the past.
- If you’re tuned into the moment, you will find that there is nothing to be fearful about and it was just an illusion of the mind or ego. #*About eighty to ninety percent of our thoughts are useless and impede our natural creativity that is achieved through quiet. In all creative work that has ever been accomplished in the world, thinking remained a small fraction of the entire creative process.
- You may also attract your focus your daily events by applying the full use of all your five senses in the scene. For instance, if you are washing your hands, feel the texture of the water against your skin, smelling the fragrant scents of soap and tuning in to the sound of the television in the other room.
- Once you have learned to ‘see’ your thoughts as they are happening, they will lose their power over you and a state of pure consciousness, quietude, or elation will follow, temporarily providing relief or authentic joy. With practice, you will be able to lengthen these phases, until you have achieved full authority over your mind rather than the other way around.
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3Look for cognitive distortions. These are just illusions derived from the more primitive levels of the brain that we use all the time, without even consciously realizing the ludicrous nature of these interpretations. It is important to start discerning these negative thoughts that we normally apply unconsciously since the emotional brain is too overpowering to allow us to correctly analyze our current situation.- There are ten main types of cognitive distortions to be prepared for that can be easily turned around during the secondary appraisal stages of the mind. This doesn't cover up the fact that you may feel an intense urge to identify yourself with the compulsive thoughts or emotions of the body; it takes a lot of patience and will power to comprehend the anomalous nature of the occurrences. Once you begin to spot the fluctuating patterns of cognitive distortions, it will eventually become automatic to just dismiss them for what they are.
- Core beliefs may form when a cognitive distortion is repeatedly enforced upon oneself, most often during childhood, until it becomes their sense of self or who they actually are. Remember, the ego is just an imagined identity derived from past and possible future occurrences. It is not a true part of who you are.
- The only way you can remove these beliefs is by asking yourself repeatedly whether it is truly useful to your well being in the long run. Will this sustained thought alter your current situation? This is called the cost-benefit technique, and if used properly it should discard any ideas that are ingrained into your sense of self.
- The term schema refers to any method of thinking that is developed to help one make sense of the world. These can include stereotypes, non-authentic theories or names attached to specific situations. It is a crucial fact that we all experience cognitive distortions or schemas in our lives; it is the way that we become conscious of or treat these thoughts that truly matters in the long run. Unless someone was born with a very calm and amiable disposition, we are all affected by the primitive areas of the brain.
- If you see people who seem very composed and good at handling stress, they are probably using CBT without even knowing it. If this is not the case, then they are hiding something and are afraid to show their true self. There is no other option since the discrete layers of the brain usually work independently of each other with the same intensity, allowing function in all areas. Anyone can learn this since it is a technique widely used for people with disorders such as OCD, insomnia or generalized anxiety disorder. Even post-traumatic stress disorder, which involves full- fledged core beliefs, can be affectedly treated by exposing them to the illusory part of the brain.
- You don’t necessarily have to have a current condition to use this effective technique. All that is necessary is some common sense and a willing to put in the work required to be successful.
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4The fourth stage of the technique involves dealing with your cognitive distortions, the most important of all the five steps. Begin by taking your time reading through the various distortions that are identified by leading psychologists.- The first distortion is considered all or nothing thinking, or when you wrongly come to the conclusion that you can either be absolutely perfect at something or else you are horrible at the activity.
- Some people may use overgeneralization, which is when just because an ordeal happens once; it will continue to happen no matter what the previous experiences you have in that field are.
- The third distortion is the tendency to dwell exclusively on negative details of an event, even when the majority of your experiences have been considered positive. It is as if the positive actions are completely forgotten or blacked out, known as monotropism.
- This psychological term refers to the inability to see the whole picture, and instead focusing on the individual aspects of a task or situation.
- In the fifth distortion, people think that they have the supernatural ability to predict the future or analyze a person’s body language, even thought there remains a lack of conclusive evidence to make such a wild assumption.
- When using the binocular trick, someone may magnify the importance of an event in order to make it seem greater than it actually is.
- Some individuals make the mistake of thinking that their emotions reflect reality or the way things are.
- Other people force unattainable tasks upon themselves, personalize a situation or attach labels to themselves as if it reflects who they actually are.
- All of these assumptions are completely rash or impetuous, due to the falsified ego trying to maintain its full authority over you.
- To effectively analyze these thoughts, the first step is to identify which of the ten distortions are most applicable to your life.
- Write down or record a time when you previously experienced one of these thoughts and begin to interpret them.
- You should specify three main points; the underlying cause of the negative thought or emotion, what the possible side effects of keeping the sustained thought are and how you could rephrase the thought in a totally new way that becomes understandable to the neo-cortex, or your logical mind.
- The last step is the most crucial factor which can determine your overall detachment to the thought and be the difference between success and failure. You may not be able to escape all of life’s inevitable adversities, but you can modify the way you ‘perceive’ such an event. By gradually altering your thinking habits, you will begin to alter your life for the better.
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5At first the above work may seem like a monotonous task, but if continued you will gradually you’re your logical part of your brain more dominant when it comes to abhorrent situation. Taking a scientific viewpoint, scrutinize the following sentences to learn in more detail what systems are responsible for the stress response. There are two systems of the brain that will play a key role in your goal of diminishing the illusory nature of your mind.- The sympathetic nervous system is the structure that brings up the fight or flight stage, making you more alert, focused and prepared for whatever encounters lie ahead.
- On the other hand, the parasympathetic system slows your brain and body down, gradually restoring you natural heartbeat or rhythmic breathing. This is why deep breathing is often used to calm someone down, in order to activate the second structure.
- Since the systems work completely independently of one-another, it is not uncommon for the sympathetic parts to go overtime, causing an unnecessary loss of energy and even a higher risk of contracting myriad cancers. Don’t be frightened by this sad reality, because then you are using the same system from the back door. Just learn to calm down after the stressor has passed, during the second appraisal stages.
- When Neanderthals went hunting for food and saw a possible predator in their midst, the first structure was activated rapidly, causing him to either run away or face the danger head on. Without the use of the parts that counter-act the stress response, he would have ceased to exist because of the exertion of unnecessary action even after the event has passed. This, in turn, would make him more vulnerable to further enemies in the near future that could prevent the evolution of a more sophisticated species of human.
- Modern day humans dominated the Neanderthals because they could think more clearly about their actions and conservation of energy. The same thing happens in ordinary life; if you ignore the function of the second stage, you will most likely perform poorly since you are not living in the power of now.
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6Therefore, next time you feel stressed out about a future test, practice tackling cognitive distortions and making your breathing more fluent to allow yourself some fuel for the great task ahead.Ad
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EditTips
- If when using the CBT technique and don't see any results materializing within thirty days, it may be time to get a psychologist or counselor involved in the picture. Sometimes it is more comfortable to be told what to do by an experienced practitioner rather by perusing an article on wikiHow.
- It is crucial to know how to pick the right psychologist, otherwise he may end up doing you more harm than good. There is a wide variety of experiences counselors, so there is sure to be one that is right for you. Don't be afraid to tell a psychologist if he is not right for you, but when you do find the right one, focus all your attention on whatever he has to say.
- Spread the word of this affective technique. You might be able to impart the former information to a family member in case he may have severe anxiety himself. Remember, many disorders, either emotional or mental, have been treated using this technique. wikiHow has many more articles related to CBT on using it to cope with a variety of factors. Just click on one of the links below to connect with one of these essential pages that may assist you in your particular condition.
- Never give up on yourself and acknowledge the fact that life can be very painful to everyone and not just yourself. You are the only one who has the power to alter your own thinking habits and bring everlasting peace or enjoyment into your life.
- Be very patient and have a willingness to hack the defective parts of the brain in order to achieve success. It may be helpful to read some books on the topic to develop a further understanding of the idea.
- Two good resources are: Anxiety by Nick Dubin and The Power of Now written by Eckhart Tolle. Both texts are for completely different purposes but can be applied in the same manner.
- The former book focuses on cognitive behavioral theory alone, while the second one focuses on spiritual enlightenment. What book you choose is solely dependent on rather you want to view it from a scientific perspective or a religious one.
- It may be helpful to have someone to work beside you with the same technique to make the process more comfortable. This can include some sort of acquaintance or companion who is understanding of your needs and takes you for who you are. It is much easier to fight anxiety if you have more individuals involved, it is like adding a log to a burning fire. You will become stronger, and so will the other participant.
- Do not panic if you don't see rapid results; it takes a long time to get out of the habit of leaving your neo-cortex dormant while encountering a stressor, no matter how mild the stimulus. After all, it is in our blood from our ancestors who sought to thrive during the most precarious times imaginable.
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