![]() In order to understand why negative and intrusive thoughts and feelings occur in these triggering alarm situations, therapists often follow a step-by-step process for cognitive restructuring. There is also feeling depressed when you are spending the evening alone at home because your friend had other plans. An alarm situation could be feeling anxious and experiencing heart palpitations before going out for drinks with a friend. Therapists might ask questions about what feelings occur in life’s most difficult moments and/or what types of behaviors are triggered in alarm situations. Cognitive Restructuring TreatmentĪ therapist will generally start out by having their client focus on identifying their negative emotions and/or behaviors. This type of thinking is what cognitive restructuring pinpoints and seeks to change through a series of steps which start with exploring and identifying emotions and/or behaviors. This is an example of cognitive distortion. This is something you have heard them say many times before, and you have told them they are not the worst friend. Your friend profusely apologizes and says, in a very serious tone, I am the worst friend ever. Here’s another scenario: A good friend of yours forgets your birthday, and you casually remind them of it the next day. ![]() But they are not truly cognitive distortions unless they are persistent. So, how do we change these thought patterns? One way that is often used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is Cognitive Restructuring.Ĭognitive Restructuring is a therapeutic step-based process that guides you through how to identify negative thought patterns (which are referred to as cognitive distortions), assess your behavioral responses, challenge these distortions in thinking, and develop healthier and more accurate alternative thought patterns. Some of us experience negative thoughts on a somewhat frequent basis and are not truly aware of just how much these thoughts impact our daily lives. But what does this have to do with cognitive restructuring? This is not an uncommon response to this type of situation, and it is an example of all-or-nothing thinking, which is one of multiple negative thought patterns we commonly experience. You immediately think, Well, I must have failed the exam based on that one wrong answer. Imagine this: You are taking a final exam in school and, afterward, realize that you got an answer to one question wrong.
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