What's Wrong With Normal? Probably A Lot! People seem to like being "normal," being like others. However, when we realize that our idea of "normal" may mean surviving with the "emotional education" handed out through happenstance, or from those who received theirs by the seat of their pants, we should have second thoughts about settling for normal. Normal golfers find themselves in the rough and sand traps a lot and, they struggle to break a 100. They never reach par and, if we aim for normal, we probably won't either. So, normal may not be the best path to reach emotional health and well-being. We owe it to ourselves to take a better one.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
Tools & Techniques For #Mental Health And #Happiness: What Is #Emotional Reeducation And Why Is It So Important?
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and maintain emotional well-being and happiness. At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
The absence of standardized requirements and curricula for emotional health education handicaps our journey through life. This shortcoming leaves happenstance in charge and, happenstance is not a reliable instructor.
People seem to like being "normal," being like others. However, when we realize that our idea of "normal" may mean surviving with the "emotional education" handed out from happenstance, or from those who received theirs by the seat of their pants, we should have second thoughts about settling for normal. "Normal" golfers are in the rough a lot and struggle to break a 100. We owe it to ourselves to aim higher. We need to be certain we have the necessary tools for emotional health and happiness.
Emotional Reeducation offers an encouraging answer. Utilizing new concepts and findings from the science of Cognitive Behavioral and Positive Psychology, Emotional Reeducation helps us gain the tools and skills we need to move beyond the past. We learn how to replace problematic learning and emotions with behavior that promotes and sustains self-regulation, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. We acquire an "A Game" for mental health that life too seldomly teaches and, we can pass this important knowledge along to the next generation.
What Is Emotional Reeducation And Why Consider It? Emotional Reeducation, as used here, refers to a set of clear, integrated behavioral instructions that help us achieve optimal mental health and well-being. The primary purpose of Emotional Reeducation is to correct the spectrum of faulty emotional thinking patterns and behaviors (such as excessive worry, poor esteem, negative self-talk, binge eating, etc.) that arise from trouble-laden and "normal" learning environments. Because formal emotional education is not the custom at home or in our schools, normal environments like "bad" environments can also be unsatisfactory environments for achieving emotional competence and optimal mental health. This means we all may be paying a big price!
People seem to like being "normal," being like others. However, when we realize that our idea of "normal" may mean surviving with the "emotional education" handed out from happenstance, or from those who received theirs by the seat of their pants, we should have second thoughts about settling for normal. "Normal" golfers are in the rough a lot and struggle to break a 100. We owe it to ourselves to aim higher. We need to be certain we have the necessary tools for emotional health and happiness.
Emotional Reeducation offers an encouraging answer. Utilizing new concepts and findings from the science of Cognitive Behavioral and Positive Psychology, Emotional Reeducation helps us gain the tools and skills we need to move beyond the past. We learn how to replace problematic learning and emotions with behavior that promotes and sustains self-regulation, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. We acquire an "A Game" for mental health that life too seldomly teaches and, we can pass this important knowledge along to the next generation.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Rule One For Defeating #Anxiety, #Depression, #Addiction, #Self-Esteem Issues
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and maintain emotional well-being and happiness.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
Rule One For Changing Behavior: Change is only possible for those who believe they can change. This idea may seem trivial ... "I have heard this kind of stuff before," etc. It is not trivial. Listen again: Change is only possible when we believe we can change. If we don't think we can change, we don't.
Thoughts govern how we feel, what we do, and what we don't do. I reach for my keys, only if I think they will open the door. I feel worried if I think I lost my wallet. I am elated if I believe I won the lottery. I may join the choir if I think "it would be really nice," or " it's something I always wanted to do." If I think, "I am probably not good enough for the choir," I may not try. What we think is what we get.
If you want to get off to a good start with behavior change, carefully notice how you are thinking about it. Open the door for change by pushing doubt aside and giving it a real go. Remember, if changing our thinking and behavior was really all that difficult, we wouldn't bother to build schools in the first place. There are many good behavioral tools and techniques that promote real emotional growth. So, change is always possible for those who are willing to give it a go. Keeping this thought in mind is rule one.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
CBT & Emotional Reeducation: A Perspective For Resolving #Anxiety, #Depression, #Addiction, #Self-Esteem Issues
I like offering educational help to
people who want to learn how to improve and manage their mental
health and happiness on their own. For me, this means less time
looking backward and more time moving forward with the skills and
tools that help us master the present and future.
I find that cognitive-behavioral
therapy as well as emotional reeducation provide powerful tools for
resolving many "presenting" problems including, anxiety,
depression, addictions, low self-esteem, loss, etc. Skill-focused
emotional reeducation helps us learn how to move past these problems. We
acquire the behavioral tools that promote sound mental health,
increase resilience, and we gain ability to keep problems from coming
back.
The central focus of my work is helping
others learn how to successfully manage their own mental health and
happiness. My approach integrates cutting-edge ideas and findings
from Cognitive Behavioral and Positive Psychology. Experience
shows that people can and do master the behavioral tools that allow
them to optimize and sustain their emotional health and happiness.
My new book,Think Right Feel
Right, presents the tools and techniques I use in my work , in a
practical, self-help format. The guide has proven to be a key
resource for accelerating the emotional relief, behavioral know-how
and change people want.
You will also find many of these ideas and tools posted here.
You will also find many of these ideas and tools posted here.
Please email your question, comments and suggestions for new topics to: thinkrightfeelright1@gmail.com
Friday, January 22, 2016
What Behavioral Issue Do People Undergoing #Depression, #Addiction, or #Compulsion Almost Always Have?
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and maintain emotional well-being and happiness.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
For three plus decades now I have gathered standardized behavioral data on all new clients. This information includes presenting issues and symptoms for a wide range of psychological problems. My clients typically have a variety of symptoms and problems involving addiction, depression, anxiety, etc. Regardless of the specific diagnosis or diagnoses however, virtually all report and/or display self-esteem issues! Here's the kicker: I probably could count on one hand, if that, the number of people with really good self-esteem who came to see me.
The other side of the coin is this: After clients work on and improve their self-esteem, they cope better and begin to feel happier. Pretty soon, when they have the tools to master their own emotional well-being, they leave and usually don't need to come back. And that is precisely what we want to happen.
What might this mean? The strong link between self-esteem and so many different kinds of emotional disturbance suggests a straightforward and common solution for these problems: When we lack ability to esteem and nurture ourselves, we are vulnerable to a variety of emotional problems. We worry, feel anxious, become depressed, or fall into addictions or compulsions to seek relief. However, when we correct the self-esteem problem and learn how to be more self-nurturing, we also correct the deficit that invites in so many emotional problems and, we become more secure, resilient, and happier. Self-esteem and self-nurturance improve emotional-well-being because they provide the essential motivation and focus for proper self-care. In turn, we become better-equipped to correct and defeat behavior that promotes mental health symptoms and problems and to stay on the path for feeling well. Please look over my earlier posts for a lot more on the topic of self-esteem and emotional health.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
The other side of the coin is this: After clients work on and improve their self-esteem, they cope better and begin to feel happier. Pretty soon, when they have the tools to master their own emotional well-being, they leave and usually don't need to come back. And that is precisely what we want to happen.
What might this mean? The strong link between self-esteem and so many different kinds of emotional disturbance suggests a straightforward and common solution for these problems: When we lack ability to esteem and nurture ourselves, we are vulnerable to a variety of emotional problems. We worry, feel anxious, become depressed, or fall into addictions or compulsions to seek relief. However, when we correct the self-esteem problem and learn how to be more self-nurturing, we also correct the deficit that invites in so many emotional problems and, we become more secure, resilient, and happier. Self-esteem and self-nurturance improve emotional-well-being because they provide the essential motivation and focus for proper self-care. In turn, we become better-equipped to correct and defeat behavior that promotes mental health symptoms and problems and to stay on the path for feeling well. Please look over my earlier posts for a lot more on the topic of self-esteem and emotional health.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
The Secret Weapon For #Happiness and #Mental Health: Big Hugs
Always Start Your Day With A Big Hug
image https://t.co/wfF0gXKbXi pic.twitter.com/O2uAX47NyO
— 7picaday-Official (@7picaday) January 15, 2016Monday, January 18, 2016
Tools and Techniques for #Happiness & Emotional Health: Ten Behaviors That Build Intrinsic #Self Esteem:
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and maintain emotional well-being and happiness.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
Ten Behaviors That Build Intrinsic Self Esteem: Intrinsic self-esteem is a vital part of the foundation for mental health and happiness. If this foundation is not strong, we will struggle. Self-esteem is something we learn, so we all need to make sure we learn it well.
What do we need to know? In my world and hopefully in your world too, self-esteem is best viewed as a verb, not a noun. Self-esteem is something we need to do. When we do it, we have it and we feel its benefits. You will have more intrinsic self-esteem if you:
1) Listen to yourself with caring and compassion.
2) Treat yourself with kindness
3) Engage yourself with respect
4) Accept you for who you are
5) Show loyalty to you
6) Uphold your word and your trust with you
7) Give yourself help and support
8) Cultivate and attend to your interests
9) Bring fun and humor into your daily routine
10) Love and value yourself consistently.
By including these behaviors in your daily routine, you will deepen self-esteem and emotional well-being. For more on this topic, please follow along.
You will also find lots of tools and techniques for optimizing emotional health and happiness in my new self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
Ten Behaviors That Build Intrinsic Self Esteem: Intrinsic self-esteem is a vital part of the foundation for mental health and happiness. If this foundation is not strong, we will struggle. Self-esteem is something we learn, so we all need to make sure we learn it well.
What do we need to know? In my world and hopefully in your world too, self-esteem is best viewed as a verb, not a noun. Self-esteem is something we need to do. When we do it, we have it and we feel its benefits. You will have more intrinsic self-esteem if you:
1) Listen to yourself with caring and compassion.
2) Treat yourself with kindness
3) Engage yourself with respect
4) Accept you for who you are
5) Show loyalty to you
6) Uphold your word and your trust with you
7) Give yourself help and support
8) Cultivate and attend to your interests
9) Bring fun and humor into your daily routine
10) Love and value yourself consistently.
By including these behaviors in your daily routine, you will deepen self-esteem and emotional well-being. For more on this topic, please follow along.
You will also find lots of tools and techniques for optimizing emotional health and happiness in my new self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right.
Please take time now to send your comments, questions, and suggestions for future topics on the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope. You can email us at: thinkrightfeelright1.net
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Tools & Techniques For #Mental Health & #Happiness: Ten Reasons Why You Want To Have High Intrinsic #Self-Esteem
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and maintain emotional well-being and happiness.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
Ten Reasons Why Intrinsic Self-Esteem Is Best.
1) Intrinsic self-esteem is yours. You own it. You don't have to
borrow it from others.
2) When you provide and own your own esteem, you become less dependent.
3) Your esteem builds and highlights your worth and
self-confidence.
4) When you already have worth, you don't waste time and energy chasing after it.
5) Your life can be spent on worthy pursuits rather than on searching for self-worth.
6) You love primarily because you wish to give it, not because you
need to get it.
7) Intrinsic self-esteem is the best path to resilience, emotional
health and happiness.
8) Self-esteem isn't about being better than others; it's about feeling and being well.
9) Intrinsic self-esteem improves your ability to cope with loss and other life challenges.
10) Loving yourself is not difficult; it's just a smart choice with big
benefits.
Friday, January 15, 2016
#SELF-ESTEEM: GOOD, BETTER, AND BEST
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and maintain emotional well-being and happiness.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
Self-Esteem
is the foundation for personal security, emotional health and
happiness. We can't have these things if this foundation is not
strong. Self-esteem is a must.
There
are different kinds of self-esteem, some better than others. First,
is the esteem we receive from those around us, compliments, approval,
caring and the like. Since this kind of esteem comes to us from
others, think
of it as other esteem. Others dole out this kind of esteem and we feel an uptick in our
worth and security. But, we do not control the source of the esteem;
others do. Other esteem is conditional. We receive this kind of
esteem when others offer it. Sometimes there are strings attached to their esteem making it problematic. Even so, the esteem of others provides significant and necessary
emotional benefits. Interpersonal esteem is socially and emotionally
important. Other esteem is good.
Then
there is performance esteem. Performance esteem is
the worth we feel when we accomplish something, when we do something
well, when we help others. Performance esteem is a powerful source of motivation and
reinforcement for behavior. Humans undertake and accomplish many
things, little and large, because of the value they attach to their
strivings and doings. But we need to be aware that this kind of
esteem is also conditional. This kind of self-esteem inflates with service and accomplishment, but when we are not busy accomplishing,
self-worth and emotional well-being often shrivel up. Over reliance
on performance esteem deepens the impact of job loss or
disability. However, because performance esteem inspires important social and personal benefits and offers a powerful
incentive for human striving, accomplishment, and sense of worth,
we need to have it. Having both other esteem and performance esteem is even better.
Having
both kinds of esteem is better but, are both enough? Many try
to get by using the esteem they get from others or from performance
as their main sources of self-esteem. Unfortunately, they subject their
“self-esteem” and emotional well-being to fluctuate with
circumstance. They feel up when they are performing and doing things;
otherwise, not so much. Although necessary, neither other esteem
or performance esteem are steadfast supports of esteem that sustains well-being. Most
important, esteem garnered from others or through our doings and
strivings is not (read
as is never) a good substitute for intrinsic self esteem. The reason
is that neither gives unconditional worth and value. So, we will always be in search of them. If you want to have lasting and
real self-esteem, you must decide to esteem and love yourself,
period. Give yourself worth and value. Let your performance and the
esteem from others add to your esteem, but never be a substitute for
it. Your unwavering belief in your implicit worth and right to
esteem and love who you are is the only kind of self-esteem that
lasts. Intrinsic self-esteem is best!
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
A Goodie For #Happiness and #Mental Health
Let today be the day...
#quote #motivation pic.twitter.com/R1iDcYCtCQ
— Dr. Steve Maraboli (@SteveMaraboli) January 13, 2016Tuesday, January 12, 2016
#Happiness Is All About How You See Things Too!
Perspective is everything 👁 pic.twitter.com/XYn8AAHwgQ
— Relatable Quotes (@RelatableQuote) January 5, 2016
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Have You Tried This New #CBT Recipe For Emotional #Well-Being and #Happiness Yet?
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and maintain emotional well-being and happiness.
At the Think Right
Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and
techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger,
worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies for increasing self-esteem, positivity and for being a happier you.
Introduction
to the Recipe for Emotional Well-Being. One of the really
nice things about this recipe for Happiness and Emotional Well Being
is that you don't have to go anywhere or buy anything to use it. That's good, right? Also, the recipe is not difficult to follow. But before getting started here, if you haven't already done so,
please look over my last blog that describes a method to measure
emotional well-being. Reading this earlier post first will help you
understand what I am about to say.
As I mentioned in the
earlier post, the scale I use to gauge a person's level of emotional
well-being has four key components: intrinsic self-esteem,
peacefulness, the ability to minimize disturbing
emotions, and happiness. When these four “ingredients”
are present in full measure, people report a very high level of
emotional well-being. When they are not, people frequently struggle
with anxiety, depression, addiction and other emotional issues.
The conclusion drawn here is that possessing these key behavior skill
sets is not only important, but essential for emotional well-being. And, therein lies the plan for our recipe!
To bring emotional
well-being to its highest level, we must possess or learn how
to possess a strong and lasting ability to promote self-worth,
peacefulness, management of our emotions, and happiness. Can we do
it? You bet we can. Each and every one of these skill sets for
emotional well-being can and should be learned and used daily as they are your cornerstone for sound mental health. Their benefits will far exceed the effort.
How is it done? There are clear behavioral steps for enabling these essential skills. I intend to cover the details in subsequent posts but, I will give you an example here. Take self-esteem for instance. In my world
and hopefully in your world too, self-esteem is best viewed as a verb, not
a noun. Self-esteem is something you do. When you do it, you have it and you feel
it. This means that you need to esteem yourself through your thoughts
and behaviors. By way of an example, you engage
yourself with respect; you are kind to you; you listen to yourself
with caring and compassion; you are accepting of you; you are there
when you need you … yes, there is more, and it is all good. In
future posts, I will discuss the specific thoughts and behaviors for
each of the skill sets that are so vital to emotional well-being. Please follow along so you can use the recipe.
With my new CBT self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right, you can acquire the emotional tools my clients acquire to optimize emotional health and happiness.
With my new CBT self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right, you can acquire the emotional tools my clients acquire to optimize emotional health and happiness.
Please
take time now to send your comments, questions, and suggestions for
future topics on the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope. You
can email us at: thinkrightfeelright1.net
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
#CBT Tools & Techniques For Mental Health & Happiness: How Do You Fare on the #EmotionalWellBeing Scale?
Experience gained from my 30+ years in practice as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist shows that with the right tools people readily learn to elevate and
maintain emotional well-being and happiness.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies to increase self-esteem, positivity and create a happier you.
Measure Your Emotional Well-Being: Emotional well-being is an important index of emotional health. I use this measure in my work as a baseline and a gauge of progress. I present this measure in the Think Right Feel Right guide so that readers can do the same thing.
There are four very important components to this measure of emotional well-being. They are: 1) Your level of intrinsic self-esteem (how much you, not others, consistently esteem you; 2) Your ability to be peaceful … when you wish to be; 3) Your ability to limit and avoid emotional disturbance that arises from anger, hurt, depression, fear, worry, guilt, or other troubling emotions; 4) Your level of happiness. Rate yourself on a 10-point scale where "10" means you could not do any better and "1" means could not do any worse on each part. Then pick just one number between one and ten for the four elements of well-being that best describes your average level of emotional well-being.
I use the 10-point scale to distinguish three levels of emotional well-being. A well-being rating of one to three puts us in the perishing zone. Four to seven falls in the languishing zone. With a rating of eight or higher we enter the flourishing zone. Your answer will tell you where you stand. Now you know if you might need to go to work on your emotional well-being.
With my new CBT self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right, you can acquire the emotional tools my clients acquire to optimize emotional health and happiness.
At the Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope you will find the behavioral tools and techniques that help to ward off anxiety, depression and addiction. You will learn about ways to defeat troubling emotions such as anger, worry and sadness. You will also find practical strategies to increase self-esteem, positivity and create a happier you.
Measure Your Emotional Well-Being: Emotional well-being is an important index of emotional health. I use this measure in my work as a baseline and a gauge of progress. I present this measure in the Think Right Feel Right guide so that readers can do the same thing.
There are four very important components to this measure of emotional well-being. They are: 1) Your level of intrinsic self-esteem (how much you, not others, consistently esteem you; 2) Your ability to be peaceful … when you wish to be; 3) Your ability to limit and avoid emotional disturbance that arises from anger, hurt, depression, fear, worry, guilt, or other troubling emotions; 4) Your level of happiness. Rate yourself on a 10-point scale where "10" means you could not do any better and "1" means could not do any worse on each part. Then pick just one number between one and ten for the four elements of well-being that best describes your average level of emotional well-being.
I use the 10-point scale to distinguish three levels of emotional well-being. A well-being rating of one to three puts us in the perishing zone. Four to seven falls in the languishing zone. With a rating of eight or higher we enter the flourishing zone. Your answer will tell you where you stand. Now you know if you might need to go to work on your emotional well-being.
With my new CBT self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right, you can acquire the emotional tools my clients acquire to optimize emotional health and happiness.
Please consider taking some time now to send your comments, questions, and suggestions for
future topics on The Think Right Feel Right Blogoscope. You
can email us at: thinkrightfeelright1.net
Friday, January 1, 2016
What is the Best Behavioral Approach to Overcome the Troubling #Emotions Associated with Episodes of #Anxiety, #Depression, #Grief, etc.
Now
this may be the 64 million dollar question! Please notice that I said what
is the best behavioral
approach. I
did not include medication because, in my view, there is widespread
overuse of medication to “treat” psychological problems that are
largely behavioral in nature. Many psychological problems are
productively resolved when viewed as difficulties in emotional
learning rather than “medical” disorders. Although medication
can help lessen some psychological symptoms, it does absolutely
nothing to correct the behavioral deficits that may be causing them. So what
is the best way to manage these negative emotions behaviorally?
Since a primary consideration is to respect and promote a person's autonomy, we may want to resist categorizing so many people with emotional problems as patients . Like the
rest of us, most are just people who have things to learn. When a
medical provider hands out a prescription that tells the "patient" to
take one dose in the AM and one in the PM for anxiety, they reinforce the impression that there is a medical disorder that lies
beyond the “patient's” control. Let's set the record straight
here: not all, but probably most, emotional problems are behavioral rather medical in origin. Importantly, many of these emotional problems can be avoided or successfully overcome with appropriate emotional education.
The high costs and circumscribed benefits associated with mental health treatment entailing endless rounds of medication and talk therapy remind us all that there must be a better way forward. Our approach to mental health by way of "mental illness treatment" has been and still is uncertain, prolonged, and costly. Too much effort is expended trying to fix mental health symptoms and problems; far too little on providing the education that prevents their occurrence. Developments in our understanding of the influence of cognition on emotion and behavior now offer promising and practical tools that will advance mental health through better informed emotional education and treatment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has several strategies to reduce the negative thinking that underlies worry and anxiety as well as many other emotional problems. These include thought stopping, thought shifting, and a technique initially formulated by Albert Ellis known as cognitive restructuring. Thought stopping is what the name implies, stopping a disturbing thought that generates a negative emotion. For example, if I have social anxiety I might try resisting thoughts that other people may be judging me negatively. Thought shifting goes a step further. I stop worrying about what other people think by shifting my thoughts to something else like the garden I am planting.
The high costs and circumscribed benefits associated with mental health treatment entailing endless rounds of medication and talk therapy remind us all that there must be a better way forward. Our approach to mental health by way of "mental illness treatment" has been and still is uncertain, prolonged, and costly. Too much effort is expended trying to fix mental health symptoms and problems; far too little on providing the education that prevents their occurrence. Developments in our understanding of the influence of cognition on emotion and behavior now offer promising and practical tools that will advance mental health through better informed emotional education and treatment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has several strategies to reduce the negative thinking that underlies worry and anxiety as well as many other emotional problems. These include thought stopping, thought shifting, and a technique initially formulated by Albert Ellis known as cognitive restructuring. Thought stopping is what the name implies, stopping a disturbing thought that generates a negative emotion. For example, if I have social anxiety I might try resisting thoughts that other people may be judging me negatively. Thought shifting goes a step further. I stop worrying about what other people think by shifting my thoughts to something else like the garden I am planting.
Both
of these techniques come up a little short. Although I might
get some relief by
stopping my anxious thinking, or by shifting my thoughts away from this thinking, the emotional relief lasts only as long as I continue to thought
stop or shift my thoughts. Unfortunately, as long as I continue to
endorse my disturbing beliefs that cause me to worry over what people
think of me, I am not free from the social anxiety. The anxiety
evoking thoughts are still there, and every time I drift back to this
line of thinking I will make myself feel anxious.
Cognitive
restructuring works better. This technique entails correcting
(restructuring) the problematic thought so that it no longer
generates the negative emotion. So, if I replace my worrisome
thinking about how others see me with better ones, and encourage
myself to accept this new way of thinking, I will be able to continue feeling less socially anxious. An example of the new thinking might be, “Who
cares, let them think whatever they think; they will anyway.”
Let's
take a closer look at why this behavioral approach usually works
best. To get rid of disturbing emotions (depression, anxiety, guilt,
anger, etc.), you must also get rid of the thoughts that activate
these negative feelings. Repressing or trying to ignore negative
thoughts doesn't make them go away. They are still there and,
because they are, the disturbing emotions will linger on. Medication does not correct faulty emotional reasoning, nor do
attempts to dodge negative emotions by thought stopping or avoidance
behavior. The real solution is choosing to learn the emotionally
correct ways to think about your world. Cognitive restructuring is an
essential tool for reaching this goal and improving emotional health
and well-being.
With my new CBT self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right, you can acquire these and other emotional tools my clients acquire to optimize emotional health and happiness.
With my new CBT self-help guide, Think Right, Feel Right, you can acquire these and other emotional tools my clients acquire to optimize emotional health and happiness.
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