Cognitive modification (maladaptive schemas)

Taribo

“Automatic thoughts” are thoughts that come to mind involuntarily and effortlessly. You may not even notice them unless you make a point of looking for them. They may or may not have an appreciable effect on your feelings, moods or behavior. When they do, their effects may be beneficial, harmful or neutral.

Most of our thoughts are automatic — they just happen, without being planned or intended. Nearly all the time, this is an advantage. However, some automatic thoughts can cause serious mischief. CBT helps you learn to recognize and deal with them so they stop causing trouble.

Sometimes automatic thoughts turn out to have a shared theme (called a “schema”) that you may or may not have ever put into words or even be aware of. They take the form of basic assumptions, attitudes or beliefs that influence your thinking indirectly but powerfully. Common examples: “The world is a dangerous place,” or “I’m not a likable person.”

In CBT(Cognative Behavioural Therapy) it is sometimes useful to identify these broad, persistent patterns of thought — which are usually half-truths at best — so you can be on the lookout for them and learn not to be misled by them.


has anyone any experience of these??
Are they common?
How to rid yourself of them??

snorlax

Are they common?

most people would get them at some stage. in some people they are more common then other eg those who have a negative self-concept, this may have been reinforced by the environment either social/ cultural or otherwise and may be so engrained the thoughts occur at an automatic level and the person has no rational explanation of how they got there.

How do you rid you yourself of them?

by actively seeking to change them. with motivation, determination and some professional help if necessary, to help you gain more insight into them. Also by replacing automatic negative thoughts with more positive ones, takes alot of time and perseverance

Taribo

I thought they might take a while-

I suppose thinking before reacting with those automatic thoughts would be a good start

hippie

"Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think" by Greenberger, D. and Padesky, C. (1995) is a really good workbook that contains useful information and worksheets which can help you identify your negative automatic thoughts and learn how to reframe them. Padesky is well known in the field of CBT.

JellyfishFields

Thank you Taribo for drawing my attention to CBT.

When you begin to actively search for irrational automatic thoughts it's really quite disturbing to see the extent that they can influence behaviour. Through my observations it seems that most people, deep down, are plagued by them.

I think that once you get into the habit of constantly identifying them as they arise and acknowledging them as irrational you can rid yourself of them -- essentially combating one automatic process with another. But identifying these thoughts in the first place is the most difficult step simply because they are so automatic and unconscious.

http://www.rebt.ws/albert_ellis_the_essence_of_rebt.htm has a nice list of common irrational ideas.

Taribo

Well its been a few months now since i have identfied these in myself-

I have to say i feel i have made marked improvements in my mood and the way i look at things-

Although sometimes their shadows appear-but you really have to bite the bullet and let it go-i mean you obviously have to be real-you cant ignore something if it is wrong-but if your reaction isnt that of a "normal" adult-if your reaction is irrational then stopping fopr a second-ask yourself why-you gotta get to the root-

and when you get there i reckon you can break away-break down these reactions and finally & ultimately rid yourself of them-

Thats the plan anyway-i still have some work to do on myself-

Speaking of work.......

dropitonthe40

have to admitt reading this post or series of posts has been very helpful.

I have really been suffering from pannick attacks and accute anxiety over the last year. These attacks have all been due to destructive involuntary thoughts, which i think tallies into this discussion.

I suppose it mite be valuable for others if i indicated the series of events that brought about my anxiety and what kicked of my attacks.

I headed off with 3 mates on a round the world trip. First stop South America. Straight on the weed. In retrospect i always was very introspective. I always was very attached to my family to my way of life at home and this chsnge/trip was going to be a huge upheaval in my life. Smoking weed that morning made my heart and mind race. I started thinking of all this upheaval and lost control of my mind. I suffered a pritty scarry attack that morning. The attack started at the moment i was losing control of my sences because of the drug and my mind or Cognitive thoughts just took off on a destructive spiral culminating in me being taken to hospital in an ambulance and given sedatives to calm me down.
I have smoked weed for years before this and I couldnt see how this jay would be any different than other. It just added to all the stress i was experiencing from the trip and the feeling of isolation not having loved ones around you. The attack was absolutley terrifying. I was convinced i was dying. I was spasming on the floor. I had my mates hand in my hand. I was screaming for help and repeating over and over again i am going to die. Completley irrational i know. There was no way i was going to die but my thoughts had convinced me i was. From that point 2nd Feb, I have beat myself with the thoughts of that morning. The worry of having another attack. "The shaddows" of that morning as was so elliquently put by someone in a previous post, has haunted me. Subsequently with the continuance "beating " i have given myself over that crazy morning, I had run myself down and instilled a series of thought that hampered my day to day enjoyment of everything and anything.
Ok you may think this is mad. But it isnt. Weither it is caused by drugs, an accident or any other trawma. This incident has effected the way i think and became very destructive.

Having read the highlighted links and these posts it has helped me realise the thought processes which have brought on "all" of the attacks since that morning have been self perpetuated. The fact is I have control over the way i think and kicking the **** out of yourself dosent help.....

Rather than comment on every aspect of the points raised in the highlighted link article, i will just say that so much sence is laid out plan an simple and that has given me more hope. I hope people realise that everybody suffers at sometime in their life and realising there is always someone in the same boat as you can lighten any burden.
Listen If anyone would like to talk to me about anything that is pissing them off or causing anxiety or depression. please email me @ [email][/email]. I have no qualifications in this field and offer no medical or psychological advice. I am just a ordinary man but i have experienced and still experience(periodically) accute anxiety and depression. I have taken anti depressent and fought back through what seemed at the start of the fight back an inordinate ammount of ****. I have kicked it but like any sufferer, I always have that self doubt that it may take me once again. That worry of relapse has got smaller and smaller over time and the enjoyment of life and all its ups and down has come back. For that i have an enormous sence of achievement. Of beating those destrustive thougth and changing the way i think for the better. Maybe sharing your story mite help me aswell as you. It dosent cost me anything to listen so please feel free.

snorlax

Doipitonthe40 please don't give out personal details god knows who could end up emailing you, you could wind up with loads of spam. it's really not a good idea to post up any personal information both for you and for everyone else.

please be aware the there are multiple supprt groups out there which allow people to discuss depression/ general anxiety disorder in a confidential, supportive and protective setting rather then over the internet. Aware and Samaritans do this and links to their websites may be found under the charter.