Overcoming negative thoughts through the cognitive-behavioral approach

This is how to work with negative thoughts from the cognitive-behavioral model.

Negative thoughts are part of many people's lives, and although sometimes they are not intense enough to constitute a serious problem, sometimes they do become a reason to seek professional help.

In this article we will see how it is possible to overcome the negative thoughts through one of the most effective models of psychological intervention: the cognitive-behavioral one..

What is the cognitive-behavioral model?

The cognitive-behavioral approach is a paradigm in psychology that aims to intervene both in mental processes and in behavior that is easily objectified through observation, since it is assumed that both elements are fundamental parts of the human experience.

Thus, for example, when treating psychological problems, professionals based on the cognitive-behavioral model understand that in order to facilitate change for the better, it is necessary to promote a transformation both in the way the person thinks and in the way he/she acts. both in the person's way of thinking and in the way he/she interacts with the environment.Both processes, combined, reinforce each other and help the person being helped to make a qualitative leap in his or her way of living life, adopting a more constructive mentality and having better resources to solve his or her problems.

What are negative thoughts?

The concept of "negative thoughts" is not part of the technical jargon used by psychologists, although it is useful to express certain ideas in a simplified way that is easy for everyone to understand. Normally, it refers to ideas and beliefs that appear in a more or less recurrent way in the consciousness of the person who experiences them, and that lead to the adoption of certain ideas and beliefs.and that give rise to the adoption of an unconstructive, pessimistic attitude towards something that is perceived as a problem.

Here it is necessary to emphasize something: negative thoughts are not negative simply because they are associated with painful or unpleasant emotions or feelings.. Although in practice it is true that they tend to go hand in hand with discomfort, mainly anxiety or sadness, these experiences are not something that in themselves lead us irremediably to adopt an attitude that plays against us.

Thus, in negative thoughts there are both: emotional pain, on the one hand, and the propensity to deal with this discomfort through a type of behavior that not only does not help to solve what is happening to us, but also hinders us from changing for the better.

The cognitive-behavioral approach applied to negative thoughts

These are the key ideas that define how psychologists use the cognitive-behavioral model to help people with negative thoughts.

1. Revise problematic beliefs

Virtually all human beings develop a belief system through a belief system through which they interpret what happens to them and what happens in the world in general.. Many of these beliefs are useful to have an informed view of what is going on around us, but others predispose us to repeat over and over again behaviors that harm us and that, nevertheless, we cannot stop reproducing.

For this reason, psychologists who are experts in the cognitive-behavioral approach help people to review their own beliefs, many of which are so old and so important to us that we had not even noticed their existence.many of which are so old and so important to us that we had not even noticed their existence, and then question to what extent they are correct and appropriate for us.

2. Analyze the context of the person

Both objectifiable behaviors (e.g., always going to the same bar on weekends) and people's ideas and beliefs (e.g., what they believe about having a good time) are linked and correspond to each other.

This is why psychologists working with the cognitive-behavioral approach We do not limit ourselves to always proposing the same solutions like someone who uses a magic potion that works for everyone. that works for everyone. Instead, we first study the particular case of the person, his or her habits and the environment to which he or she is exposed, in order to provide solutions adapted to it.

3. Helping to manage discomfort

When it comes to managing negative thoughts, it is important not to feed the idea that the person who comes to the psychologist should expect to be completely free of the feeling that makes him or her suffer. This type of expectation not only frustrates, but also impedes progress, because it makes the failure of that which is causing the person to suffer look like a failure.The key is not to block feelings or to block out the feeling that the person is suffering.

The key is not in blocking feelings or emotions, but in learning to tolerate a certain level of discomfort that is compensated by the ability to manage the attentional focus, that is, the process by which we decide what our consciousness will focus on.

4. Teaching to use the environment as a tool

One of the basic principles of the cognitive-behavioral model is that changes for the better do not come only through introspection, i.e., through reflection and generalthat is, through reflection and the examination of ideas in general. It is necessary to combine this aspect focused on mental contents, on the one hand, with the adoption of habits in our interaction with the environment and with others. In this way, we will be promoting changes in our mind and consciousness using our surroundings as a tool.

A practical example: if we tend to feel anxious just before we start studying for an exam, some people find it helpful to hide their cell phone in a drawer, keep food away, and keep a sheet of paper with the study schedule in sight.

In other words, we create an environment in which we do not fall into behaviors that make negative thoughts appear in us constantly. ("what am I missing in my social networks?") and that makes it easier to take action to direct our emotions to a task that actually helps us feel better.

5. Use of relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques help us to detach from that experience in which a thought that worries us goes round and round in our mind over and over again, not letting us concentrate on other things. They are relatively simple exercises that we can use at key moments to break the vicious circle of negative thoughts..

Do you want professional psychological support?

If you are interested in having psychological support based on the cognitive-behavioral model to learn how to manage negative thoughts, I invite you to contact me, I invite you to contact me. I am a psychologist and consultant with many years of experience in the application of this type of psychological intervention, and I attend people in individual sessions as well as in couple therapy and intervention in companies. You can count on my services in my center located in Madrid, or through online sessions by video call.

To see my contact details, access this page.

Bibliographical references:

• Foroushani PS, Schneider J, Assareh N (August 2011). Meta-review of the effectiveness of computerised CBT in treating depression. BMC Psychiatry. 11(1): 131.
• Hofmann, S.G. (2011). An Introduction to Modern CBT. Psychological Solutions to Mental Health Problems. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Robertson, D. (2010). The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy: Stoicism as Rational and Cognitive Psychotherapy. London: Karnac.
• Rodriguez Biglieri, R. & Vetere, G. (2011). Manual de terapia cognitiva-conductual para los trastornos de ansiedad. Buenos Aires: Polemos.
• Wampold, B.E., Flückiger, C., Del Re, A.C., Yulish, N.E., Frost, N.D., Pace, B.T., et al. (2017). In pursuit of truth: A critical examination of meta-analyses of cognitive behavior therapy. Psychotherapy Research. 27(1): pp. 14 - 32.