Rational Emotive Therapy and what it says about your irrational beliefs
Irrationality spices up life, but it can also generate beliefs that limit us.
Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) is a form of therapy that is framed within the cognitive-cognitive therapies and has as its main author Albert Ellis, who proposed the model during the second half of the 20th century.
The early beginning of this approach started with the development of a whole philosophical system and a set of self-instructions that the same author, curiously enough, would end up applying himself in order to solve his own emotional problems, highlighting his social anxiety.
But this contribution to the history of psychology is more than just a therapeutic tool. It also tells us a lot about how that part of us that relies on irrational beliefs works..
Basic functioning of Rational Emotive Therapy.
The term irrational used in RET can easily be confused. From this model, we act in a rational way when we feel in an appropriate way and we act in a functional way according to our goals..
Irrational beliefs, therefore, refer to those cognitive phenomena that mediate our emotions and behavior and that lead us away from our goals.
Very succinctly explained, the rational-emotive therapist would be in charge of detecting the irrational beliefs of the patient that are generating emotional suffering and keep him/her away from wellbeing. Through training in certain skills, dialogue and the prescription of tasks, the therapist tries to reformulate these irrational beliefs and replace them with rational beliefs.
These rational beliefs are defined in RET as those that help the person:
Convenient and inconvenient feelings
RET differentiates between convenient feelings and inconvenient feelings.
A convenient feeling can be positive (love, happiness, pleasure, curiosity) or it can be negative (pain, regret, discomfort, frustration, displeasure). Regardless of whether they are positive or negative, convenient feelings help us to minimize or eliminate the blockages or frustrations that occur when for some reason we do not see our desires and preferences fulfilled.
On the other hand, inconvenient feelings, besides not helping us to see these desires and preferences fulfilled, generate additional suffering, generate additional suffering. Negative inconvenient feelings (depression, anxiety, inadequacy, despair, worthlessness) tend to make circumstances worse. Positive inconvenient feelings (grandiloquence, hostility, and paranoia) produce an ephemeral sense of well-being that soon produce unfortunate results and greater frustrations.
Convenient feelings tend to generate convenient behaviors and inconvenient feelings tend to generate inconvenient behaviors. Some enhance self-development and coexistence, others are counterproductive and socially harmful.
Irrational beliefs, inconvenient feelings and inconvenient behaviors are three interacting elements that generate a dangerous vicious circle. are three interacting elements that generate a dangerous vicious circle.
The ABCs of irrational thinking
To understand the role played by irrational beliefs, it is useful to become familiar with the ABC scheme. In this scheme there are three elements:
A. Events
B. Beliefs
C. Consequences
A refers to Activating Events. These are nothing more than the circumstances we encounter in life when we pursue our goals. They are the things that happen to us.
These events, these things that happen to us, give rise to a series of consequences.
In the ABC scheme, C is the Consequences. These consequences are of three types:
According to this scheme we could deduce that A (what happens to us in life) explains our reactions C (Consequences), or what is the same: events explain why we act the way we do, why we feel the way we do and why we feel the way we do.why we feel the way we do and why we think the way we do. However, this is not exact, because an element is missing in the scheme, this element is B: the Beliefs. This element is the one that mediates between what happens to us and how we react. In other words: "There is nothing good or bad, but thoughts that make it so". Shakespeare.
If in the B of the scheme we have Rational Beliefs, the Consequences derived from the Events will be adjusted, adapted, in other words: healthy. If, on the contrary, we have Irrational Beliefs, the Consequences derived from the Events will be maladjusted, maladapted, produce unproductive suffering and contribute to the creation and maintenance of psychological symptoms. and contribute to the creation and maintenance of psychological symptoms.
An example of irrationality
John loses his job. John believes that he needs his job to be happy. John falls into a deep depression.
Event: Job loss. Thought: "I need this job to be happy". Consequences:
Pedro loses his job. Pedro wishes he had not lost his job, but assumes it is better to be flexible and look for another option. Peter looks for other alternatives.
Event: Job loss. Thought: "I liked my job, I would prefer to keep it, but it is not indispensable". Consequences:
The same thing has happened to John and Peter but the interpretation they have made of the situation is very different and this interpretation leads to very different results.
Main Irrational Beliefs
In his first formulation, Albert Ellis synthesized in 11 Irrational Beliefs the main thoughts that induce us to discomfort:
1. Irrational search for affection
It is an extreme need, for the adult human being, to be loved and approved by every significant person in his life. and approved by every significant person in his environment.
We all want to be loved and approved, but this is not always possible, sometimes even with respect to our own family.
2. Radical self-sufficiency
To consider myself as a valid person, I must be highly competent, self-sufficient and capable of achieving anything I set my mind to. capable of achieving anything I set my mind to..
Having virtues and competencies that we pride ourselves on is healthy, but building something as important as self-worth on this foundation is dangerous.
3. Resentment
People who do not act as they "should" are vile, wicked and vile and should be punished for their wickedness. should be punished for their wickedness.
People do things to the best of their ability, those who commit acts that we consider unjust do so out of ignorance, because they are in emotional states that they cannot control, because they are confused, etc. Everyone can correct themselves.
4. Dramatization of problems
It is terrible and catastrophic when things don't work out the way you would like them to..
Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade".
5. We cannot control our lives
Human misfortune and discomfort are caused by external circumstances, and people have no ability to control their emotions.
It is not the events that make us suffer but the interpretation we make of them. We can learn to identify and control our emotions.
6. Obsessions
If something is or can be dangerous, I must feel terribly uneasy about it and I must constantly think about the possibility of it happening.
To constantly prevent danger is not only unsustainable for the body and mind but also useless, for there are things beyond our control. We must learn to tolerate uncertainty.
7. Avoiding problems is the best thing to do
It is easier to avoid the responsibilities and difficulties of life than to face them.
Denying or hiding the problems does not make them go away, this may relieve us for a while but then the problem will still be present and may have worsened.
8. It is necessary to be under someone's protection
I must depend on others and I need someone stronger to rely on.
Asking for help when one is not able to do something by oneself is legitimate and wise, human beings are social animals and we help each other. However, one should not fall into constant and absolute dependence, one must learn to develop one's abilities and autonomy.
9. Wounds do not heal
What happened to me in the past will always affect me..
Analyzing the past helps us to understand the present and to avoid repeating problems in the future. Living constantly trapped in the past makes us lose the only moment in which we can really exist: the present moment.
10. Other people's problems are our problems
We should feel very concerned about the problems and disturbances of others.
Empathy, compassion, care for our fellow human beings... is something laudable and human, nevertheless, we do not help if we allow ourselves to be dragged along with others. we do not help if we allow ourselves to be dragged by the miseries of others. We do not help those who are suffering, nor do we help ourselves.
11. Extreme perfectionism
There is a perfect solution to every problem and if we do not find it, it would be catastrophic.
Sometimes there are many ways to solve a problem: 3+3 = 6, the same as 5+1=6 or the same as 8-2=6. Often there is no perfect solution because when solving a problem other new problems appear.
The good thing about being more rational
In summary, the central idea of RET is that thought plays a crucial role in human suffering, regardless of the circumstances.regardless of the circumstances. Adopting a more rational style of thinking prevents us from discomfort and helps us to achieve our life goals.
Irrational Beliefs can be summed up as demands one has towards oneself, others or the world. Let's learn to change our demands into preferences for a healthier life.
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To use efficient, flexible, scientific and logical-empirical ways of reaching these values and goals and to avoid and to avoid contradictory or counterproductive results.
- You may be interested in "Are we rational or emotional beings?"
- Behavioral
- Emotional
- Cognitive
- Behavioral: locking himself at home, isolating himself, not looking for a job.
- Emotional: deep sadness.
- Cognitive: "I'm useless, I won't achieve anything, I won't make it".
- Behavioral: look for a job, continue with his life adjusting to the new situation.
- Emotional: some moments of decay and others of mood improvement.
- Cognitive: "too bad I got fired, I'll look for something else, what if I start a company?"
(Updated at Apr 15 / 2024)