Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - negative thoughts?

Paco Dennis

Paco Dennis

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Mid-Missouri
So, your cruising along, and suddenly you have an ANT. ( Automatic negative thought). Something triggered this thought that effects your feelings ( anger, guilt, hurt, etc.) then it often manifests in behavior. @bobcat is it possible that these thoughts are lying just below our conscious mind? They lye beneath the surface untill something triggers it. Then we don't recognize the thought but we do the bad feeling. Then we begin behaving in a way that feeds that feeling.

Practicing CBT you can begin to recognize the thought, a good analogy is those pesky pop up windows on our computer. We can begin to read and understand the thought this way. Then find real evidence that this pop up is really very truthful. I am finding most all my ANT's are not true, and I making it seem very real. Maybe I was hurt or felt sad or angry about something, when I think of it as an unwanted pop up and I become less interested in acting out bad stuff.

Then obviously we would want to change any behavior that enforces this ANT.
 

Paco Dennis said:
So, your cruising along, and suddenly you have an ANT. ( Automatic negative thought). Something triggered this thought that effects your feelings ( anger, guilt, hurt, etc.) then it often manifests in behavior. @bobcat is it possible that these thoughts are lying just below our conscious mind? They lye beneath the surface untill something triggers it. Then we don't recognize the thought but we do the bad feeling. Then we begin behaving in a way that feeds that feeling.
or
Practicing CBT you can begin to recognize the thought, a good analogy is those pesky pop up windows on our computer. We can begin to read and understand the thought this way. Then find real evidence that this pop up is really very truthful. I am finding most all my ANT's are not true, and I making it seem very real. Maybe I was hurt or felt sad or angry about something, when I think of it as an unwanted pop up and I become less interested in acting out bad stuff.

Then obviously we would want to change any behavior that enforces this ANT.
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I can only respond with the limited understanding I have. I think most of the feelings you mentioned, along with fear and desires reside in the subconscious. How they got there can be from past experiences, but some (Fear and desire ,etc...) can just be part of our evolutionary history.

I think you are absolutely right that something often triggers the thought, but not always. We can be feeling restless, uneasy, defensive, or even crave attention, and not really understand the reason why. To some degree, we can have a type of emotional blindness.

It's not a simple process to understand all that lies in the subconscious or why it's there. Introspection is a courageous journey of emotional nakedness. You have to embark on that journey in total honesty and be willing to face the inner you in a non-judgmental way. Sometimes when you get to the root of the deep-seated negative emotions, forgiveness is the antidote, but it only works if it's genuine and you can truly let go. It helps to understand that people aren't perfect. We are all flawed in some way. That's what has allowed AA to be so successful, and why so many go to confession.

Ignoring the pop-ups is one way to go, but if ANTs keep ruining your picnic, you may want to find out why they keep showing up. You're a smart guy with a lot of insight. I have faith in you.
 
bobcat said:
We can be feeling restless, uneasy, defensive, or even crave attention, and not really understand the reason why.
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I often don't understand the reason why I get those feelings. It's from pent up anxiety or frustration over something I can't pinpoint. Some people call it a bad mood, but it's more than that for me - it runs deeper.
Babs2u said:
I read somewhere that when a negative thought pops up we should simply say STOP IT!
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Nice thought. I wish it was that simple for me.
 
I tend to overthink things and experience negative thoughts or disappointment, especially towards the most important people in my life, if I’m not careful.

Positive affirmations help and constantly expressing my true feelings and affection is also important for me as much as it is for them.

It never hurts to count our blessings and give thanks in all things.

Being happy/content is a choice and requires a bit of work, just like everything else in life.

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.”
- Willie Nelson
 
Aunt Bea said:
I tend to overthink things and experience negative thoughts or disappointment, especially towards the most important people in my life, if I’m not careful.

Positive affirmations help and constantly expressing my true feelings and affection is also important for me as much as it is for them.

It never hurts to count our blessings and give thanks in all things.

Being happy/content is a choice and requires a bit of work, just like everything else in life.

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.”
- Willie Nelson
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There is truth there. We often focus on what's missing in our life rather than thinking about all the blessings we have.
 
I posted in this thread earlier, but failed to mention that I get unduly / unnecessarily stressed when schedules or plans get unexpectedly changed, or there are unpleasant surprises. It throws my day off, and then I have trouble staying calm and focused.

This morning started off well, until 9 AM, when City workers came with big equipment to the house next door and started trimming trees that were brushing against power lines. They dropped a lot of big branches onto my yard. Then, just as that was happening, another truck appeared doing the same thing at another house. They are going all around the neighborhood.

When the crew finished, they picked up all the branches off my yard and raked it clean. I was relieved for that, but those are some things that upset me and once it happens, I don't move on as I should and get on with my plans for the day.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I posted in this thread earlier, but failed to mention that I get unduly / unnecessarily stressed when schedules or plans get unexpectedly changed, or there are unpleasant surprises. It throws my day off, and then I have trouble staying calm and focused.

This morning started off well, until 9 AM, when City workers came with big equipment to the house next door and started trimming trees that were brushing against power lines. They dropped a lot of big branches onto my yard. Then, just as that was happening, another truck appeared doing the same thing at another house. They are going all around the neighborhood.

When the crew finished, they picked up all the branches off my yard and raked it clean. I was relieved for that, but those are some things that upset me and once it happens, I don't move on as I should and get on with my plans for the day.
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I get the same way. It starts with a minor irritation that I feed until it affects my behavior. Now some illusions are bigger than others, and it is not wrong to feel upset. Sometimes it is more than justified.
 
Okay. I preface this comment with the following statement: I am British (English, even).

I don't have automatic negative thoughts often. I do sometimes have regret triggers. That is, I'll see something and it'll remind me of something that happened in the past, and it's something regretful. This may sound completely crazy, but when it happens, I whisper "sorry", and allow it to fall away. You cannot change the past, and I'm acknowledging a mistake or bad decision without allowing it to hang in the air.

A long time ago I was taught an acronym: HALT.

It's about decision making. Meaning, never make a key decision when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

It has served me well.
 
VaughanJB said:
Okay. I preface this comment with the following statement: I am British (English, even).

I don't have automatic negative thoughts often. I do sometimes have regret triggers. That is, I'll see something and it'll remind me of something that happened in the past, and it's something regretful. This may sound completely crazy, but when it happens, I whisper "sorry", and allow it to fall away. You cannot change the past, and I'm acknowledging a mistake or bad decision without allowing it to hang in the air.

A long time ago I was taught an acronym: HALT.

It's about decision making. Meaning, never make a key decision when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

It has served me well.
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I experience the exact same thing often.
When I remember these things, I say 'Sorry' too. But I stop and wonder at my past self --try to understand the source of the error.
 
gruntlabor said:
I experience the exact same thing often.
When I remember these things, I say 'Sorry' too. But I stop and wonder at my past self --try to understand the source of the error.
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Me too. However, I too often come to the conclusion that I simply made poor decisions. I had all the information at the time. I had all the opportunity to do the right thing, or the the most constructive thing. I just chose very very poorly, usually selfishly. It was a personality flaw. Not that such a conclusion makes me feel any better.
 
Nothing is all bad or all good. Those feelings are extremely dependent on the circumstances.

Most everyone here has heard the old back and forth saying such and such is bad, no it is good because, no it is bad because, no....

Personally it is easier for me to not make such pronouncements if possible. I think people could have discussions about subjects that culture feels it is taboo. Finding friends who won't judge u for expressing what u truly are. :)
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I often don't understand the reason why I get those feelings. It's from pent up anxiety or frustration over something I can't pinpoint. Some people call it a bad mood, but it's more than that for me - it runs deeper.

Nice thought. I wish it was that simple for me.
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Not a solution but it might give us a second to consider the source before reacting.
 
Suppressing emotion is not a good thing. We need to confront our feelings and try to deal with them. Not so easy to do! I keep dwelling on the past, which serves no purpose except to cause more anger and stress. The trouble is that the way I was treated as a child has affected the way I am now and this still makes me very angry.
 
Th
Babs2u said:
I read somewhere that when a negative thought pops up we should simply say STOP IT!
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That is one way, but I've only used it effectively once in a severe ANT episode. I don't think "STOP IT" always works, I might be wrong. And as pointed out, actually exploring these thoughts can lead to a lot of personal growth. Which is what most therapy is all about.

But Cognitive Behavior Therapy has a strong track record. There the focus is more about changing behavior, rather than thinking deeply first and then changing the behavior. It's especially effective in treating addictive behaviors, or in situations where the issue is not some subconscious misunderstanding causing the behavior, but where the behavior itself is the problem. I think of it as a more direct attack on problems than usual therapy.
 
I have been using CBT for about 15 years. It does help loosen the grip on knee jerk bad behavior also if effective can interrupt a well grooved negative spiral. It is a tool. For me just one of many different tools I carry in my head. :)
 
CBT is criticized as superficial treatment and pays no attention to the deeper traumas and problems
in the mind. It is an off shoot of behaviorism that became popular in Fifties. Hey, if it works, then use it... it is
probably not permanent. Albert Ellis is one of the founders of CBT...for all sorts of negative intruding obsessive thoughts.
 

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