#cognitive-behavioral-therapy

#cognitive-behavioral-therapy

One of my earliest cognitive therapy patients asked if we'd spend time exploring his past. He thought we might find patterns that would explain his depression. I was taken aback. I had just discovered a set of powerful, active techniques that helped people change how they felt in the here-and-now. As a psychiatric resident, I had seen that endless venting without specific techniques for change led to little or no relief.

When I was training as a therapist, I learned the theories of healing that I was expected to know. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) both appealed to me and rubbed me the wrong way. (CBT is a therapy that focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors into more adaptive, helpful ones.) On one hand, it offered structure and practical tools. On the other hand, language like core schemas made people sound like science projects, and cognitive distortions often felt shaming to me.

I have less energy. My mood is lower and I'm more irritable. I sometimes procrastinate and avoid social activities. I'm distracted and it's harder to focus. Things don't seem to interest me very much and stuff that used to bring me a sense of pleasure just doesn't. I feel sluggish even though I'm sleeping more than usual, and by the time winter sets in, I'm really depressed.

unrealistic, not very evidence based-just designed to make you feel good,

To address hoarding, begin with the main principle: Your emotions and behaviors come from your thinking about situations, not from the situations themselves.This is good news! When your emotions or behaviors are undesirable, you're not defeated. You can identify the beliefs causing these emotions and behaviors and then change your thinking. So the first step in diagnosing a hoarding problem involves identifying the irrational thinking that's behind it.

As a Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist, I see firsthand how challenging it is for many patients to acclimate to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines. Insomnia can be a major barrier to CPAP success.

Emotional regulation is vital for maintaining psychological stability, as it involves monitoring our state of mind and understanding our emotional triggers.

What if my relationship ends? These persistent worries can lead us to spiral into anxious thoughts that keep us awake, compounding stress and preventing restful sleep.

One of McAllen's central critiques of internal family systems therapy is the lack of research behind it.

If you ruminate habitually, you might also ask yourself, was there a time when rumination was helpful to you or would have been? Maybe you grew up in a home where outbursts were common, and reflecting on your "mistakes" repeatedly gave you an illusion of power to avoid someone's wrath.

Rejection sensitivity refers to the overwhelming tendency to see rejection where it doesn’t exist, affecting interpersonal relationships significantly.

Intrusive thoughts are incredibly common among new mothers, often accompanied by anxiety. They typically indicate anxiety rather than a reflection of one's parenting abilities.

Retroactive jealousy involves obsessive thoughts about a partner's past, leading to distress and compulsive behaviors similar to those found in OCD.