Читать книгу Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Dummies - Rob Willson - Страница 37

Figuring out which thinking errors you tend to make the most can be a useful way of making your CBT self-help more efficient and effective. The simplest way of doing this is to record your thoughts whenever you feel upset and note what was happening at the time. Remember the maxim: When you feel bad, put your thoughts on the pad! See Chapter 3 for more on managing unhelpful thoughts by writing them down (or recording them on your phone or tablet).

You can then review your thoughts against the list of thinking errors in this chapter. Write down beside each unhelpful thought the specific thinking error you’re most probably making. With practice you can get better at spotting your thinking errors and challenging them. In all probability, you may notice that you’re more prone to making some errors than others; therefore, you know which alternative styles of thinking to develop.

You may also become aware of patterns or themes in the kinds of situations or events that trigger your negative thoughts. These can also help you to focus on the areas in which your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes need the most work.