CBT

COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your emotional difficulties by changing the way you think and behave.

It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression. CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are all linked, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.

CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts. The aim is to change negative patterns to improve the way you feel.

CBT deals with your current problems, rather than focussing on issues from your past; it looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis. Even if you don’t have your own CBT therapist, you can help make a difference to your life by using the key ideas of CBT yourself.

The Thought Record on the right can help you to reflect on how you emotionally and practically respond to situations, and find different ways to think about things which can then improve the way you feel and act.

Look at the examples given in the “Alternate Thoughts” column. If you open your mind to other possibilities, for example that the person that you said ‘hi’ to just didn’t hear you, or that they were in their own world and didn’t see you, or they were having a really bad day themselves, there is more chance you won’t feel such strong negative emotions and won’t behave in the way you would have done that probably wouldn’t benefit anyone, including yourself.

Why don’t you give it a try? You can make your own once you fill this one up.

THOUGHT RECORD

SITUATION THOUGHTS EMOTIONS

e.g. You say ‘hi’ to someone as you pass them in a corridor but they don’t reply “Why are they ignoring me?” “What is wrong with me?” “Do they think they are better than me?” Upset Angry Frustrated Helpless

BEHAVIOURS

Take my emotions out on other people Doubt myself and lower my self esteem Start a fight with them?

ALTERNATE THOUGHT/S

“Maybe they didn’t hear me?” “Maybe they were in their own world and didn’t see me?” “Maybe they are having a really bad day?”