Quick, Active, Effective: The Benefits of CBT

When your wellness is affected by depression, lying on a sofa and going over every dream or childhood trauma you’ve ever had doesn’t appeal – especially if it’s going to be months or even years before you see any improvement to your wellbeing. Many people with depression take antidepressants, but coming off them can be scary as you don’t know if you’ll end up right back at square one. Luckily, there’s a complementary wellness therapy which may work for you.

 

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) includes a number of related talk therapy techniques which can offer a light at the end of the depression tunnel. According to several studies, the treatment is relatively fast and effective, but the effects of the treatment also have excellent longevity. CBT is based on the concept that, if you’re like many sufferers, your depression is cause by the negative way of thinking you have about the world and yourself, rather than any life circumstances or genetic reasons.

 

Therefore, the goal of CBT is simple; to teach you how to break out of that damaging thinking pattern. CBT does this by showing you how to recognise negative thoughts, test their validity, and replace them with more positive or realistic thoughts. According to the evidence, the benefits of the treatment often occur quickly, even being noticeable after one or two sessions. This is because you realise early on that your own negative thinking is the main culprit behind your depression.

 

If you’re thinking that CBT still sounds a lot like traditional talking therapy, here are three reasons why you’re wrong:

 

1. Time – Traditional talk therapy, or psychoanalysis, can last for years. CBT, on the other hands, lasts for an average of 16 sessions. In fact, your doctor will probably determine how long the therapy will take in advance, right at the beginning of the treatment.

 

2. Set Up – Instead of an hour in which you babble on about whatever memory or topic you like, CBT often involves a plan for each session. This includes a list of the specific techniques and goals you have to cover in that session.

 

3. Take Away – CBT gives you homework more than other forms of therapy, as it requires you to actively identify the triggers of your negative thinking and to “practice” alternative responses. You may be required to keep a thought journal, or even actively schedule a challenging situation for yourself.

Categories: Agenda, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), nbsp, negative thinking, Quick, talk therapy, therapy, Thinking

Shining Positivity into your Negative Corners

We all want to be the best at what we do. The Sherlock in our own brand of expertise – but there is always something stopping you, pulling you back.

From the tedious term “experience” to the deterring “impossibility”, there always seems to be a clause that you’ve missed or disregarded, but always seems to catch up on you. It’s funny however, that the majority of these words often come from yourself.

You’re your life’s biggest critic and ultimately, you can become your own downfall. It goes without saying however that negative thinking is a very serious, but incredibly human, habit that is difficult to kick down once it has made itself known.

It is easy to look in hindsight and think, “I wish that I had done this or that,” – but the truth is that this only holds us back, keeping us in the past, rather than jumping into the future. Of course, the problem then is finding the motivation to do so.

There are 3 ways of overcoming this problem. So, sit back, drink a hot beverage, gnaw on a biscuit and relax:

Ignore that Negative Thinking: It’s easier said than done, but for every negative thought, they are both misleading and untrue. Try to reverse them – experiment and play, as long as you break the cycle of breaking down your confidence. If those negative thoughts come to devour you, turn around and tell them, “Not today.”

Try Out New Things: In the space of 18 months, a man sat down and started drawing for nine hours every day. Each time he practised, the better that he became. It was an entirely new concept, full of possibilities – he is now a very popular artist – all because he attempted something different. The real path to success is not by studying the degree or getting the references, but by doing something that fires up your passion. It is quite common for a lot of people now to be unsure of who they are, what they want to be and why. All it takes is finding what you are truly good at. Take classes, read books, see films – find what grabs you the most within the material. Is it the graphics? The plots? Cookery? Science? The arts? What intrigues you? Find them – maybe your dream career is hiding under your nose.

Internalise the Positive, Use the Negative: Before, it was mentioned that you are your greatest critic. For artists, many take the criticisms as advice – what can you do better, how to improve on what you’re doing and more. Ignore the people that doubt you – reflect upon yourself, write down the negatives if you have to – but then find ways of reversing them.

Everyone makes mistakes – it’s a very human thing to do; but the fear of failure is what tends to drive people down. Believing that you can do something, against all odds, brings respect from your colleagues, the knowledge to survive – and more importantly, trust in yourself.

Shining Positivity into your Negative Corners

Categories: corporate wellness, critic, emotional, ignore, Mental Health, negative, negative thinking, people, positive thinking, Thinking, Wellbeing