#1: CBT
This is what I wish I read on Reddit or Substack on anxiety. This will be a several-part long series posts. The language is direct and concise.
Understanding this information is not enough - it must be practiced. I sometimes go back in my blog posts for guidance, maybe this could help you down the line, too.
The ABC Model, developed by Albert Ellis and Aaron T. Beck, forms the foundation of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
It explains mental disorders (anxiety, depression, etc.) and emotional distress not as the direct result of events (A-C), but as the result of our beliefs and interpretations of those events (A-B-C).
ABC Formula
A = Event (what happened)
B = Thoughts (belief or interpretation of event)
C = Reaction (emotions and behavior)
We have no control over A - we cannot control what someone says or does when they’re having a bad day, a traffic jam, etc.
We also have very little (if none) control over C - the tears came out of nowhere, the anger rose in your chest, the drop in your stomach.
However, B is the link between what happens and how we respond. It’s made up of our thoughts, perceptions, mental images, and conclusions.
If we think in an A-C way, believing events directly cause reactions - we live powerless.
CBT teaches that by changing B, we can change C.
Examples of B (Thoughts)
Internal self-talk
Labels and judgments
Perceptions
Explanations
Mental images and associations
Self-concept
Images
Stories we tell ourselves
Prejudices and assumptions
Conclusions we draw
In short: B = what you think about A. For brevity, we will simply call them “thoughts.”
Same Event, Different Reactions
People don’t react directly to events - they react to their interpretation (B). People react differently to the same objective event. Several examples below.
If anyone has seen “Your Friends & Neighbors”, Coop’s (B) could have been adjusted…
Same event. Different thoughts. Different reactions.
Beliefs Create Reactions
The cause of our negative emotions is not so much the situations we get into, events or other people - but what we think about them.
Emotions, and consequently behaviours (C), are the result of our views, inner statements, and beliefs (B).
Fortunately, since we can change our thoughts (B), we can change our reactions (C) and experience less negative “uncontrollable” behaviours.
Clear A-B-C thinking means:
Identify the event (A)
Notice your reaction (C)
Understand the thoughts (B) that led to it
Distorted A-C thinking is the belief that we cannot influence our feelings, that they are a direct result of events and situations.
CBT views beliefs like a personal form of “faith.” When beliefs (B) change, emotional reactions (C) change.
CBT is one of the most effective ways to treat:
Fear and anxiety
Depression
Low self-esteem
Addictions
Psychosomatic issues
“If beliefs change, symptoms change. ”
We are born with the potential for both distorted and rational thinking. We also have a choice to help or hinder themselves.
Some live in constant suffering, endlessly repeating the same mistakes.
But by challenging and changing irrational beliefs, we can live more successfully and happily.
Causes of Irrational Beliefs
Irrational beliefs often form in childhood, before we can critically examine them. A person sometimes makes rigid demands of themselves, others, and the world, and if these demands are not met in the past, present, or future, they begin to berate themselves.
CBT groups irrational thoughts (B) into three categories:
Absolute demands on oneself.
Absolute demands on others.
Absolute demands on the world.
When reality doesn’t meet these demands, we may put ourselves down, feel unworthy, or lose hope.
The Power of Thought
Every thought (B) affects:
Your body
Your mood
How fast you react
How you behave
How you handle challenges
Positive thoughts lead to success and happiness. Negative thoughts lead to the opposite.
Next part coming soon.