 For the next few blog entries, I thought it might be helpful to do a series on cognitive therapy. In short, the word cognitive typically refers to thoughts. Consequently, cognitive theory refers to the way thoughts influence the way we feel and/or behave. Cognitive therapy involves challenging and changing thoughts in order to feel and/or behave differently. Connecting Situations, Thoughts, and Emotions Typically, connecting thoughts, feelings, and events constitutes the first step in cognitive therapy. Some refer to these as the “ABCs,” which traditionally stand for Antecedent (situation preceding the emotional reaction), Belief (thoughts about the situation that cause the particular emotion), and Consequence (emotional reaction to the situation). For one reason or another, people often get confused when using the ABC language; consequently, I sometimes use the acronym “STE.” While not as catchy as ABC, STE may help you accurately identify the Emotions that result from your Thoughts about particular Situations. Situation The situation can involve internal and/or external experiences that lead to a particular emotion. When identifying the situation, try to keep the description absent of interpretation, limited to one event, and somewhat concise. For example, can you eliminate the extraneous information in the following scenarios in order to arrive at a concise description of a situation? “Chuck didn’t call again; he always does this because he’s trying to play games.” “I’m an idiot for not looking up directions earlier in the week.” “I visited my sister in Tulsa and she told me that I never do anything for the kids, which is ridiculous because I have done so many things for them. I buy them clothes, visit 4 times a year, and call every other week. I know I’m their favorite aunt.” If one strips away the extraneous information, the situations above could be described more objectively, concisely, and with a present focus: “Chuck didn’t call.” “I’m lost.” “My sister told me that I never do anything for the kids.” The description of the situation answers the question: “What is happening?” Specifically, the goal is to describe the factual details to which you are reacting. For instance, Chuck may or may not be playing games. The only fact is that he did not call. With regard to the woman visiting her sister, while a number of events occurred, she is likely reacting to her sister’s comment and not the visit to Tulsa.  Thoughts For the purpose of identifying STEs, thoughts are the beliefs you have about a particular situation. Often times, the thoughts occur so quickly they seem automatic. By learning to identify these thoughts, you actively choose to make maladaptive thought patterns less automatic. Consequently, a person can create space for a different interpretation when deliberately attending to such automatic thoughts. When identifying thoughts, you answer the question “How am I interpreting this situation?” In preparing to challenge maladaptive thoughts (a later blog entry), it can be helpful to write them in complete sentences and avoid questions. If you notice yourself thinking in questions, it might benefit you to identify the statement that underlies the question. These tips can be difficult to implement, but generally result in more effective change. Lastly, be sure that you are identifying actual thoughts and not merely describing the thought. For instance, if a person believes “I am disgusting,” that individual would then identify “I am disgusting” as the thought and not something like “low self-esteem” or “self-disgust.” Consider the following thoughts the individuals may have identified about their situations above. Try to apply the aforementioned tips to these thoughts: “Why does Chuck keep playing these games? He obviously doesn’t love me.” “Anger that I’m such an idiot.” “I’m never visiting my sister again.” In the first example, the writer wrote one of her thoughts in the form of a question. The belief that underlies “Why does Chuck keep playing these games?” is that “Chuck keeps playing games.” In fact, the writer identified two thoughts, either of which can be challenged later on in therapy: “Chuck keeps playing games.” “Chuck doesn’t love me.” (likely the more problematic thought) In the second example, the writer actually identified an emotion as well as a thought. Can you identify the thought? The third example is likely one of many thoughts that arose for the woman visiting her sister. For instance, she may have also believed “my sister is ungrateful” or “I can’t meet anyone’s expectations.” Consequently, while she may have resolved “I’m never visiting my sister again,” it might be a safe assumption that another thought contributed more so to the unpleasant emotions she felt toward visiting her sister. What do you think might be some other possibilities? Emotions One of the major problems some individuals face with identifying emotions involves the inability to label feelings with words (also called alexithymia). If you are a person with alexithymia, it might be a good first step to practice using words to express emotions. Start with basic emotions like happy, sad, angry, afraid, stressed, disgusted, etc. and then consult a more complex list. Spend several minutes a few times a day taking an emotional inventory to identify feelings you are experiencing in that moment. Once you get more comfortable identifying emotions, begin employing the method of identifying STEs. Notice the emotion(s) that you have in reaction the situation and/or the interpretation you made about the situation. It should be noted that I use the word emotion over feeling because people often make statements like “I feel that you’re not listening” or “I feel like he hates me.” Such statements actually represent thoughts and not feelings. When I identifying emotions, try to stick to one word (i.e., happy, sad, disgusted, angry, etc.). What emotions do you think the people in the above examples might experience given their interpretations of events? Putting It All Together Generally speaking, when starting to identify STEs, the most helpful approach can be to begin with the emotions and end with the thoughts. The following questions may help: What am I feeling? (What emotion am I having right now?) What is happening to make me feel that way? What am I thinking about the situation to make me feel that emotion? Example One: Situation: Chuck didn’t call. Thought: “He doesn’t love me.” Emotion: Sadness Hurt OR Situation: Chuck didn’t call. Thought: “He’s playing games.” Emotion: Anger Example Two: Situation: I am lost. Thought: “I’m an idiot.” Emotion: Anger Regret Disappointment Example Three: Situation: I visited my sister and she told me I don’t do enough for the kids. Thoughts: “She doesn’t appreciate me.” Emotion: Anger Resentful OR Situation: I visited my sister and she told me I don’t do enough for the kids. Thoughts: “I’m a terrible person.” Emotion: Depression In these examples, you might be able to see how each person’s thoughts can greatly affect his/her emotions and that different interpretations of the same situations might lead to different and possibly more pleasant feelings. Practice When a strong emotion arises, attempt to notice the situation that caused the feeling. Next, identify the thought that caused the emotional reaction. Consult the above information for guidance. ------------------------ Disclaimer: The content of this site is for informational purposes only and it is not intended to be and should not be used in place of the advice of your physician and/or other healthcare provider. Ross Psychology does not offer advice, nor should its contents be considered clinical advice. Should you have any healthcare related questions please contact your physician or other healthcare provider promptly. Comments Comments are closed. | AuthorDr. Bridgett Ross is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and owner of Ross Psychology.
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