DAVID BURNS’ UNTWISTING THE TEN COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS Dr. Ruth Benjamin Clinical Psychologist

WE BECOME TRAPPED BY OUR OWN DISTORTIONS

IDENTIFY THE DISTORTION WRITE DOWN YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, LOOK AT THE LIST OF THE TEN COGNATIVE DISTORTIONS AND SEE IF YOUR THOUGHTS FIT INTO ONE OR MORE OF THE CATEGORIES

EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE IF YOU FEEL YOU’VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING RIGHT, MAKE A LIST – AND BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF, OF ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE REALLY DONE SUCCESSFULLY

WATCH OUT FOR A DOUBLE STANDARD INSTEAD OF BEING HARSH WITH YOURSELF, YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOURSELF AND ABOUT YOURSELF IN THE SAME COMPASSIONATE WAY AS YOU WOULD TO A FRIEND

USE THE EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUE TEST THE VALIDITY OF YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHT. LET’S SAY YOU HAVE A FEAR OF BEING HURT IN AN ELEVATOR,. GO INTO AN ELEVATOR AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. HOLD YOUR BREATH, JUMP UP AND DOWN, AND YOU’LL SEE THAT NO HARM WILL COME TO YOU.

THINK IN SHADES OF GREY EVALUATE THINGS ON A SCALE OF O – 1OO. DON’T VIEW PROBLEMS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND RELATIONSHIPS IN EXTREME TERMS.

EMPLOY THE SURVEY METHOD ASK PEOPLE QUESTIONS TO SEE IF YOUR THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES ARE REALISTIC. “IS EVERYONE NERVOUS BEFORE PUBLIC SPEAKING OR IS IT ONLY ME?”

DEFINE YOUR TERMS WHEN YOU LABEL YOURSELF A LOSER YOU CAN ASK YOURSELF “WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A LOSER?” YOU MAY SEE THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING.

USE THE SEMANTIC METHOD SUBSTITUTE MILDER AND MORE REALISTIC TERMS FOR YOUR EMOTIONALLY COLOURED LANGUAGE.

PRACTICE REATTRIBRUTION INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMING YOU’RE AT FAULT AND BLAMING YOURSELF FOR A CERTAIN PROBLEM, SEE WHAT ELSE CONTRIBUTED TO CREATING THAT PROBLEM AND THEN DIRECT YOUR ENERGY INTO SOLVING IT. THERE IS NO POINT IN BLAMING YOURSELF AND FEELING GUILTY.

DO A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS LIST THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF A FEELING (SUCH AS GETTING ANGRY WHEN YOUR PLANE IS LATE) OR A BEHAVIOR PATTERN (SUCH AS OVEREATING WHEN YOU ARE FEELING DEPRESSED) OR A NEGATIVE THOUGHT (SUCH AS NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY I ALWAYS MAKE A MESS OF THINGS’ )

BY USING BURN’S TECHNIQUES AS TO HOW TO UNTWIST OUR THINKING WE CAN BE MASTERS OF OUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS INSTEAD OF OUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS BEING MASTERS OVER US.