SUNSHOWERPRINTABLES Blog Update: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy "Starting a New Chapter - Chapter 1"

Feeling Good - Chapter 1 (review)

I'm proud to say that I did my homework and phew, it's been awhile since I've said that!  

Previously, I posted that I was starting the "365 Days of Self-Care" challenge and as a part of that challenge, I would be working through the national bestseller Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. 

Well, I made it through the first chapter of the book and I've decided to do a short review/rating after every chapter in order to hold myself accountable. You see… depression has a way of stripping people of their motivation and concentration. So I have transformed over time from an avid bookworm to a lazy couch potato. I have been unable to read an entire book for months... my mind wanders and my eyes glaze over. It is incredibly frustrating to lose touch with one of my favorite hobbies. But I'm still trying... even if it is only a page per day, I am determined to work my way through this CBT workbook and reframe my pessimistic thought process.

Therefore, I made myself push through Chapter One and focus as best I could. Thankfully, I believe I understand the gist of it. 

Like any first chapter for a research-intensive self-help book, these pages introduced an exciting and promising type of therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Essentially, CBT is the technique of reframing your thought process in order to reframe your emotional standing. 

“The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your ‘cognitions,’ or thoughts” (Burns, 12). I feel the way I do because I think the way I do. And since most of my thoughts are negative, it only makes sense that the second principle is “that when you are feeling depressed, your thoughts are dominated by a pervasive negativity” (Burns, 12). The third and final principle states, “that twisted thinking is a major cause of your suffering” (Burns, 13). According to these principles, my negative thoughts are actually the cause of my depressed emotions and not the result! 

It’s hard for me to accept that my pessimistic and negative outlook on life is fundamentally incorrect. If anything, I always believed that depression allowed me to see life more clearly. While others slogged through life worrying about mundane problems, I looked past the everyday and accepted the fact that all people die. So I asked the very question that depression makes everyone consider… 

“What’s the point?” 

Of course, I recognized that this thought process is dangerous and potentially harmful, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I understood life better than optimistic individuals. Now I’ve decided to at least open my mind to the possibility that my negative thoughts should change, even if they can’t at this exact moment in time (yet). I suppose that is the first step to CBT –realizing that it’s at least worth a try! 

So, with an equal combination of pessimism and hope, I look forward to reading the next chapter! 

P.S. Day 2 of 365 - Evaluated my depression score using the Burns Depression Inventory. Currently at 62 out of 100 which is classified as severe. However, I'm still feeling optimistic! 

Wish me luck! 

Lexie

*Photography from Pexels and used under CC0 license.

**Original article posted March 25, 2017 by Lexie on the official SunshowerPrintables blog.