Fifteen Ways To Untwist Your Thinking

Fifteen Ways To Untwist Your Thinking

Break Down of Methodology:
A) Method
B) Description of this method
C) How to use this method / Questions to ask yourself
D) Types of Distortions

1.
A) Identify the Distortions.
B) After you write down your negative thoughts, use the distorted thinking chart checklist to identify the distortion in each.
C) "What are the distortions in this thought?"
D) Any

2.
A) The Straightforward Approach
B) Substitute a more positive and realistic thought.
C) "Is this negative thought really true? Is there another way to look at this situation?"
D) Any

3.
A) The Cost-Benefit Analysis
B) List the advantages and disadvantages of a negative feeling, thought, belief, or behavior (like getting angry when you're stuck in traffic), a negative thought (like "I'm a loser"), or a self defeating belief (like "I should try to be perfect")
C) "What are the advantages and disadvantages of believing this (or feeling like this)? How will this attitude help me, and how will it hurt me?"
D) Any

4.
A) The Double Standard Technique
B) Instead of putting yourself down, talk to yourself in the same compassionate way you might talk to a dear friend who was upset.
C) "would I say such harsh things to a friend with a similar problem? What would I say to him or her?
D) Any

5.
A) Examine the Evidence.
B) Instead of assuming that a Negative Thought is true, examine the actual evidence for it.
C) "What are the facts? What do the data really show?"
D) Jumping to conclussions; emotional reasoning; discounting the positives

6.
A) The Survey Method
B) Do a survey to find out if your thoughts and attitudes are realistic. If you believe that public speaking anxiety is abnormal, ask several friends if they ever felt that way.
C) "How do other people think and feel about this?"
D) Jumping to conclussions

7.
A) The Experimental Method
B) Do an experiment to test the accuracy of your Negative Thought, in much the same way that a scientist would test a theory
C) "How could I test this negative thought to find out if its really true?"
D) Jumping to conclussions

8.
A) The Pleasure-Predicting Method
B) Predict how satisfying activities will be, from 0% to 100%. Record how satisfying they turn out to be.
C) This technigue can help you get moving when you feel lethartgic. It can also be used to test self defeating beliefs, such as "If I'm alone, I'm bound to feel miserable."
D) fortune telling; emotional reasoning

9.
A) The Vertical Arrow Technique
B) Instead of disputing your negative through, you draw a vertical arrow under your Negative Thought and ask why it would be upsetting if it was true. You will generate a series of negative thoughts what will lead to your underlying beliefs
C) "If this thought was true, why would it be upsetting me? Whatt would it mean to me?"
D) Any

10.
A) Thinking in Shades of Gray.
B) Instead of thinking about your problems in black-and-white categories, evaluate things in shades of gray.
C) When things don't work out well as you hoped, think about the experience as a partial success. Try to pinpoint your errors instead of thinking of yourself as a total failure.
D) all or nothing thinking

11.
A) Define Terms.
B) When you label yourself as "inferior" or "a fool" or "a loser," ask yourself what you mean by these labels. You will feel better when you see there is no such things as a fool or loser. Foolish behavior exists but fools do not.
C) "What is the defintion of a loser?" "Twhat is the definition of an inferior human being?" "When I say I am hopless, what claim am I making? What is my definition of someone who is hopeless?"
D) Labeling, All or nothing thinking

12.
A) Be Specific.
B) Stick with reality and avoid judgments about reality.
C) Instead of thinking of yourself as totally defective, focus on your specific strengths and weaknesses.
D) Overgeneralization, all or nothing thinking

13.
A) The Semantic Method.
B) You substitute language that is less colorful or emotionally loaded for "should" statements and labeling.
C) Instead of telling yourself, "I shouldn't mave made that mistake," you can tell yourself, "it would be better if I hadn't made a mistake."
D) Labeling; "should" statements

14.
A) Reattribution
B) Instead of blaming yourself for a problem, think about all the factors that may have contributed to it. Focus on solving the problem instead of using all your energy blaming yourself and feeling guilty.
C) "What caused this problem? What did I contribute and what did other people (or life) contribute? What Can I learn from this situation?"
D) all or nothing thinking, blaming

15.
A) The Acceptance Paradox
B) Instead of defending yourself against your own self-criticisms, find truth in them and accept your shortcomings.
C) "Do I feel indadequate? I have many inadequacies. There are things about me that could be improved."
D) Any