Think Good Thoughts: Cognitive Restructuring

By Wayne Douglas Smith Ph.D.

From this book, you are going to discover how to transform your thinking and overhaul your relationships. It won't be easy, but every area of your life will change for the better. This isn't a book about always looking on the bright side of life. There's no technique that can take away all the trials of being alive. But you can learn to take a different approach when you hit a bump in the road.
Every type of therapy is based on a set of assumptions. Cognitive Restructuring is based on the idea that anxiety and depression are caused by incorrect thinking and the negative beliefs we hold about ourselves. Humans are not very good at interpreting situations in a positive way. Our brains are quick to impose some kind of meaning on events that leave us feeling bad. When we have irrational or negative beliefs, we start to tell ourselves stories that make us feel unhappy and anxious; and it becomes easy to fall into the trap of using the same thinking errors over and over again. If you see the world as a hopeless place that offers you nothing but sorrow, your view of everything gets darker and you withdraw from situations that could make you feel better.
The way we see the world affects our behavior. When we view the world through a distorted lens, we won't adopt well to our environment or to life's challenges. If you have anxiety, the stories you tell yourself about life might make you reluctant to go outside and find experiences that are better. But with the right techniques, you can discover why your thinking patterns make you feel bad. You can then choose to change them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098395964

Wayne Douglas Smith Ph.D.

Wayne Douglas Smith studied physics and psychology at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. He received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and was employed as a psychologist for forty years. The book is dedicated to Wayne's beloved mother, Zula Smith. Wayne lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, the environmentalist, Kale Warren.

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Wayne Douglas Smith, Ph.D.

Copyright 2021

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-1-09839-596-4

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

by any means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or by any retrieval system

without permission in writing from the author.

Disclaimer: The author is not engaged in rendering

psychological services through this publication.

Seek expert therapy from a competent professional.

For my beloved mother, Zula Smith

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Using CBT to Overcome Depression

Using CBT to Overcome Anxiety

Using CBT to Overcome OCD

Using CBT to Overcome Apathy

Using CBT to Overcome Procrastination

Using CBT to Overcome Insomnia

Using CBT to Overcome Guilt

Using CBT to Overcome Addiction

Using CBT to Overcome Jealousy

Using CBT to Overcome Criticism

Appendix: Mindfulness

Afterword

Bibliography

About the Author

Foreword

You can change your life by changing your thoughts. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has helped thousands of people repair their self-esteem and overhaul their relationships. CBT shows that it isn’t what happens to us that matters; it’s how we respond that really counts. By challenging unhelpful thoughts, we can give our lives and relationships new meaning.

The approach in this book relies on a form of cognitive behavior therapy, called cognitive restructuring. It is a psychological model that explains why we get stressed and anxious, and what we can do about it. Cognitive restructuring is backed up by a lot of research, and it has proven to be an effective treatment for those with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. It is a potent way in which we can retrain our brains.

You don’t have to be a slave to your negative thoughts. You can reclaim your life and learn how to cope with any setback. Every chapter in this book contains powerful techniques that can transform your life. You’ll be amazed by how productive you will become when you understand how your mind works.

Introduction

Why do some people stay confident through the stormy seas of life, while others spiral into despair when something goes wrong? It comes down to the way the person thinks. Upbeat people know that how you see yourself makes all the difference. They know that to lead a happy life, you need to learn how to get your mind working for you, not against you. You need to learn to think good thoughts.

From this book, you are going to discover how to transform your thinking and overhaul your relationships. It won’t be easy, but every area of your life will change for the better. This isn’t a book about always looking on the bright side of life. There’s no single technique that can take away all the trials of being alive. But you can learn to take a different approach when you hit a bump in the road.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Every type of therapy is based on a set of assumptions. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that anxiety and depression are caused by incorrect thinking and the negative beliefs we hold about ourselves. Humans are not very good at interpreting situations in a positive way. Our brains are quick to impose some kind of meaning on events that leave us feeling bad.

When we have irrational or negative beliefs, we start to tell ourselves stories that make us feel unhappy and anxious. And it becomes easy to fall into the trap of using the same thinking errors over and over again. If you see the world as a hopeless place that offers you nothing but sorrow, your view of everything gets darker and you withdraw from situations that could make you feel better.

The way we see the world affects our behavior (Fenn & Byrne, 2013). When we view the world through a distorted lens, we won’t adopt well to our environment or to life’s challenges. If you have anxiety, the stories you tell yourself about life might make you reluctant to go outside and find experiences that are better. But with the right techniques, you can discover why your thinking patterns make you feel bad. You can then choose to change them.

Although someone’s past might play a role in shaping their cognitive distortions, it is more productive to focus on the present. A therapist might talk about a client’s childhood to work out where their negative core beliefs came from, but they should encourage the client not to dwell on them (Martin, 2019). The exercises in this book don’t require you to analyze your past in much depth.

Albert Ellis

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) began with the work of the American psychologist Albert Ellis (Selva, 2018). In 1955, he proposed his ABC model. He believed that external events don’t automatically trigger negative emotional responses. What really matters is the belief someone has about that event. In