If you read one of my recent blogs about thinking traps and how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help, you know I hinted at a second article with more info. Well, here it is! Before we talk more about thinking traps, let’s do a quick refresh…
Thinking traps are types of cognitive distortions that are irrational or negative and lead to unhelpful thoughts and/or behaviors. Thinking traps often lead people to believe things that aren’t true and then act in unhelpful ways because they believe untrue things. Our brains are powerful organs with powerful abilities to channel fear, anger, or other intense emotions into irrational thoughts and behaviors. My last post covered thinking traps like black and white or all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophizing, mind reading, and minimizing/discouting. In black and white thinking, our brains make it hard for us to see the middle ground and trap us into seeing things as all good or all bad. Catastrophizing happens when we view situations as worse than they really are and mind reading is when we believe we know what others are thinking without them actually telling us. Lastly, minimizing/discounting happens when we minimize or discount our successes leading us to maximize our failures. Okay, refresh: done! (Check out my other post for a more in-depth description of these!). Let’s talk about some other common thinking traps and why CBT in particular is helpful!
Negative Filter
This one is pretty straightforward. When we fall into this trap, the lens through which we see the world is colored negatively (what’s the opposite of rose-colored glasses?) People who fall into this trap often find themselves disregarding or filtering out any positive aspects of a situation and focusing only on the negative aspects. This might lead to an overly pessimistic outlook resulting in a distorted view of the situation which could lead to anxiety or depression. We can challenge this by taking a step back and acknowledging the positive or neutral aspects of a situation. This doesn’t mean that we should try to disregard the negative- some situations have objectively negative components. However, if the negatives in a situation take over our entire viewpoint, we are likely over-emphasizing the negatives.
Perfectionism/Setting Unrealistic Expectations
Perfectionism is more than always being put together or needing everything to be perfectly organized all the time. People who get caught in this trap often believe that it’s a failure to make mistakes and that nothing but perfection will be sufficient. There are several problems with this thinking trap. The first, and most obvious, is that perfection is IMPOSSIBLE! And, in some situations, perfection changes or varies person to person. What I believe is perfect may be different than what you or anyone else does. So, how do we really know if it’s good enough? Slippery slope, isn’t it? People who get caught in this trap may avoid trying new things or may never feel a sense of accomplishment. This thinking trap can lead to anxiety, stress, burnout, and even disconnection from others. We can challenge this thinking by working to reframe our expectations, practice self-compassion, and accept imperfections. One thing I hear a lot is that people believe that if they start to lower their standards and be more accepting of imperfections then they aren’t striving to be better and are accepting complacency. I’ll challenge that right off the bat for you- you can acknowledge successes and be happy with them while still recognizing that there are more goals to achieve. You don’t run a marathon on your first training day. If we don’t acknowledge that achieving small goals along the way is a success, we will never view the final product as a success. There is nothing wrong with saying “that run was hard but I accomplished a 15 mile run! One more step on the road to 26.2!” Needing to continue growing and improving does not invalidate the successes that got you this far!
Why does CBT help with thinking traps?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most commonly used therapeutic modalities. CBT’s most basic tenants suggest that our thoughts and perceptions significantly influence our feelings and behavior and that if we can challenge or change how we perceive thoughts, we can change the resulting feelings and behaviors. Since thinking traps are inaccurate thoughts, CBT is perfect for addressing them. Our thoughts (which aren’t always in our control) impact our feelings which impact our behaviors (see the header image for this blog). CBT helps us recognize when we are having unhelpful thoughts and challenge those thoughts which, in turn, affects our feelings and our behaviors. It’s all connected! By using CBT principles and strategies, these thinking traps don’t stand a chance!
We all experience some of these thinking traps every now and then- we can’t help it, we are human! But if you notice that you’re experiencing significant negative impacts from unhelpful thinking patterns, talk with your therapist! Many CBT strategies are easy to implement and practice and can be used anywhere!
At Cutting Edge Counseling of the North Shore, we're proud to offer our services to clients in Northbrook and the surrounding communities, including Glenview, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wheeling, Northfield, Glencoe, Winnetka, Buffalo Grove, Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, Prospect Heights, Vernon Hills, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, and Des Plaines. Our commitment is to provide personalized and effective therapy to help you achieve your goals.
Written By,
Alyssa Onan, LPC
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