Depression: Dealing with unhelpful thoughts Macquarie University Counselling Service, Campus Wellbeing Level 2 Lincoln Building C8A 9850 7497 counselling@mq.edu.au http://www.campuslife.mq.edu.au/campus-wellbeing/counselling Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness Irritability, restlessness Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex Fatigue and decreased energy COUNSELLING Footer to SERVICE be inserted here 1 Contributors to Mental Health Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping Overeating, or appetite loss Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment Any significant mental health problem involves on-going interactions amongst: Biological factors genes, current biological state Psychological factors cognitions (thoughts & schemas), affect (feelings & moods), overt behaviours Social factors immediate social environment & culture Psychological Biological Mental Health Social Early Experiences Core beliefs Five targets in the present the here and now Underlying assumption Critical incident Environment Activate assumptions Thoughts Thoughts Biology Behavior Feelings Behaviour Mood Physical 1
The influence of thoughts Early experiences lead people to develop core beliefs From core beliefs unhelpful assumptions are generated that organize perception and govern behavior Critical incidents can trigger our internal assumptions or rules This commonly leads to the experience of negative automatic thoughts or self-talk, which can have a knock on effect to mood, behavior and physiology Automatic negative thoughts or self-talk Most accessible level of cognition/thinking These repetitive internal words, phrases, images and meanings drive our here & now experiences & emotional responses e.g. I can t face the day. Why get up? There s nothing to live for! Automatic thoughts or Automatic errors? A lot of automatic thoughts our minds turn to in moments of negative mood or high stress are tainted by bias or apply impossible rules or assumptions. These thinking errors are irrational patterns of thinking that cause you to feel bad, and sometimes to act in self-defeating ways. Whenever you find yourself feeling upset (e.g. anxious, angry, depressed, resentful, guilty, ashamed, etc) look for any thinking errors that might be contributing to the way you feel. 1. Black-and-white thinking When you're thinking in black-and-white, you see everything in terms of being good or bad. Either you're great, or you're a loser; if you don't look like a model you must be ugly; if you do something wrong then you are completely bad. You see everything as either good or bad, with no in-betweens. THE CHALLENGE: Look for shades of grey It is important to avoid thinking about things in terms of extremes. Most things aren't black-and-white - usually they are somewhere inbetween. Is it really so bad, or am I seeing things in black-and-white? How else can I think about the situation? Am I taking an extreme view? 2. Unreal ideal / unfair to compare Another common thinking error is making unfair comparisons between certain individuals and yourself. When you do this, you compare yourself with people who have a specific advantage in some area. Making unfair comparisons can leave you feeling inadequate and not OK. THE CHALLENGE: Stop making unfair comparisons Am I comparing myself with people who have a particular advantage? Am I making fair comparisons? 2
3. Personalising - The self-blame game When you personalise, you feel responsible for anything that goes wrong, even when it's not your fault or responsibility. THE CHALLENGE: Don't personalise It's important to consider that not everything is your fault or your responsibility. Most things have more than one cause. Am I really to blame? Is this all about me? What other explanations might there be for this situation? 4. Filtering When you filter you do two things: 1. You focus on the negative aspects of your situation. 2. You ignore or dismiss all the positive aspects. THE CHALLENGE: Consider the whole picture Am I looking at the negatives, while ignoring the positives? Is there a more balanced way to look at this? 5. Mind-reading We often think we know what other people are thinking. We assume that others are focused on our faults and weaknesses - but this is often wrong! THE CHALLENGE: Don't assume that you know what others are thinking Ask Yourself: What is the evidence? How do I know what other people are thinking? Just because I assume something, does that mean I'm right? 6. Catastrophising When you catastrophise, you exaggerate the consequences when things go wrong, and you imagine that things are or will be disastrous. THE CHALLENGE: Decatastrophise What's the worst thing that can happen? What's the best thing that can happen? What's the most likely to happen? Will this matter in five years time? Is there anything good about the situation? Is there any way to fix the situation? 7. Overgeneralising When you overgeneralise you exaggerate the frequency of negative things in your life, like mistakes, disapproval and failures. Typically you might think to yourself: 'I always make mistakes' or 'Everyone thinks I'm stupid'. THE CHALLENGE: Be specific Am I overgeneralising? What are the facts, and what are my interpretations? 8. Labelling When you use labelling you might call yourself (or other people) names. Instead of being specific (e.g. 'That was a silly thing to say') you make negative generalisations about yourself or other people (e.g 'I am ugly', 'I am dumb', 'I'm a loser', I'm boring'; 'She is an idiot'; 'He's a creep'). THE CHALLENGE: Stick to the facts What are the facts and what are my interpretations? Just because there is something that I'm not happy with, does that mean that I'm totally no good? 3
8. Labelling When you use labelling you might call yourself (or other people) names. Instead of being specific (e.g. 'That was a silly thing to say') you make negative generalisations about yourself or other people (e.g 'I am ugly', 'I am dumb', 'I'm a loser', I'm boring'; 'She is an idiot'; 'He's a creep'). THE CHALLENGE: Stick to the facts What are the facts and what are my interpretations? Just because there is something that I'm not happy with, does that mean that I'm totally no good? 9. Can t standitis Some people get very intolerant when they have to do things they don't enjoy (e.g. studying). They tell themselves that they can't stand certain things instead of just acknowledging that they don't enjoy them. As a result, they very easily become frustrated and angry. THE CHALLENGE: Accept that frustration is a normal part of life, and that we can't always get what we want Remind yourself: I don't enjoy it, but I can stand it. This is a hassle, and that's OK! Life is full of hassles. 10. Shoulds, musts and have tos We commonly try to motivate ourselves with should and shouldn t, as if we have to be whipped and punished before we can be expected to do anything. Musts and have tos are also offenders. The emotional consequences can be guilt, anger, frustration, and resentment. It is very hard to feel as though you have achieved something if you approach it from the should, must or have to perspective. THE CHALLENGE: When approaching activities acknowledge your role in choosing to take part. Remind yourself: I could have chosen not to do this. Choosing to do this task is fulfilling a need or want for me. CAUTION Sometimes when we turn to reality and face the facts of a situations, we really do find out we are in a not so fantastic situation. e.g. when someone dies or when a relationship breaks down. We have to be aware that when certain things happen, negative feelings are part of the process and don t need to be challenged. Some feelings need to be experienced for us to move on beyond the negative moment. REMEMBER!! Whenever you are feeling bad, try to become aware of your thoughts. If they are negative or critical, have a go at challenging them. Once you get into the habit of disputing your negative self-talk you'll find it easier to handle difficult situations, and as a result, you'll feel less stressed and more confident and in control. It is commonly helpful to write your negative thoughts down and actively work on challenging the integrity and reality of those thoughts. Please be aware some negative thoughts will require extra help in the challenging process and the psychologists at the counselling service are available for a face to face session to discuss matters. GENERAL PRINCIPLES Stick to the facts Are your automatic thoughts helping you? Are you confusing your feelings with the facts? Just because you are feeling something is true does not mean your perceptions are correct? 4
PROTECTIVE INGREDIENTS Exposure to reportable positive events Leave your home. E.g. Social activities join a club, sporting team or society through U@MQ + always check out the What s On calendar of events in the centre of the grapeshot magazine. Exercise + healthy eating positive self image. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ANY QUESTIONS? Macquarie University Counselling Service, Campus Wellbeing Level 2 Lincoln Building C8A 9850 7497 counselling@mq.edu.au http://www.campuslife.mq.edu.au/campus-wellbeing/counselling COUNSELLING Footer to be SERVICE inserted here 27 5