My Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journey // Breaking the Cycle of Negative Thought Patterns // Week 1
psychology·@isaria·
0.000 HBDMy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journey // Breaking the Cycle of Negative Thought Patterns // Week 1
<center>  </center> <center>  </center> # <center> *My Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journey // Week 1* </center> <br> I have been dealing with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression for most of my life and I’ve been having a particularly difficult time over the last year. I met with a friend the other night who happens to be a counselor and she suggested Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I have actually been wanting to try CBT for many years because I feel that I need tools and a process to change my negative and self destructive thought patterns. I haven’t been able to afford it due to lack of insurance so my friend gave me a 6 step CBT packet which I will be working through on my own. Since I joined Steemit 3 months ago, I have let other areas of my life slide. I have put all my eggs in the Steemit basket. This is causing me to feel self-imposed pressure and is taking away from the joy of my Steemit experience and life in general so I need to step back and put some of my eggs in some other baskets. I’m going to be using scheduling and time management skills to create a more balanced life by making time for my esoteric work, housework, finances, eating healthy, exercising, spending time with my family, and outside activities. For the last few months I haven’t done any of my esoteric work. I have seriously contemplated quitting the esoteric order that I’m in many times. But I had a realization the other day: I’ve been feeling such low energy and depression which is causing me to not want to do any of the esoteric work, but I am feeling this low energy because I am not doing the work. Quitting the work is not the answer. Balance is the answer, along with breaking the cycle of negative thought patterns. So, this week I am starting my Cognitive Behavioral Therapy journey and I will be documenting the process here on the blockchain for accountability purposes since I’ll be doing it on my own. Hopefully it can help other people as well. <center>  </center> # <center> What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? </center> <br> "Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving. Its goal is to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are behind people's difficulties, and so change the way they feel." <center>  </center> <br> <center>  </center> # <center> *The Four Questions* </center> <br> I mentioned my plans for CBT during the **Darkside Show** and my friend @Aggroed suggested that I check out [“The Work of Byron Katie”](http://thework.com/sites/thework/downloads/worksheets/instructions_for_thework.pdf) He sent me a list of questions from her program to consider in order to challenge negative thoughts and self doubt. #### The Four Questions: 1. Is it true? (Yes or no. If no, move to 3.) 2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? (Yes or no.) 3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? 4. Who would you be without the thought? <br> ### I’m going to choose a common negative thought of mine and work through the process of these questions: <br> ### *“Nobody likes me”* <br> **1. Is it true?** Maybe. It’s possible. I don’t know. **2. Can I absolutely know that it’s true?** No. I may feel that way emotionally, but it isn’t logical. If nobody liked me I wouldn’t have any friends that offer support, I wouldn’t have a husband who loves me, my students would quit their lessons, I wouldn’t have conversations with people that involved laughter, my esoteric group would likely request that I leave, and my cats wouldn’t show me love. **3. How do I react, what happens, when you believe that thought?** When I believe that nobody likes me I feel sadness, isolation, frustration, anxiety, and fear. I may react in ways that are defensive. I may even take an offensive position by trying to control the situation and pushing others away so that I don’t end up getting hurt first. Or I may wonder how anyone could like me when I don't even like myself. All these reactions then cause me feel even more sadness, anxiety, and isolation. **4. Who would you be without the thought?** The thought “nobody likes me” is black and white thinking. In challenging this thought, I don’t want to replace it with the other extreme of “everybody likes me” because that is just as illogical. So, I will find some balance with the thought, “many people like me” which causes me to feel relaxed, content, and at peace. <br> I was reading through “The Work by Byron Katie” and there was a quote that I found interesting: ***“When you can honestly look forward to experiences that have been uncomfortable, there is no longer anything to fear in life: you see everything as a gift that can bring you self-realization.”*** <br> <center>  </center> # <center> *Goals for Week 1* </center> <br> My goal for this week is to do my best to be aware of my thoughts and challenge any negative thoughts before they turn into negative emotions. I will also read through the CBT packet and begin step 1 of the process. <center>  </center> <center> *Thank you for your support!* @isaria </center>  <br> <center> Proud member and supporter of the Minnow Support Project - brought to you by @aggroed, @ausbitbank, @teamsteem, and @canadian-coconut </center> <center>  </center>
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