runchierun

I was thinking that it would be very helpful to find out how one goes about
trying to change a spontaneous automatic thought which is there everytime they
dont want it to be there. Like me with my eye contact problem. Like everytime
someone talks and i look up - my responce is to have the unwanted thought and
feel the wavering panic/anxiety until i can rationalise it and control it.

How would one go about trying to change an ingrained habit like this - I know
not to do it - but i do.

Regards Karen

grigoruk89

shyness is an emotion. practice controlling your emotions by putting
yourself in a lions cage and be fearless as it eats you.

gilgamesh

Hi


I have tried two techniques that have helped me.

The first method is meditation, which actually lets you pay attention to all
the automatic thoughts in your mind. The more you practice, the more you´ll
be able to recognize your thoughts when they happen.

The second method is via CBT. Cognitibe behavioral therapy very much centers
around the fact that you have a lot of automatic thoughts and beliefs about
yourself(which often aren´t true). Again you learn to recognize them and
deal with them in a proper way.

But unfortunately there are no quick fixes.

Best of luck

Lars

frank_bogus

irrational thoughts in order to put them into question. It takes a lot
of practice. Also, you have to expose yourself to the anxiety until it
reaches the highest level. After that, if you expose yourself long
enough, it should start to lower. Then you have to repeat it and the
"curve of anxiety" should start to be less and less high in the futur
situations.

François

grigoruk89

you just made this up. why say such rubbish. shrinks have treated
neurotics for hundreds of years with no success with no success.

richard james

He must be pretty smart if he made that up since it is just a summary of how
congnitive behaviour therapy works. Why are you so obsessed with
psychiatrists?

Do you believe that a cure is impossible. (no success with no success)

Richard

affinity

Thus spake runchierun@aol.com (Karen):


There are various CBT strategies that can be used to identify and change
automatic thinking. While there's plenty of information and resources
about CBT online, I would recommend getting in touch with a trained
psychologist who specializes in anxiety disorders and has experience
with CBT.

Initially, CBT will help you identify your automatic thoughts through
the use of 'thought records'. Once you can clearly see how you are
thinking on paper, it will be easier to step back and assess your
automatic thinking from a more objective standpoint.

From this, you may discover that there are a few triggering or "hot"
thoughts that pop up time and time again. This will enable you to
isolate the areas of your internal dialog that trigger the most anxiety
for you and, hopefully, help you to see that there are other ways of
looking at things.

EXAMPLE:

First rate your current mood (from 1-10, with 10 being the most anxious
and depressed) and then write down your hot thought and then evidence
that supports that particular hot thought:

Mood: depressed (8/10) and anxious (7/10)

Hot thought: 'No one likes me'

Evidence that supports hot thought: 'Yesterday at school no one saved me
a seat at assembly.'

Rate how much you believe this hot thought to be true: (9/ 10)

Then you will be asked to write down evidence that contradicts your hot
thought:

Evidence that contradicts hot thought: 'Jane and Mary usually save me a
seat. The assembly yesterday was unexpected and students were asked to
sit in their home groups. Jane and Mary are usually friendly to me and
have invited me to their house after school on many occasions.'

Next you will be asked for an alternative or balanced thought:

Alternative or balanced thought: 'Jane and Mary show evidence of liking
me because they often want me to sit with them and include me in their
activities. Perhaps I am likable after all.'

Rate how much you believe this to be true: (6/10)

After reviewing the above information and comparing the evidence to
support and contradict your hot thought, assess your current mood and
reassess how much you believe in the validity of your original hot
thought:

Mood: depressed (5/10) and anxious (4/10)

Hot thought: 'No one likes me'
Based on the above evidence rate how much you now believe this to be
true: (4/ 10)

----------------------------------

More information:

Online CBT - Australian National University:
http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/

'Mind over Mood'
Dennis Greenberger, Christine A. Padesky
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/boo...=9780898621280