4.5.1.1 Identifying Negative Thoughts

• How can negative thoughts influence behavior in job applications?

  They may lead to avoiding job applications
• What might a person with negative thoughts think about an exam?

  "I'll fail no matter what"
• Why is it important to recognize negative thought patterns?

  • Helps challenge and change them
  • Can improve mental well-being
  • Encourages healthier thinking habits
• How do automatic thoughts typically manifest?

  In phrases like "I should" or "I need to"
• What does personalization involve in negative thought patterns?

  Blaming yourself for everything
• How do automatic thoughts differ from conscious thoughts?

  Automatic thoughts occur spontaneously, conscious thoughts are planned
• What is overgeneralization in negative thought patterns?

  Making broad conclusions from a single event
• What are automatic thoughts?

  Quick, spontaneous ideas that arise unconsciously
• What are two forms of jumping to conclusions?

  Mind reading and fortune telling
• What is blaming?

  Placing blame for relationship issues on your partner instead of sharing the responsibility for actions taken by both partners. You assume the victim mentality and think everything they do is to hurt you.
• What impact can constant negative automatic thoughts have on a person?

  They can contribute to feelings of depression
• What is jumping to conclusions?

  • Mind reading: A friend you are spending time with seems distracted or uninterested. You jump to the conclusion it has to do with you.
  • Fortune telling: You have a date but you predict that the date will go bad. You make assumptions about the date before it has occurred.
• How do cognitive distortions affect emotions?

  They can intensify negative feelings
• What are cognitive distortions?

  Faulty thinking patterns intensifying negative feelings
• How do cognitive distortions contribute to depressive symptoms?

  They create a cycle of negative thoughts
• What does jumping to conclusions involve?

  Making assumptions without evidence
• What is personalization?

  You attend a party but all your friends are busy engaging with other people. You feel like they do not have any interest in being your friend and engaging in conversation with you. This makes you think you don't belong or are unfairly excluded.
• How would you categorize the thought "I'm not smart enough" in the ABC model?

  As a belief (B)
• What is emotional reasoning?

  Believing feelings are facts
• What can negative thoughts do to depression?

  Worsen depression
• What does the 'A' in the ABC model stand for?

  Activating event
• How do negative thoughts manifest in depression?

  They make you see things pessimistically
• What is the purpose of reviewing entries in a thought diary?

  To spot patterns and common triggers
• How does overgeneralization affect a person's self-view?

  It leads them to believe they are bad at everything
• What is the first step in managing automatic thoughts?

  Recognizing these thoughts
• What is the emotional state often associated with negative thoughts?

  Depression
• How does using a thought diary help individuals?

  It increases awareness of thought patterns
• What does mental filtering involve?

  Focusing only on the negative aspects
• What does the 'C' in the ABC model indicate?

  Consequence
• What is overgeneralization?

  • A student receives a bad grade on one exam, based on this they think they are stupid and a failure and believe that all future exams they will get a bad grade as well.
• What is polarized thinking?

  • A student who gets an A- on an exam feels like a failure because they are used to getting A+ grades only.
  • They have the mentality "If I am not successful at everything I do, I am a complete failure".
• What are the characteristics of automatic thoughts?

  • Quick and spontaneous
  • Occur without conscious effort
  • Can be positive, neutral, or negative
• What is mental filtering?

  • Negative mental filtering: An employee receives a good performance review but focuses on one negative comment their manager made about them.
  • Disqualifying the positive: A student gets a good grade but overlooks it and tries to explain their good grade as simply luck or fluke instead of hard work.
• How are negative thoughts characterized?

  They can be exaggerated or unrealistic
• What does catastrophizing lead a person to believe?

  That the worst possible outcome will occur
• What are the types of thoughts compared to automatic thoughts?

  • Automatic thoughts: spontaneous, unplanned
  • Conscious thoughts: deliberate, planned
• What is catastrophizing?

  Magnification: A person's lunch date is running late and assumes the worst. Their worries escalate quickly & thoughts become exaggerated.
• What is another term for all-or-nothing thinking?

  Polarized thinking
• What are the steps to use a thought diary?

  1. Identify triggers
  2. Use the ABC model:

  • A: Activating event
  • B: Belief
  • C: Consequence

  1. Record details
  2. Review regularly
• What is a common negative thought pattern that involves thinking the worst will happen?

  Catastrophizing