The only thing that is certain in life – is the uncertainty of life. That’s why you need to be prepared to handle the good surprises (seeing an old friend out of the blue) – with the bad (getting passed over for that big promotion).
While everyone experiences challenging circumstances from time to time, painful experiences like the loss of a loved one, can make it hard to bounce back and increase your risk of depression.
If you are diagnosed with depression, you should know that it is highly treatable – even as part of a co-occurring disorder such as addiction. While there are many therapeutic options available, many addiction recovery specialists recommend that clients participate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients challenge the patterns of negative thinking and destructive behaviors.
For those on a path to recovery, you can use some of the basic techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy to help shift your mindset and react more positively to life.
3 CBT Techniques That You Can Use
(1) Get practical about solutions. When you’re faced with a difficult situation, don’t just dwell on the problem at hand. Focusing on the negative will most likely just make you feel hopeless and powerless. Instead, think about the situation from a more rational perspective and write down five practical solutions you might consider to confront the issue.
(2) Set realistic goals. The next time you start to experience negative self-talk, consider if you are simply setting unrealistic goals for your personal and professional life and replace those with more attainable objectives.
(3) Challenge negative thoughts. One of the most powerful skills you can use to counteract negative thought patterns is to become more aware of negative thoughts and how you are framing up the situation. Are you thinking about the situation objectively “The traffic today was a little slower than most days” or in a distorted manner “No one in the town can drive!”
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at 10 Acre Ranch
CBT is a very popular treatment approach for both substance abuse disorder and mental illness. Let us help you or someone you love change those negative and unproductive thoughts and behaviors that can lead to addictive tendencies. To learn more, contact us at (877) 228-4679 to speak with a treatment specialist today.
