| The theory of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or | | | | Another common thinking error seen in people with |
| CBT, is that emotions are closely linked to cognition. | | | | anxiety is called "Mind-Reading". As the name |
| Put more simply, CBT says that "the way you think | | | | suggests, a person who's exhibiting this thinking error |
| affects the way you feel". People who think anxious | | | | will believe that they know (absolutely know) what |
| thoughts will end up feeling anxious. | | | | people are thinking about them. This belief will often |
| As a psychiatrist who uses CBT techniques, a | | | | go contrary to what the other person says and |
| significant proportion of my clients suffer from | | | | does, and is almost always pessimistic in nature. For |
| anxiety. Edinburgh is a beautiful city and a wonderful | | | | instance, if the CBT therapist yawns (heaven forbid!) |
| place to live, but as in any urban enviroment, | | | | during a session, the client will know that the CBT |
| individuals can start to feel stressed out and anxious. | | | | therapist is bored or fed up with them - even if the |
| Thus it is important for me to help each client to | | | | therapist apologises and explains that her young |
| become familiar with their own ways of thinking, and | | | | daughter is teething and kept her awake last night. |
| to help them to identify ways in which their thinking | | | | Or if the person gets invited to a dinner party, they |
| patterns may be contributing to their emotional | | | | will know that they're only invited along to make up |
| problems. | | | | the seating numbers. Thinking in this way can make |
| A CBT therapist has a term for patterns of thinking | | | | life one long series of possible sleights and |
| that can lead to emotional problems - they are called | | | | put-downs, leading to increased anxiety and |
| "Thinking Errors". Many different types of thinking | | | | excessive monitoring of those around you. |
| error have been identified over the years, but what | | | | "Crystal-Ball Reading" is a third common thinking error |
| follows is a brief summary of those errors that I | | | | in anxiety. People thinking in this way know what is |
| have seen as a therapist in Edinburgh when working | | | | going to happen in the future. And, lo and behold, it's |
| with people suffering from anxiety. | | | | bad! The bus will definitely be running late, they will |
| "Catastrophising" is a thinking error frequently found | | | | definitely fail the interview, and they will absolutely |
| in anxious people. In fact, I'm sure we've all done it | | | | make a fool of themselves at the works party. Not a |
| ourselves at some point! When someone | | | | pleasant way to think. And certainly not a good way |
| catastrophises they automatically "assume the | | | | to prepare for an interview (or even a party!). CBT |
| worst". A message to call back the boss is taken to | | | | encourages people to "keep it real" - there's enough |
| mean that you're going to be sacked, a clunking noise | | | | strife out there without looking into the future for |
| in your car means that the engine is about to fall to | | | | extra! |
| bits, and a pain in the chest is the beginnings of a | | | | These three thinking errors are those that I've found |
| heart attack. CBT hypothesises that habitually | | | | most frequently in anxious people whilst working as a |
| thinking like this will lead to long-term problems with | | | | therapist in Edinburgh, although I doubt that they're |
| anxiety. | | | | exclusive to East Coast Scots! |