Once identified, a dysfunctional core belief can be modified in order to create a more helpful schema about the self/ others/ or the world. This can be done using cognitive and behavioral interventions. 1. Start with the Belief and Its Intensity 2. Look for Evidence For/Against the Core Belief Maybe you have been holding onto…
In our previous post, we explored core beliefs, and their types. In this post, we will dive into cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to identify core beliefs. Here are three effective methods: 1. Detecting Patterns and Themes When you examine recurring thoughts, emotional reactions, and behaviors, you may start to notice certain patterns and themes. For…
Previously, we discussed how emotions arise, are regulated, and get resolved in the brain. But can we have more than one—perhaps even more than two—emotions at the same time? Research suggests that we can. Ambivalence, the experience of having two or more contradictory emotions simultaneously, is common. Studies indicate that the brain processes multiple emotions…
What Are Core Beliefs? Core beliefs are the very foundational beliefs that shape how we see ourselves, others, and the world. These beliefs develop early in life through experiences, especially those involving caregivers and significant life events. CBT categorizes cognition into three levels: 1. Automatic thoughts – “I will fail this test.” 2. Maladaptive assumptions…
Where do emotions arise in the brain? How do we notice our emotions? How does the brain process regulate and resolve emotions? Let’s look at the journey of an emotion in the brain: its birth and death. 1. An emotion arises somewhere in the brain Different emotions arise from different brain regions. For example, Fear…
Living with a chronic disease means constantly managing recurring symptoms and adapting to a new, often unwelcome, reality. This requires not just physical, but also psychological and emotional adjustment. In fact, coping with this new condition often becomes even more important than coping with the physical symptoms themselves. Research shows that automatic thoughts accompanying chronic…
Many of us want to lose weight from time to time, but when the process does not go as expected, we become frustrated and start believing that we will fail. Focusing on this thought rather than our goal often makes the process more difficult than it already is. Let’s see how someone who thinks, “I…
Many of us are constantly on the go, to the point where we can’t truly rest except when we sleep. Yet, there’s that inner voice saying, “You should be doing more.” But how helpful is the belief that we must do a lot to earn the right to rest? Let’s take a closer look. Here…
When we feel anxious, we have certain automatic thoughts more frequently. If you have noticed, our thoughts during anxiety will usually fit into this formula: Also, when we are anxious, due to intense feelings of fear, we see the world in a biased way, and believe these unhelpful thoughts more easily. This is called cognitive…
Decades of research has shown that genetics greatly contribute to the development of a psychiatric disorder. This contribution reaches up to 40 to 80% at most extreme cases. However, heritability doesn’t seem to be sufficient to explain the whole story. It seems that environmental factors shape our genes and help explain the rest of it….