There are a number of CBT techniques that are commonly used to help
people challenge worry including: thought records, thought stopping,
worry time, challenging the value of worry, problem solving,
experiments to increase intolerance of uncertainty and cognitive
exposure. Let’s take a look at them one at a time:
Thought Records: Because worry is repetitive negative thinking, Thought
Records can be used to challenge worry. The main trick is to turn
questions into predictions that can be challenged. Remember, most
worries take the form of “What if…?” It’s hard to challenge the truth
value of questions. So, in order to challenge this kind of negative
thinking, you will have to change the “What if” questions into
statements that can be tested. For example, you will have to change
worries such as “What is I don’t pass the test?” “What if I have
cancer?" “What if there is an accident?” “What if I get fired?” and
“What if she leaves me?” into statements such as “I won’t pass the
test,” “I have cancer,” “There will be an accident,” “I am going to be
fired,” and “She is going to leave me.” Turn your worries into
predictions about the future and then challenge them as you would any
other negative thought. “What ifs” about the past can often be
challenged by turning them into “should” statements. For example “What
if I stayed in school?” can be turned into “I should have stayed in
school.
Are you successfully able to challenge your thoughts using Thought Records?
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