Whether you are navigating early or late adulthood after a difficult upbringing, the effects of your past may still be whispering in your ear. Your thoughts and beliefs, sometimes outside of conscious awareness, can influence how you feel and respond to the world around you. Some self-help strategies can be beneficial to your healing journey. However, breaking negative thinking patterns with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you or your loved one move forward from your past. Staying dedicated to treatment can help you become more present in the world you are living now.
Overcoming Rumination: How to Break Mental Loops and Focus on the Present
If you catch yourself thinking about the same distressing experiences without finding a resolution, you may be caught in the vicious cycle of rumination. What is rumination? Replaying old conversations in your head, fighting a war in your mind over what you could have said or done, or jumping to conclusions about what may go wrong. Ruminating can keep your attention focused on the past or fixated on what the future holds rather than enjoying what is happening in the present time.
The past can teach you a lesson. Focusing on the future can help you prepare. Neither can be experienced in the present moment. Instead of getting caught in mental loops about what happened or dwelling on negative thoughts regarding your current situation, you can stay engaged. CBT can bring your attention back to what you can do, experience, and control in the present.
What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?
Research indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most extensively studied forms of psychotherapy. This type of therapy combines two specific therapeutic approaches: cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. Cognitive therapy focuses on your thoughts and beliefs, whereas behavioral therapy focuses on your actions and behaviors. Therefore, CBT helps improve how you think and respond to certain situations.
What CBT is Designed to Address
Our thoughts, behavior, and feelings are closely interconnected and impact our well-being. CBT can help you or your loved one gain greater clarity in your thoughts, attitudes, and expectations for the future.
If you fixate on a negative belief, you are more likely to jump to conclusions about how others think or feel. The goal is to help you recognize negative beliefs and effectively change them with confidence. Doing so can allow you to break free from your past and focus on the present time. However, cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you identify cognitive distortions and replace them with a healthy way of thinking. Common cognitive distortions that CBT can help combat include the following, but are not limited to:
- All-or-nothing thinking
- Awfulizing
- Black & white thinking
- Jumping to conclusions
- "Should" statements
Health Conditions CBT Can Treat
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used to treat an array of mental health conditions. Conditions include addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and more. Attending CBT therapy can also help treat co-occurring behavioral, social, or physical health challenges. Practical coping strategies can help you best manage your symptoms and gain a more positive perspective while working through difficult thoughts or emotions.
What Should You Know Before Exploring CBT?
Not knowing what to expect before moving forward with therapy can feel unsettling and, in some cases, add to anxiety and feelings of uncertainty. For that reason, taking time to understand the process can give you greater insight. CBT can help you feel more prepared before taking the next step to build emotional stability in adulthood and improve your overall well-being.
Breaking Down Different Types of CBT
According to the BioPsychoSocialMedicine (BMC), in recent years, a newer generation of cognitive-behavioral therapy has gained greater attention. New CBT treatment approaches commonly practiced today include mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and more.
Moreover, exposure therapy can be a suitable treatment for anxiety-related disorders such as agoraphobia or various panic disorders. Mindfulness strategies have also been clinically proven to reduce stress-related pain in co-occurring fibromyalgia.
Understanding Common CBT Techniques
CBT techniques can vary depending on the severity of your condition, the therapist you work with, or your personal goals. Regardless, CBT can introduce new coping mechanisms, freeing up the opportunity to apply effective strategies in real-life scenarios. Common CBT techniques include the following, but are not limited to:
- Engaging in specific breathing techniques
- Breaking down a difficult problem into manageable steps
- Writing down your thoughts or feelings in thought records
- Testing whether a thought or emotion holds up through behavioral experiments
Defining What You Want to Address Before CBT
If you find it tough to challenge current cognitive distortions connected to your past, identifying negative thoughts, emotions, or troubling behaviors you want to address can be beneficial. Doing so can help you and your therapist gain the most benefit from therapy and support meaningful progress. Common unhelpful behaviors cognitive-behavioral therapy can address include the following, but are not limited to:
- Avoidant behavior
- Emotional dysregulation
- Trauma-related symptoms
- Guilt and shame
- Relationship problems
- Phobias
Finding Reliable Support and Resourceful Information
Not knowing where to begin can make you feel hesitant to proceed with care. This can be especially so if you already face challenges with anxiety. However, taking the time to research local treatment facilities can be a great start.
You can try contacting a reputable treatment facility to speak to an admissions specialist, tour the treatment center, or meet a board-certified clinician to bring much-needed clarity. Doing so can help you better transition into cognitive-behavioral therapy treatment. Finding a therapist and trusted resources can oftentimes feel overwhelming. The following online therapist directories can help:
- Good Therapy
- LifeStance Health
- Psychology Today Therapist Finder
- Headway Resources
- Therapy Den
- Alma
Tips for Staying Organized and Dedicated to CBT
Staying consistent with care is essential to maintain healthy strategies that can help you recognize and respond differently to negative thought patterns. Regular CBT sessions can keep you accountable for completing between-session tasks such as completing thought records, practicing mindfulness, or journaling symptoms. With the demands of everyday life, balancing treatment with work, higher education, or family can be challenging. To help you stay dedicated to your treatment plan, consider the following tips:
- Marking the calendar
- Setting timers
- Keeping a loved one in the loop
- Tracking your progress
- Creating a structured routine
- Celebrating your treatment milestones
Thinking Carefully Before Making a Decision
While cognitive-behavioral therapy has been considered a well-established evidence-based treatment for various psychiatric disorders, it may not be effective for everyone. For example, CBT generally focuses on your current cognitions and actions to move forward from your past. If you have concerns related to past childhood trauma, a mental health professional can determine whether CBT, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), trauma-informed care (TIC), or another approach may be appropriate.
Therefore, developing a personalized treatment plan with a chosen specialist can be helpful. A professional can tailor their services to your specific needs and best align complementary care if and when necessary. Additional things to consider before starting CBT include the following:
- Schedule or availability
- Treatment goals
- Comfort level
- Transportation
- Treatment timeline
Clinically reviewed by: Jef Gazley, LMFT — Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 50 years of experience in psychotherapy and counseling.
FAQs
What is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It can help people recognize unhelpful patterns and develop different ways of responding to challenging situations.
Can CBT help with negative thought patterns about the past?
CBT may help people identify recurring thoughts related to past experiences and examine whether those thoughts accurately reflect their current circumstances. A qualified mental health professional can help determine whether CBT is appropriate for an individual's needs.
How does CBT help you move forward from the past?
CBT may help by identifying automatic thoughts, examining the evidence behind them, and developing more balanced ways of interpreting situations. It may also involve behavioral strategies that help people respond differently to patterns such as avoidance.
Is CBT right for everyone?
No single therapy approach is right for everyone. CBT may be helpful for some people and concerns, while another type of therapy or treatment may be more appropriate in other circumstances. A qualified mental health professional can help discuss available options.
How do I know if I should seek professional help?
If thoughts, emotions, or behaviors related to past experiences are interfering with your daily life, relationships, work, or well-being, speaking with a qualified mental health professional may be helpful. A professional can listen to your concerns and discuss appropriate support options.
