Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook For Dummies

uraliovaheBeivitngCokTherapy WorkbooFORDUMmIES‰by Rhena Branch and Rob Willson

uraliovaheBeivitngCokTherapy WorkbooFORDUMmIES‰

uraliovaheBeivitngCokTherapy WorkbooFORDUMmIES‰

uraliovaheBeivitngCokTherapy WorkbooFORDUMmIES‰by Rhena Branch and Rob Willson

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook For Dummies Published byJohn Wiley & Sons, LtdThe AtriumSouthern GateChichesterWest SussexPO19 8SQEnglandE-mail (for orders and customer service enquires): cs-books@wiley.co.ukVisit our Home Page on www.wiley.comCopyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex, EnglandPublished by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West SussexAll Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except under the terms of theCopyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 4LP, UK, without the permission in writing of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisherfor permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate,Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, England, or emailed to permreq@wiley.co.uk, or faxed to (44) 1243 770620.Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, TheDummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be usedwithout written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is notassociated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER, THE AUTHOR, AND ANYONE ELSE INVOLVED INPREPARING THIS WORK MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUTLIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDEDBY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLEFOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED INRENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED,THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THEAUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE ISREFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOTMEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAYPROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITESLISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN ANDWHEN IT IS READ.For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S.at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available inelectronic books.British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British LibraryISBN: 978-0-470-51701-7Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the AuthorsRob Willson, BSc, MSc, Dip SBHS, has worked for the Priory Hospital North London for anumber of years as a CBT therapist. Rob also teaches and supervises trainee therapists atGoldsmith’s College, University of London, and has his own practice in North London. Hisfirst book was Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Constable & Robinson, 2005),co-written with Dr David Veale.Rob has done numerous newspaper and radio interviews about CBT. More rarely he’s appearedon television discussing understanding and treating body image problems. His particularinterests include the research and treatment of obsessional problems and applying CBT ingroup and self-help formats.Rhena Branch, MSc, Dip CBT, is an accredited CBT therapist and works with the PrioryHospital North London as a CBT therapist. She also has her own practice in North Londonand supervises on the Masters’ course at Goldsmith’s College, University of London.

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Contents at a GlanceIntroduction.1Part I: Pinpointing Primary Principles .7Chapter 1: Exploring the Basics of CBT.9Chapter 2: Recognising Problematic Thinking Patterns .23Chapter 3: Taking Toxic Thinking In Hand .37Chapter 4: Experiencing Experiments .51Chapter 5: Where’s Your Head At? Controlling Your Concentration .59Part II: Pinning Down Problems and Giving Yourself Goals .73Chapter 6: Getting Emotional.75Chapter 7: Targeting Troublesome Tactics .95Chapter 8: Getting Goal-Directed .115Part III: Putting CBT into Practice.127Chapter 9: Taking an Axe to Anxiety.129Chapter 10: Dealing a Blow to Depression .147Chapter 11: Overcoming Obsessions and Cutting Out Compulsions . 157Chapter 12: Lifting Low Self-Esteem.171Chapter 13: Maintaining Relationships.187Part IV: Forging into the Future.199Chapter 14: Examining and Changing Long-Standing Beliefs.201Chapter 15: Consolidating Conviction in New Core Beliefs .219Chapter 16: Delving Into Personal Development .233Chapter 17: Rupturing Roadblocks to Recovery.243Chapter 18: Putting into Practice Principles of Positive Living.257Part V: The Part of Tens .271Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Working with Professionals .273Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep .279Chapter 21: Ten Reasons to Never Give Up .285Index.291

Table of ContentsIntroduction .1About This Book.1A Serious Note About Humour .1How To Use This Book .2What Not to Read .2Foolish Assumptions .3How This Book Is Organised.3Part I: Pinpointing Primary Principles.3Part II: Pinning Down Problems and Giving Yourself Goals .3Part III: Putting CBT into Practice .3Part IV: Forging into the Future .4Part V: The Part of Tens.4Case Examples Used in This Book .4Icons Used in This Book .4Where to Go from Here.5Part I: Pinpointing Primary Principles .7Chapter 1: Exploring the Basics of CBT.9Understanding the Nuts and Bolts of CBT.9Blinding you with the science of CBT.9Linking thinking and feeling .10Attaching meaning to events .11Checking How CBT Can Work for You .13Ranking your problems .14Breaking down your behaviours .15Connecting Emotion, Thinking, and Behaviour .17Picturing Your Problems As a Simple ABC .19Chapter 2: Recognising Problematic Thinking Patterns .23Getting to Grips with Common Thinking Errors .23Listing Your Personal Favourites .33Knowing Where and When You Think Your Way to Trouble .34Chapter 3: Taking Toxic Thinking In Hand .37Noticing Your Negative Thinking .37Being Sceptical about Your Negative Automatic Thoughts.39Working with ABC Forms .43Filling out Form I.43Finishing off with ABC Form II .45Trying Out Alternative Thoughts.47Helping Yourself with Homework .49

xCognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook For DummiesChapter 4: Experiencing Experiments .51Seeing Things Like a Scientist .51Executing excellent experiments .51Putting predictions to the test .52Finding out which theory works best.54Conducting a self-help survey .55Acting as an observer .56Writing Down Your Results .57Chapter 5: Where’s Your Head At? Controlling Your Concentration .59Aiming Your Attention .59Training Yourself in Task Concentration.63Finding Your Focus .67Making Your Mind More Mindful.70Living in the present .70Suspending judgement .70Getting off the thought train .70Identifying when to ignore yourself .71Mindfully mundane .72Part II: Pinning Down Problems and Giving Yourself Goals.73Chapter 6: Getting Emotional.75Expanding Your Emotional Vocabulary .75Understanding the Anatomy of Emotions .78Working Out Whether Your Feelings Are Healthy or Unhealthy .81Taking note of your thinking .81Being aware of your behaviour.84Finding out what you focus on .86Avoiding being fooled by physical feelings.88Charting Your Problem Emotions .90Identifying themes and triggers.91Making a problem statement .92Chapter 7: Targeting Troublesome Tactics.95Identifying Self-Defeating Strategies .95Demanding control and insisting on certainty .96Adding up avoidance and getting yourself down .99Worrying yourself sick.103When Feeling Better Stops You from Getting Better .105Cease self-medicating your mood .105Requesting reassurance and seeking safety .107Putting Petals on Your Vicious Flower .109Uprooting your vicious flower .111Flaying that flower until it’s dead.112Chapter 8: Getting Goal-Directed .115Giving Goals a SPORTing Chance.115Feeling different.116Acting different .117Structuring your goal statements .117Being a complete SPORT .118