unhelpful thinking styles

one of the first things a cognitive behavioural therapist will do with you in therapy is help you get to know these unhelpful thinking styles. They are also known as cognitive distortions or in other words ways that our minds play tricks on us. A lot of these are examples of what meditators call "thought objects" with the idea being that our thoughts are merely objects that enter and leave our minds rather than being inherently an unchangeable part of who we are. That being said we can all get into the groove of certain patterns of thinking, particularly when under pressure, that leave us feeling helpless, hopeless, incredible overwhelmed and ridden with anxiety. Getting to know the unhelpful thinking styles is the first step to gaining freedom from these thought objects and learning how to take a step back from our thoughts to notice when they arise. This is a beautiful way to combine the wisdoms of western psychology, which has identified the impact of these cognitive distortions with decades of research and buddhist philosophy which has gifted the world the ethos that everything changes, including our thoughts and that the route to happiness is the mindful awareness of this change with non judgement and compassion. This knowledge has been a gift to me during the most difficult moments and I hope it can be for you too.