More than 2,000 studies have demonstrated that our thoughts and beliefs (which we can view as ingrained or “stored” thoughts) are one of, if not the primary root causes of our anxiety. Cognitive behavior therapies like CBT and the Option Method are based on this discovery.
CBT is based on the psychological construct that individuals’ interpretations of situations influence their reaction (emotional, behavioral, physiological), more so than the situation itself. Further, people’s interpretations may be distorted, inaccurate or unhelpful, particularly when psychopathology is present. These interpretations, termed “automatic thoughts”, are often linked to maladaptive underlying beliefs that individuals have about themselves, other people, the world, or the future. Dr. Beck found that when he helped his patients evaluate and change their distorted thinking, they felt better and were able to modify their behavior. When he helped them evaluate and change their underlying beliefs, their improvement was long-lasting.1
- Beck JS, Fleming S. A Brief History of Aaron T. Beck, MD, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Clin Psychol Eur. 2021 Jun 18;3(2):e6701. doi: 10.32872/cpe.6701. PMID: 36397957; PMCID: PMC9667129. ↩︎
