Thought challenging — identifying and evaluating the automatic negative thoughts driving coronavirus disease 2019 — is the core skill of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Identifying Automatic Negative Thoughts in Coronavirus Disease 2019
Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) in coronavirus disease 2019 are fast, involuntary, and often taken as facts. They drive coronavirus disease 2019 while remaining unexamined.
Common ANT patterns in coronavirus disease 2019: catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, mind-reading, personalization.
The Thought Challenging Process for Coronavirus Disease 2019
- Notice the thought: 'I just had the thought that...'
- Identify the distortion: What type of thinking error is this?
- Examine the evidence: What actually supports this thought? What contradicts it?
- Generate alternatives: What's a more accurate and helpful perspective?
- Rate the change: How do you feel now compared to before?
Building the Skill Over Time for Coronavirus Disease 2019
Initially, thought challenging requires deliberate effort. With practice, the mind automatically generates balanced perspectives when coronavirus disease 2019-related thoughts arise.