Cognitive Behavioral therapy examines how thoughts, feelings and behavior or actions influence one another. There are three cycles that may contribute to depression and anxiety.
- Negative thoughts may lead to depression and anxiety and depression and anxiety leads to negative thoughts. This is a vicious cycle.
- Low activities or limited action in positive ways lead to depression and anxiety and depression and anxiety lead to low activities or limited action in positive ways. This is another vicious cycle.
- Negative people contacts or limited interaction or connections that are positive also leads to depression and anxiety and depression and anxiety leads to isolation or connecting with negative people. This is another vicious cycle.
So the three major contributions are the thoughts one thinks and perceptions on may have based on the thinking they base it on. Feelings are influenced by thoughts and influence actions or inaction.
Examples of negative thoughts are “I am a failure, I should not try,” “I am unattractive, I will never meet anyone,” or “I am unloveable.” As you may see, that these thoughts may lead to feeling, sad, frustrated, lonely, and alienated.
Whereas, more neutral or positive thoughts such as “I have failed some of the time, but that does not mean I am a failure,” or “Failure is an opportunity for growth.” Thinking this way promotes healthier feelings.
Inactivity or low activities lead to isolation or lack of action. Examples of positive activities may be reading a book, preparing a meal, visiting a museum or exercising. The distinction also can be made between positive activities and negative activities as well such as smoking or doing substances or overeating.
The third vicious cycle involves low or limited people contacts or connections or even negative people contacts. Isolating may contribute to feelings of sadness or depression or worry when there is no one positive to connect with. This is why connecting with positive people, either by spending time with others, or emailing others or speaking on the phone or FaceTime may be ways to connect. Building connections and supports are healthy ways to improve your mental health.
“Things don’t happen, things are made to happen.”
John F. Kennedy
Parveen Vohra 