Forum Overview :: =(
 
Adventures in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy by Jerry Whorebach 06/03/2018, 9:46pm PDT
To create your own experiment, first identify how one of your thoughts or beliefs influences your behaviour. For example, do you think that shaking would ruin a social interaction so you work hard to keep your body still, or that making a mistake will cause others to yell at you so you never take risks? Once you have identified the behaviour, the next step is to make a plan to change it. For example, purposely trying to shake and see how others react, or making a small mistake at work in front of your coworkers. To maximize the benefit of the experiment, write out your prediction, being as specific as possible. For example, “Jane will yell in a loud voice that I’m stupid, and walk away causing others to stare at me.” Be careful not to assume that others are reacting negatively – look at the facts. What did they do or say? Was it as bad as you thought? Are there other explanations for what happens?

Examples of experiments include:
- Ask a “silly” question (e.g. ask for directions to a street you are already on)
- Let your hand shake while holding a glass of water
- Spill a drink
- Drop something or knock something over
- Wear your shirt inside out
- Send an e-mail with spelling mistakes
- Mispronounce a word
- Pretend to lose your train of thought and stop mid-sentence
- Pretend to trip
- Wait for the cashier to close the till and then ask for change

The experiments only get more extreme from there. "Take a potshot at a motorcade." "Ask someone if you can pet their dog, then slap it." Eventually it just turns into a list of places to put nails. At this point I'm concerned I may have joined a fight club.

What sorts of things are helpful to put onto a coping card?
- A nickname given to your anxiety (e.g. “Mr. Worry”, “the pest”, “Meanie”) combined with a command. For example, Beat it Mr. Bossy Pants! Or, You’re not invited to the party anxiety.

I'm picturing getting hit by a taxi crossing the street, and all my little cards addressed to Mr. Bossy Pants go flying into the air. Or maybe I'm getting intimate with a lady, when all of a sudden this big pile of You’re not invited to the party anxiety cards comes spilling out of my pocket. She's going to have something to talk about with her friends! Maybe that should be one of the exercises from the last page? "Use your coping cards to engineer a B-plot on Sex in the City."
NEXT REPLY QUOTE
 
Adventures in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy by Jerry Whorebach 06/03/2018, 9:46pm PDT NEW
    ACTUALLY I think you'll find it's Sex AND the City NT by diaf 06/04/2018, 6:24am PDT NEW
        I thought it was about reprograming the mind? by No, the OTHER CBT! 06/04/2018, 8:27pm PDT NEW
    It's a set up. by Motherhead 06/09/2018, 7:09am PDT NEW
    Thought about a support group, got intimidated by the photo of a support group. by Jerry Whorebach 04/21/2019, 10:07pm PDT NEW
        Re: Thought about a support group by Mysteriobama 04/22/2019, 8:46am PDT NEW
            I'm probably being too hard on the girls, but sitting next to Warrick from CSI by is doing them no favours. 04/22/2019, 12:05pm PDT NEW
                Re: I'm probably being too hard on the girls, but sitting next to Warrick by Mysteriobama 04/22/2019, 9:34pm PDT NEW
                    According to my doctor, I'm 5'7½". by Jerry Whorebach 04/22/2019, 10:50pm PDT NEW
                        I'm pretty certain Peter Dinklage gets pussy. by Mischief Maker 04/23/2019, 6:26am PDT NEW
                            Realistically? by Jerry Whorebach 04/23/2019, 10:57pm PDT NEW
                                I've heard it said that smart people have the hardest time with small talk. by Mischief Maker 04/24/2019, 12:03am PDT NEW
                                    I appreciate the advice, everyone. by Jerry Whorebach 04/26/2019, 12:42am PDT NEW
                                        Bunch of old farts not even mentioning Tindr or Grindr by Roop 04/26/2019, 6:52pm PDT NEW
                                        Re: I appreciate the advice, everyone. by Mischief Shai-hulud 04/27/2019, 7:56am PDT NEW
                                            LARPing as relationship counsellors NT by Caltrops sole content in 2019? 04/27/2019, 8:36am PDT NEW
                                        Are we doing this? Is this a thing? by blackwater 04/27/2019, 2:44pm PDT NEW
                                You're funny and buff. by That one dickhead Mysterio 04/24/2019, 10:38am PDT NEW
                                    TFW you expose vulnerabilities on a forum of cretinous reprobates to seek abuse, NT by but get nothing but support. 04/24/2019, 3:58pm PDT NEW
                                RPS released their article guidelines by Ice Cream Jonsey 04/25/2019, 9:03am PDT NEW
                                Re: Realistically? by Mysteriobama 04/25/2019, 3:57pm PDT NEW
 
powered by pointy