Family Responses to Addiction
May 17, 2022
Thoughts Connect to Emotions
- A situation arises.
- You have a thought.
- The thought stirs up emotion.
- Your emotion triggers more and more thoughts, which trigger stronger and stronger emotions.
- Your behavior follows these thoughts and emotions. You act in ways that bring about similar situations, reinforcing your negative thoughts, and the cycle repeats itself.
The connection between feelings and thoughts was first explained by Aaron Beck (1976), a psychiatrist known for founding cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Since then, CBT has helped countless people cope with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, alcohol, drug problems, and more. Understanding this connection will make a difference in your life, too.
The trouble usually begins around step 2. In looking back at difficult situations in your life, you may be able to identify step 1, the trigger: A man cut me off on the highway, and step 3, the emotion: I’m furious. But how well can you pinpoint what happened in between step 2?
There was thought after the trigger and before the emotion—sometimes so fast you don’t even register it. There were probably several: That guy is a jerk. He thinks he owns the road. He thinks he’s better than I am. I don’t have to put up with this. It isn’t fair. You are probably unaware of what your mind is up to most of the time, so when an emotion arises, you can’t see the chain of events that led to it. Later, you will learn skills for observing your mind.
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