Cognitive restructuring: Self-talk for a better “You”

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The way people perceive life events greatly affects whether they find them stressful or not. Thus, cognitive distortions, or patterns of faulty thinking, can impact attitudes and behaviors.

Self-talk, the internal dialogue in the head that interprets, explains, and judges the situations one gets into, can make things seem better or worse. Some tend to see things in a positive light, others may view things more negatively. The pessimist would often employ overgeneralization, magnification, or all-or-nothing thinking. These cognitive distortions and self-talk begin at childhood, but it does not mean that people cannot break free from them as they grow into adulthood.  

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 Constructive restructuring

Also called constructive reframing, this is a process of recognizing and changing cognitive distortions so that people can alter their thoughts and thereby their feelings. This is not simply about “thinking positive,” but about evaluating the evidence of one’s thoughts and challenging their truthfulness.

The first step is self-monitoring. People need to become more aware of the messages they give themselves . This can be difficult as negative messages tend to run automatically and routinely in the head. Stopping to identify and examine negative thoughts should be done. Writing them can also give clarity to this irrational thinking.

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The second step is disputing these thoughts with more rational ones. For instance, overgeneralized thinking such as: “Person A was mean to me so nobody likes me” can be disputed by more accurate thought such as “Person A was mean to me but there are many people who like me.”

Learning to dispute faulty thoughts can be difficult especially for those who have been breeding and owning negativities, but constructive restructuring can help reframe those to become building blocks of better thinking.

Psychotherapist Gary Zomalt can offer enlightenment on cognitive restructuring through this blog.

All's not Prozac: Treating mild depression with simple lifestyle changes

“A lot of people don't realize that depression is an illness. I don't wish it on anyone, but if they would know how it feels, I swear they would think twice before they just shrug it.” - Jonathan Davis

For many people, “dealing with depression” has almost become synonymous with “popping prescribed pills.” Like any physical ailment, depression has been considered to be pharmacologically remediable, reduced to something that can be managed by a formulation of chemicals that function by working its way into the synapses.

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But as with any other drug, antidepressants may have side effects that are potentially debilitating in the long run. And because case management entails primary care providers to be holistic, psychiatrists like Dr. Gary Zomalt and Dr. Amita Talati also recommend non-pharmacologic interventions that focus more on lifestyle modification in trying to crush mild depression:

• Increasing physical activity. This is probably the single most important lifestyle change that one can implement to combat mild depression.

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• Modifying diet. It is recommended to include in one’s diet food that are rich in serotonin and omega-3 fatty acids. Conversely, one must avoid sugar, alcohol, fat, and caffeine, as these may just potentially worsen prevailing conditions.

• Connecting personally with other people. According to a 2010 Leeds University study, people who spend more time communicating virtually are more likely to experience more anxiety and depression than those who didn’t. Relying heavily on virtual communication increases feelings of isolation, ultimately resulting to depression.

• Letting the sun touch the skin. Sun exposure can initiate the synthesis of Vitamin D which is proven to alleviate depression. As a matter of fact, Vitamin D deficiency usually results to suboptimal mood and brain function, thus contributing to the occurrence of depression.

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In the conduct of his profession, Dr. Gary Zomalt has helped clients attain optimal mental health. Access more information on psychiatric health by visiting this Facebook page.