THIS Mental Habit Fuels Depression - The Cognitive Distortion of Discounting the Positive

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Depression isn’t just feeling sad, it’s actually not being able to feel much happiness. Good things happen and you feel nothing. Nothing excites you anymore, food doesn’t taste good, someone tells you they love you and you think, “Yeah, but you probably just said that because you’re family”. It’s hard to care about anything.

Where does this come from? Today you’re going to learn about a cognitive distortion that makes it super hard for you to feel happy. And of course, what to do about it. Nutshell- What are cognitive distortions?

Our brains are always interpreting the world around us, trying to make sense of it all. Sometimes our brain takes shortcuts, especially when we’re emotional, and researchers have found that there are some common ways that these thoughts get distorted. Sometimes we jump to the worst possible conclusion “This mole is cancer!” and other times we blame ourselves for things that aren’t our fault “If I hadn’t made him mad, he wouldn't have hit me” When we learn to noticing these thoughts, we can replace them with something healthier, this is a core piece of CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, and it’s been shown to be really helpful for people with depression or anxiety. And today I’m going to teach you one way to do it on your own.

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.

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