Examining the evidence

  The examining the evidence technique involves asking oneself the questions: ‘What is the evidence for and against the negative thought(s) I am having? Do the facts of the situation back up what I think, or do they contradict it?’ It requires the individual to become their own lawyer and to cross-examine themselves. Evidence does not only have to come from the present moment in time; it can also be gathered from an individual’s historical experiences. The two column technique shown in Table 9.2 can be useful in this exercise.

Table 9.2 The two column technique for examining the evidence

 

  Note: This table is available to view and print from the following website: www.routledgementalhealth.com/9780415671781

Exploring the alternatives

  The exploring the alternatives technique involves asking the following questions: ‘Are there alternative ways of looking at the situation which are more positive?’, ‘How would someone else view this situation?’, ‘How would I have viewed this situation in the past?’ There are usually many different alternative ways to look at any experience. The individual brainstorms as many alternative and less negative explanations as they can. They then examine the evidence for and against each one and try to decide objectively which alternative is most likely to be correct.

Identifying advantages and disadvantages

  Another cognitive technique which is commonly used is to identify the advantages and disadvantages of holding the belief. It involves asking the question ‘Does holding this belief help me or hinder me from getting what I want?’ The individual is encouraged to explore how their negative thinking influences the way that they feel and establish the pros and cons of continuing to hold on to the belief as opposed to changing it. The two column technique can be a useful one in terms of identifying the advantages and disadvantages of holding the belief (see Table 9.3).

Table 9.3 The two column technique for identifying advantages and disadvantages

 

  Note: This table is available to view and print from the following website: www.routledgementalhealth.com/9780415671781

  The techniques outlined in Table 9.3 are used to challenge the systematic errors in thinking and the dysfunctional thinking styles identified earlier in this chapter. The aim of doing these exercises is to find some alternative, more positive, rational and balanced ways of thinking which reduce distress and are more helpful to the individual.

The friend technique

  In the friend technique, the individual is asked to consider how they think their best friend might react in the situation that they are confronted with and also to imagine what advice their best friend might give them if they were here to advise them now. A variation of this technique involves swapping roles. The individual is asked to consider what advice they would give to someone about the best way to react in this situation if they came to them with their problem. People often find that they can give very rational and sensible advice to others but often cannot do this for themselves. The friend technique is thought to work by allowing the individual to stand back a little from their situation and hence adopt a less emotional and more rational stance.