Newsletter Archive

JUNE 2010

Eliminating DIstorted Thinking Patterns

The May issue of the Asperger's & NLD Career Letter discussed distorted thinking patterns - habitual, automatic negative thoughts that often result in erroneous conclusions about people and situations. Judging from the volume of comments, this is a common problem for readers! This month, we look at how to change these patterns. (If you missed the May newsletter, click here).

Distorted thinking patterns originate with the thoughts that a person has about events, not the actual events themselves. The thoughts create feelings which in turn drive actions. When negative thoughts prevent the logical, objective analysis of a situation, they become problematic.

Changing distorted thinking patterns isn't easy, but is worth the effort if they are getting in the way of your goals. The first step is to connect your thoughts to the behavior that you want to change. Allison, for example, has wanted to change jobs for over two years. Each time she tries to take action, she becomes paralyzed. Allison started paying attention to the thoughts that went through her mind each time she sat down to update her resume. She realized that her mind focused on an unsuccessful job search experience that had happened 16 years earlier. She over-generalized that one experience to mean that, "I'm no good at interviewing so no one will hire me."

The second step in the process is to challenge your negative thought and replace it with one that is more realistic and that you believe is true. Take your time with this step. Trying to will yourself into accepting an idea that you don't believe will only result in frustration. Allison reframed her thinking like this: "Learning interviewing skills enables me to communicate my value to an employer."

The Rationality of Beliefs Checklist 1 is a tool that can help you test the validity of your thought patterns. First, write down the thought to be challenged, then answer "yes" or "no" to each of the 10 questions below. Tally your score. The more yes's you have, the more rational your belief/assumption. No's indicate the degree to which holding on to that idea may be getting in the way of your success and/or increasing your level of stress.

Questions to test the rationality of your belief or assumption ...

1. Are you comfortable with the possibility that you may be wrong?
   
2. Is this belief/assumption based on an objective view of the facts and does it fit with other relevant facts that you know to be true?
   
3. Consider what would happen in the future as a consequence of this belief/assumption. How likely is it that this will actually happen?
   
4. Does believing this help protect your life and health?
   
5. Do you never deny, exaggerate, or avoid facts or events which may show this to be wrong?
   
6. Does this belief/assumption coincide with what you have been told by other people who are usually rational?
   
7. Does believing this help you achieve your short- and long-range goals?
   
8. When you hear or think of opposing views are you open-minded and really willing to consider that they may be true and you may be wrong?
   
9. Does believing this help you prevent useless conflict with other people?
   
10. Does believing this help you feel the way that you need and want to?
    

(If you would like an electronic copy of the Checklist that's formatted and fill-in ready, email Barbara@ForwardMotion.info).

You will need a plan for practicing and reinforcing your new thought pattern. Techniques that I have used with my coaching clients include: making the new thought an affirmation that is repeated (silently) often during the day; keeping a log of people or situations that trigger negative thoughts to identify patterns; taking consistent action to move toward a goal.

A recommended resource for learning more about applying cognitive-behavioral techniques is Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety: A Guide to Successful Stress Management, by Dr. Nick Dubin (who himself has Asperger's Syndrome). 2


1 Rationality of Beliefs Checklist © 2003 Stern Consulting; used with permission.
2 Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety, © 2009 Nick Dubin, Jessica Kingsley Publishers

© 2010 by Barbara Bissonnette, Forward Motion Coaching