Though not listed on my 30 Days of Wellness goal list, I've been trying to make a conscience effort this week to make healthier food choices. Of course, there's always room for improvement, but I don't think I've done too bad so far. Then last night happened. I was waiting for my fiancé to get off work, and was starving. I had already had seed crackers and a spreadable cheese wedge, but it wasn't enough. I had recently bought some dark chocolate chips to make some vegan cookie dough this weekend, that were just calling my name. I thought to myself, "There's no harm in having some chocolate chips." This is true, had I not sat down in front of the TV with the entire bag. One thing led to another and half the bag was gone. As I was beating myself up for eating "too much" chocolate, I began to think about the entire purpose of this blog. Bettering myself. How is telling myself how much I screwed up and it's pointless to continue trying to eat the right things going to better anything?
This morning I was having those same thoughts and decided to refer to something I was taught a few years ago in therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. CBT is a type of psychotherapy in which negative patterns of thought about the self and the world are challenged in order to alter unwanted behavior patterns or treat mood disorders such as depression. When compared to psychotropic medications, review studies have found CBT-alone to be as effective for treating less severe forms of depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), tics, substance abuse (with the exception of opioid use disorder), eating disorders, and borderline personality disorder. It is often recommended in combination with medications for treating other conditions, such as severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder, opioid addiction, bipolar, and psychotic disorders.[1] In addition, CBT is recommended as the first line of treatment for majority of psychological disorders in children and adolescents, including aggression and conduct disorder.[1][4] Researchers have found that other bona fide therapeutic interventions were equally effective for treating certain conditions in adults,[9][10].
What exactly does this mean? It means retraining your brain to think positive thoughts instead of negative ones. For example, when you think "No one is ever going to hire me," remind yourself, "If I keep working hard to look for jobs, I'll increase my chances of getting hired." The more you restate these affirmations, the more your brain will start to believe them. Just like any skill, mastering CBT takes time, but aren't you worth it?
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