John holds certain values quite dear and believes he is violating those values when he doesn’t quite live up to them. He is plagued with the shoulds: I SHOULD work harder; I SHOULD be a better husband/father/son/sister/community member. Every time John perceives that he is failing to live up to his exacting standards, he criticizes himself. He always feels he is lacking in one important area or another. John doesn’t have a psychiatric disorder. He isn’t suffering deeply. On the other hand, though, he doesn’t have peace of mind…

And here, a PT blogger provides a simple antidote: “I wish…” “I’d prefer…”

Treatment effects were significant, showing positive differences in pain, fatigue, and functional disability, and in anxiety and negative mood, the researchers say. “Our results demonstrate that offering high-risk [fibromyalgia] patients a treatment tailored to their cognitive behavioral patterns at an early stage after the diagnosis is effective in improving both short- and long-term physical and psychological outcomes,”

[T]he four interventions that helped people break the cycle of negative thoughts about self-worth and how people perceive them were the most effective at reducing loneliness. Studies that used cognitive-behavioral therapy, a technique also used for treating depression, eating disorders and other problems, were found to be particularly effective.

For everything–description, Cognitive Distortions, and Thought Log–in one package, click here (pdf).

Interested in trying CBT?  Call to discuss and make an appointment: (323) 610-0112.

Smokers who are taught cognitive strategies, such as thinking about the long-term consequences of smoking, show increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with cognitive control and rational thought.

[N]ot all psychotherapy is the same. Some modalities have a strong evidence base that demonstrates their effectiveness. Other modalities have never been shown to be effective. Yet they continue to be practiced by psychotherapists who consider an evidence base to be unimportant.

Her collected posts are here (a second went up yesterday).

Self-help books offering CBT-I are also available. Two that I really like are“The Insomnia Answer,” by Paul Glovinsky and Art Spielman, and “Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep,” by Colleen E. Carney and Rachel Manber.