Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Is it invading your mind? Irrational thoughts Sometimes, it makes you feel anxious, or like you’re about to have a panic attack perhaps?
A series of questions that you may ask yourself that examine the legitimacy and perspective of those disturbing thoughts may calm your stress. This process is known as Socratic questioning, after the Greek philosopher Socrates, an influencer known for asking others questions to help them improve their thinking and get to the truth faster, and it is a common technique that therapists train patients with in cognitive behavioral therapy.
Dr. Daniel R. explained. Strunk, a psychology professor at Ohio State University, says restructuring your mindset is important because “the powerful influence your thoughts have on your emotions is because you believe the thoughts, not because they are necessarily true.”
He added: “So, if we allow ourselves to believe disturbing and false things, it makes our love lives more difficult.”
For his part, Dr. James Overholser, a clinical psychologist and professor of depression and suicide at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, explained that although Socratic questions are used in cognitive behavioral therapy, it is not necessary to have a therapist in order to resort to them and benefit from them. A specialist is useful for solving problems and achieving goals in a way that is difficult for many people to do on their own.
Here’s how to answer some commonly used Socratic questions. According to experts, the questions and wording may vary depending on the source, therapist, or patient’s experience, but the goal remains the same.
Work from your personal perceptions
Strunk noted that asking Socratic questions does not indicate that emotional distress is the exclusive or permanent result of inaccurate insight, but rather that this bias may exacerbate and contribute to distress.
Individual subjectivity plays a pivotal role in determining how two people face the same challenge yet have different experiences and emotional responses, with one person feeling negative and defeated, while the other sees the situation as an opportunity for personal growth or a demonstration of grace.
When you want to apply Socratic questioning to disturbing thoughts or beliefs, start by writing the thought down.
Maybe you’re worried that you’ll embarrass yourself, or fail in some way, during your next presentation at work.
To better understand the idea and the beliefs behind it, Strunk said, ask yourself what is so upsetting about this scenario. Maybe you believe that people see you as incompetent, or that you will get fired from your job.
Strunk pointed out that research has shown that people with mental health challenges usually have some biases and inaccuracies in their ways of thinking. People suffering from depression, for example, may view events in a very negative way, while those suffering from anxiety often see threats as imminent and more disastrous than they actually are.
Strunk noted that by validating your views, you can often reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions and thus be better able to deal with difficulties.
Regular practice of Socratic questioning
Other common Socratic questions can include the following, although some may be specific to the patient’s experience:
● Am I basing my thinking on facts or feelings?
● Do I jump to conclusions or resort to the worst-case scenario?
● Could I have misinterpreted the evidence? Am I making any assumptions?
● If you looked at this situation more positively, would it be different?
● Will this matter a year from now? Five years from now?
● Could others have different interpretations of this situation?
The therapist resource site Therapist Aid has a free printable with 10 Socratic Questions you can use to challenge irrational thoughts.
Another way to learn about this approach is to read the book Mind Before Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think, by Dennis Greenberger and Christine A. Padeski, a book recommended by Strunk.
Practicing questions can also help you become more aware in general if you keep doing it consistently.
Strunk concluded that he would “encourage people who are trying to learn how to reevaluate their thoughts to try different questions. You may find that some of them are particularly effective for you.”
2024-04-06 09:28:50
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