Negative Automatic Thoughts: What They Are And How They Appear
For better or worse, most of what happens in our minds escapes the control of our will, and even happens without us realizing it.
This implies advantages such as allowing us to direct our attention to really complex mental tasks that require deliberate effort, such as making a decision about where to go or what product to buy. However, it also has some disadvantages. For example, we cannot fully control what will appear in our consciousness.
In this article we will talk about a very annoying phenomenon that is related to the latter. These are negative automatic thoughts..
As their name indicates, negative automatic thoughts are a set of mental contents (verbally articulated ideas, imagined images, etc.) that They emerge in consciousness in a disruptive way, regardless of what the person wants to think about, and they generate emotional disturbance..
Thus, it is a psychological phenomenon that causes discomfort and interrupts the person’s thinking dynamics, given that in most cases, the emotional impact of these negative automatic thoughts is greater than what was being thought before. that appear in consciousness.
Although the sensation of experiencing one of these automatic thoughts is unpleasant, the degree to which they disturb us can vary greatly; In some cases, its emotional load and frequency are not so important as to cause significant suffering, but in certain cases they can erode people’s quality of life, and can even constitute one of the symptoms of a psychological disorder.
The causes of negative automatic thoughts are very varied, and present differences depending on the person and the context in which they live. However, There are a series of psychological factors that increase the chances of making these thoughts appear. in our daily lives, and in fact they overlap with each other relatively frequently. They are the following.
1. Anxiety
It is not surprising that negative automatic thoughts appear in most people with anxiety problems. These produce a “vicious circle” type effect.: since the person is already alert and sensitive to possible signs that something is going to go wrong, they are more likely to attract disturbing images, pessimistic ideas, etc. to their consciousness.
2. Depressed mood
Depression and low mood in general introduce a pessimistic bias in peopleand therefore, creates more “mental routes” towards unpleasant ideas or memories.
3. Problems in social relationships
Phenomena such as social phobia or the propensity to argue with someone in the immediate environment can frequently give way to negative automatic thoughts, since when thinking about those people with whom unpleasant experiences have occurred, those painful emotions become what that focuses more attention. Besides, Each new encounter with these people can “reinforce” that association.giving way to unpleasant interactions in which we feel uncomfortable.
4. Psychological grief
The loss of something we felt emotionally attached to, as well as the loss of loved ones, is a common source of negative automatic thoughts. For example, while this process lasts, it is normal to suddenly remember the last moments of that person’s life, and at the same time feel the sadness of that situation mixed with the longing for the loss. Luckily, in most cases psychological grief resolves itself within a matter of a few months.
People who score high on the personality element “Neuroticism” are more exposed to painful or unpleasant emotional reactions to everyday eventsand they are also more likely to maintain emotional after-effects after having gone through psychologically demanding experiences.
6. Feeling of guilt
The fact of having performed an action that we are not proud of is also one of the frequent causes of negative automatic thoughts. Is about a kind of memory that clashes with the concept of the “Ideal Self”what we would like to be, and therefore produces a discomfort that is expressed from time to time, drawing our focus of attention to that part of the memory.
To do?
These are some tips to deal with this type of thoughts, although the most effective measure that can be taken in these cases is to go to psychotherapy.
1. Don’t try to block those thoughts
Trying to completely leave these negative automatic thoughts out of consciousness is counterproductive, because it gives them more power, by predisposing us to pay attention to them.
2. Practice attentional focus management
The key is to accept the existence of these thoughts, but learn to not give them all the attention. The ideal is to learn to direct our attention towards other types of stimuli, assuming that it is natural to feel a certain degree of discomfort. Mindfulness exercises often help.
3. Maintain healthy habits
When our body is weakened or in poor condition, we are much more likely to suffer from anxiety and anguish in all its forms. Get enough sleep and maintain a balanced diet.
Practice moderate exercise on a regular basis helps to “disconnect” from those experiences or ideas that worry us excessivelywhich allows us to face these problems in a constructive way.
Are you looking for psychological treatment?
Luckily, with the help of psychology professionals it is possible to learn to prevent and cushion the emotional impact of negative automatic thoughts.
If you are interested in having psychotherapeutic support from professionals with many years of experience, we invite you to contact our team of psychologists. At Cribecca Psychology we serve both in person at our center in Seville and through online therapy by video call, and we have professionals specialized in different areas of emotional well-being and trained to help people of all ages. You can see more information about our center, as well as our contact information, on this page.
