When adjusting to a head injury it can be common to experience low mood or depression. An effective way to manage this is using principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to “challenge thoughts”.
- What is the evidence ?
What evidence do I have to support my thoughts ?
What evidence do I have against them ?
- What alternative views are there ?
How would someone else view this situation ?
How would I have viewed this situation in the past ?
- What is the effect of thinking the way I do ?
Does it help me, or hinder me from getting what I want ? How ?
- What thinking error am I making ?
(a) Am I thinking in all-or-nothing terms
ignoring the middle ground ?
(b) Am I catastrophizing
overestimating the chances of disaster ?
(c) Am I personalizing
blaming myself for something which is not my fault ?
(d) Am I focusing on the negative
looking on the dark side; ignoring my strengths ?
(e) Am I jumping to conclusions
predicting the future and mind-reading ?
(f) Am I living by fixed rules
fretting about how things ought to be; overusing the words
should, must and can’t ?
- What action can I take ?
What can I do to change my situation ?
Am I overlooking solutions to problems on the assumption they
won’t work ?