Coping with Your Stress Threshold
Psychotherapists have many tools available for aiding patients get over
stress, anxiety and connected issues. One of these tools is referred to as rational-emotive
behavior therapy (REBT), which was known as rational-emotive therapy
(RET). This technique of treatment was pioneered by Dr. Albert Ellis decades ago,
and today its principles and techniques operate in the more mature system
known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Doctor Ellis became a firm believer in the concept anyone could help him
or herself overcome the negative thinking that directly determine
emotional responses such as stress. He created what is now known as the ABC
model of psychotherapy.
A stands for Activating Event and is the exterior situation or event that is
mistakenly believed to cause C, the emotional Consequence. That which stands between A
and C, however, is B, a belief. This belief can be either logical or
unreasonable, and Dr. Ellis theorized that all negative emotional states are the
end result of irrational beliefs at point B.
The ABC style of psychotherapy may correctly be called the ABCDE style of
psychiatric therapy, due to the fact the model has two additional parts, D and E. D stands
for Disputation and relates to a mindful attempt on the part of the individual tochallenge and uproot the illogical beliefs at B that are inducing the
negative emotional consequences at C. This disputation subjects the irrational,
stress-causing beliefs to a scientific, logical, empirical, rational questioning questioning. If the individual succeeds in knowing and uprooting the
irrational beliefs which are creating his or her current state of distress, the
result is E, the Effect. E is ideally cognitive, emotional, and behavioral —
cognitive in the sense that an irrational belief is replaced instead by a rational
belief; emotional in the sense that a negative emotion such as stress is
replaced either with a beneficial emotion or by a milder negative emotion that is
more sensible; and behavioral in the sense that the person will not likely
react to similar occasions in future with similar nonrational thinking.
Presently there are a variety of subtleties that we have not addressed for the sake of
simplicity. One of these subtleties entails the vicious cycle that may result
when irrational beliefs and unfavorable emotional states have influence on
conduct and perception, bringing about all sorts of self-fulfilling prophecies.
In truth, perceptions, cognitions, emotions, and behaviors are highly
intermingled. A straightforward test of this fact can be seen if you attempt to
be unhappy whilst smiling, or downbeat while you walk at a swift pace with your head
up high and your chest out.
An model will aid to tie the whole process together and express how the
ABCDE model of psychotherapy can be utilised to cope with stress and other adverse
emotions.
Let us imagine that you are late for work and that you’re feeling
really stressed out about the scenario. The ABCDE breaks down as follows:
A – the Activating Event is that you are running late for work.
B – the irrational Belief we will examine below.
C – the emotional Consequence of B is that you are feeling stressed and highly nervous.
Why don’t we now move to Disputation. You may ask yourself “What is the irrational
belief that is making me feel this way?” Most probably, the belief will be along
the lines that you have to be punctual all the time and that it’s
devastating when you are delayed. You can then ask yourself “Why is it
catastrophic if I am late?” “Because,” you may possibly answer, “I could get fired.” If
you desired to, you could keep inspecting this and ask yourself what would be
disastrous about being fired, and you could end up surprising yourself with
where such chronic questioning can take you. But let us assume that being
terminated would truly be the end of your world. You can still challenge the idea
that you would be fired for being late. Let’s be honest, most likely you have witnessed
other coworkers arrive late once in a while with total impunity. Possibly even the
top dog is late ever so often.
Finally you may come to the understanding that being late isnt anything worth
stressing out over, and this rational conclusion would be supported by a
equivalent modification in your emotional state. You could take charge of your doings
by devising means to guarantee that you arrive early to work the vast majority of
the time. You would now be at E, the Effect.
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