STEP TWO – UNDERSTAND COGNITION

The cognitive model of anxiety  

We need to to know three essential terms before we dive into the cognitive model.

• Core beliefs – Our deepest beliefs about ourselves, the world and future. (For eg – I am socially inept, I am scared of animal). Most of our actions and emotions can be traced back to core beliefs.
• Schemas – The summation of all our beliefs in regard to a specific subject (Dogs are scary creatures) Schemas may or may not include core beliefs.
• Automatic thoughts – Are thoughts that precede action and occur immediately after exposure to a triggering event, they depend highly upon one’s core beliefs and schemas.

Thus when one is exposed to a situation that requires action, it is filtered through schemas to produce an automatic thought which results in action.

Imagine Mr. Y is terribly afraid of talking to women. Thus when he is faced with a situation wherein he is to interact with women.

• His automatic thought – Run away! you are under threat, you are going to be humiliated.
• His schema – He is unappealing and awkward around women. Women are quick to draw conclusions.
• His core belief – I lack any kind of social skills.

This automatic thought is often assumed to be fact and ends up triggering the anxiety response. He starts sweating, trembling and his voice starts to break even before he starts interacting with women.

• A lousy exit strategy – Rather than face the threat head on, Y learns that avoiding any communication with women is pretty effective in “escaping” the crutches of anxiety. This “avoidance coping” is a two edged sword, avoidance though very effective in reducing anxiety, propagates and feeds the fear of the avoided situation.

  

Continue to page three to learn to apply what we
have read so far.