Process - Physician - Fraser Health Authority

THINKING REALISTICALLYNegatively distorted thinkingfeeds into depression. We callit depressive thinking.Depressive thinking is unrealistic and unfair:■ unrealistic, negative thoughts about your situation;■ unrealistic and unfair, negative thoughtsabout yourself;■ unrealistic, negative thoughts about your future.The aim is to challenge depressive thinking and replaceit with realistic thinking.Realistic thinking is:■ accurate about your situation, seeing thingsclearly as they are;■ fair about yourself, looking in a balanced way atthe positive and negatives in your life;■ accurate about your future, not exaggeratingbad outcomes.So what’s the goal in dealing with depressive thinking?Is it to think positive thoughts all day long? Do we wantto kid ourselves that nothing bad will ever happen?No. Overcoming depressive thinking doesn’t meanreplacing it with positively distorted thinking (everyoneloves me, nothing bad will ever happen, I will alwaysget what I want). The point is that thinking in anunrealistic way, whether positive or negative, causesus to feel and react inappropriately. The aim is toevaluate our lives and ourselves in a realistic manner.The goal is fair and realistic thinking.That means being fair and realistic about yourself (payingattention to good qualities and strengths as well asproblems), about your current situation (weighing thepositive and negative aspects of your life accurately)and about your future (not exaggerating the likelihoodof very negative outcomes). So, how do you changedepressive thinking?Following are the steps . . .SELF-CARE DEPRESSION PROGRAM30 ANTIDEPRESSANT SKILLS WORKBOOK