Posted: February 24th, 2023

A thought record

A thought record is a cognitive behavioral therapy-learned ability (CBT). According to the cognitive paradigm, people’s emotions are caused by their perceptions. The foundations of one’s cognitions (thoughts and pictures) are continual mental processing patterns established from childhood (Rojas et al., 2022). Recording and evaluating one’s emotions enables one to evaluate the precision of their thinking. Though thought logs are intended to assist patients modify their emotions by gaining a balanced perspective, they can be difficult to complete due to the fact that such considerations are embedded in the patient’s underlying attitudes and worldviews.

Cognitive behavioral techniques understand important cognitions and their function in depression etiology differently. Vulnerability is a significant factor in depression. For instance, susceptible individuals may acquire specific beliefs that develop into features throughout their lives. Some individuals find it difficult to recognize their automatic thinking. Although the activity is frequently practical, patients can sometimes become preoccupied with irrelevant information, resulting in negative filtering. While the bulk of input may be good, excluding relevant components can cause patients to perceive the evaluation as wholly negative, evoking feelings of tension, worry, and dissatisfaction. People with depression may be more aware of their feelings than the stimuli that trigger them. Thus, these perspectives can become fundamental beliefs, and when they surface, patients may become more sad.

The lack of literature on negative attitudes among Haitian Americans demonstrates that health professionals do not sufficiently comprehend the idea. Many Americans are less familiar with the Haitian culture than with other civilizations. Nonetheless, the Vodou worldview provides this group with a cosmocentric viewpoint on mental health. They typically complain of insomnia or energy deficiency rather than depression. Numerous Haitians believe that practice can treat specific diseases. Auguste and Rasmussen (2019) claim that because the Haitian people minimize their problems, they may not be interested in treatment. Given that acknowledged mental health illnesses are frequently linked to God and spiritual forces, physicians are not the best option for treating them. Additionally, mental troubles may not always be internalized as a personal concern, as it is believed that spirits cause difficulties for covetous others. Due to the prominence of Vodou in Haitian culture, there have been requests to reduce the stigma surrounding the notion and recognize it as a vital part of Haitian identity.

The automatic thought recorders can be difficult to complete because such cognitions are rooted in the patient’s fundamental views and worldview. A depressed patient should complete the assignment on automatic thoughts on a difficult situation. The task is most successful when completed in close proximity to the occurrence. However, it is advantageous for the individual to have some distance from the intensity of the incident so that their cognitions are not fully clouded by unpleasant emotions. The clinician can also assist the patient with objectively describing the issue in a single statement. The user might next proceed to the emotions column to identify any feelings or responses they are experiencing at the time. Ultimately, the health professional can assist the patient in writing down these assignments in order to identify their mental patterns. Clinicians can boost their odds of completing the thought recorders and restructuring their automatic cognitions by following these measures.