REBT Grandfathered CBT. OMG!
Posted: Thursday, November 05, 2009
by Bill Chandler
Hope and Healing Dynamics
Far and away the most commonly practiced psychotherapy for panic disorder and anxiety is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). But I'd like to discuss its predecessor, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). REBT was developed in the mid-1950's by clinical psychologist, Albert Ellis, Ph.D., who many consider the grandfather of CBT.
A = Activating Event
B = Belief System of the Individual
C = Consequences of Emotion and Behavior
Dr. Ellis proposed that when intense emotional and behavioral consequences (C) occur, we most often blame the activating event (A). Ellis, however, suggests the real culprit behind our emotional and behavioral consequences is, in fact, our belief system (B) - not the actual activating event (A). So Ellis presents the equation
A occurs
B = C
Instead of A = C.
Well, let's bring Ellis's equation to a bit of real-life drama, so we can better understand it
A Activating Event
Your car engine smokes every time you drive it and you don't have the money to get it fixed.
B Belief System
You believe having a smoking engine, and not being able to pay for its repair, makes you a loser. I mean, your family deserves better than that. Furthermore - you believe if your car breaks down, and you can't get it repaired, you and your family will be totally stranded and your lives will fall to pieces. And you'll be an even bigger loser. Things just aren't going your way. Dang none of this fits with your basic beliefs of self and how your life should be unfolding.
C Consequences of Emotion and Behavior
All of this makes you feel intensely anxious, angry, frustrated, frightened, embarrassed, and ashamed. As a result, sleep is becoming tough to come by. You even threw the remote across the room when your daughter asked you to help her with her homework last night. And every day you go on swearing at that car of yours for making your life, and the lives of your family, miserable. Lord only knows you have nothing to do with it, and aren't at all responsible for the emotional and behavioral fallout. It's always the stupid car, and lack of money to get it fixed.
Okay hold the phone. Remember, according to REBT
A does not equal C
It's all about B = C
Well, swell, you've been enlightened and have become convinced, at least in principle, that as A occurs, B truly causes a bunch of C's. Okay, you've come to know that the danged smoking engine and your financial strife aren't the true problems. It's the way you think. Well that's great, but there has to be some sort of intervention available to help you change that faulty belief system of yours so you don't continue to rip yourself, and your family, apart; and make a fool out of yourself every time adversity comes knocking at your door. Ah, you guessed it, more letters
D = Disputing Irrational Beliefs
E = Effective New Philosophies, Emotions, Behaviors
As the car engine smokes, and financial realities present, you must immediately put into motion your knowledge and insight regarding how your belief system causes your traditional negative emotional and behavioral consequences. Over and over and over again, it's up to you to dispute the irrational beliefs that would have you believe the smoking engine and being broke are causing all the problems. And only as you dispute what, for now, may come naturally, will you be able to develop new patterns of emotional and behavioral response to life's stressors including that danged car. So perhaps the ultimate equation becomes
A occurs
D = E
I've always liked REBT. It's very compact, making it easy to remember and use. And it's an intervention you can bring to your life right now, even without the assistance of a therapist. Go ahead search the Internet for REBT info, or hit your local library. You'll find all sorts of goodies to help bring it to life. But don't forget - like every strategy and technique presented in this book, practice will bring it on home a whole lot faster, and make it last a whole lot longer. This is not a drill, so give it a shot.
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