BIPOLAR SOBER / ADDICTION / PERSPECTIVES / CBT
ADDICTION THROUGH A CBT LENS.
EXAMINE THE THOUGHT.
LOOK AT THE WHOLE FUCKING PICTURE.
01 / ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK
WHAT'S
THE STORY
HERE?
“Just because I think something, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.” — Beck Institute, CBT worksheet
Placeholder introduction to the CBT perspective on addiction and recovery.
This opening will introduce the relationships among thoughts, feelings, behavior, and the circumstances in which they occur.
We will replace this paragraph with your edited introduction, including what this perspective helps you understand about your history and life in recovery.
02 / THOUGHTS, FEELINGS & BEHAVIOR
LOOK AT
HOW IT
CONNECTS.
Placeholder copy about how interpretations, emotions, and actions influence one another.
This section will introduce a specific situation and examine the different parts of the experience.
THE SITUATION
Placeholder for describing what happened and the circumstances around it.
THE THOUGHT
Placeholder for identifying the interpretation that came to mind.
THE FEELING
Placeholder for describing emotions and physical responses.
THE BEHAVIOR
Placeholder for examining what you did and what followed.
Add an example here that connects these ideas to ordinary life in recovery.
03 / FAMILIAR THINKING PATTERNS
CATCH THE
SWEEPING
VERDICT.
Placeholder copy about recognizing thinking patterns that deserve a closer look.
This section will explore how a specific event can become a much larger conclusion about yourself, other people, or the future.
ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING
Placeholder for an example involving perfection, progress, or a perceived failure.
OVERGENERALIZATION
Placeholder for an example of turning one event into an “always” or “never.”
EMOTIONAL REASONING
Placeholder for examining a conclusion based entirely on how something feels.
ASSUMPTIONS & PREDICTIONS
Placeholder for examining what you assume others think or what you expect to happen.
Add your reflection here about which patterns feel familiar and how you recognize them.
04 / EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE
DOES IT
ACTUALLY
HOLD UP?
Placeholder copy about approaching a thought with curiosity and accuracy.
This section will introduce questions that help you examine an interpretation more fully.
NAME THE THOUGHT
Placeholder for identifying the specific statement you want to examine.
LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE
Placeholder for considering what supports the thought and what complicates it.
CONSIDER ANOTHER ACCOUNT
Placeholder for developing an interpretation that includes more of the available information.
IDENTIFY A USEFUL ACTION
Placeholder for deciding what you can do with that fuller understanding.
Add a worked example here, using a situation that feels relevant to your experience.
05 / EXPECTATIONS & EXPERIENCE
INCLUDE
THE WHOLE
EXPERIENCE.
Placeholder copy about comparing expectations with what actually happened.
This section will examine beliefs about what drinking provided and how those beliefs compare with the larger experience.
WHAT YOU EXPECTED
Placeholder for the anticipated experience, benefit, or change.
WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED
Placeholder for considering the immediate effects and what followed.
Add a paragraph here about what you understand differently with some distance and stability.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
06 / LEARNING THROUGH ACTION
TRY IT.
NOTICE.
LEARN.
Placeholder copy about testing assumptions through manageable actions.
This section will explore behavioral experiments, approaching avoided tasks, and building routines that fit your circumstances.
THE PREDICTION
Placeholder for what you expect will happen.
THE EXPERIMENT
Placeholder for a small, realistic action that lets you gather information.
THE OBSERVATION
Placeholder for recording what happened without forcing a particular conclusion.
THE NEXT STEP
Placeholder for adjusting your approach based on what you learned.
Add your reflection here about making these practices useful during ordinary, stable days.
KEEP ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS.
LOOK
A LITTLE
CLOSER.
Placeholder closing paragraph connecting this perspective to your life in recovery.
Add your final reflection here about understanding patterns, examining assumptions, and making informed decisions.
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