ABCs of Irrational Beliefs / Automatic thoughts

A= activating event- an experience that triggers an irrational thought

B= belief- the way we interpret the event and what we believe to be true about it
C= consequent emotions- the emotions that result from the irrational belief
D= dispute- disputing the irrational beliefs
E= effective beliefs- replacing the irrational beliefs with a more effective and reasonable
belief

Irrational beliefs are common in many disorders. In depression, the text discusses the negative
cognitive triad (all of which are irrational negative beliefs about yourself, your world, and your
future). In anxiety disorders, people might have irrational beliefs that maintain their anxiety
(such as in phobias… “everyone is watching me and will see me as a fool”). Even in personality
disorders, irrational beliefs can play a role (paranoid PD…”everyone is out to get me”; in
dependant PD…”he will leave me if I disagree with him, I’ll just let him make all the decisions”;
in avoidant PD…”I don’t know how to talk to people, I’ll look stupid, it would be better if I just
stay home”).

One way to deal with irrational beliefs of any kind (regardless of which disorder is it occurring
in), is to implement cognitive therapy. The goal of cognitive therapy is to identify irrational
beliefs, dispute those beliefs, and then find an effective belief to replace the maladaptive
one. The handout discusses the A-B-Cs of emotion and irrational beliefs or automatic thoughts.
It also identifies common themes in negative emotions and common irrational automatic
thoughts and beliefs. The assignment is going to use these and examples to practice disputing
and changing irrational beliefs.

Aaron Beck believes the best way to dispute these beliefs is to ask the person the following
questions:
Where is the evidence? What evidence do you have to support this belief?
What evidence do you have which disputes the belief? In other words, where is the
evidence that the belief is NOT true?
What would be a more realistic way of interpreting the activating event?

With this in mind, read the following scenarios and develop arguments for and against the
maladaptive beliefs. In the assignment, your job is to provide arguments for and against the
maladaptive belief (essentially part D of the process). Remember, you want to give some
specific evidence against each thing, and for each thing. You can take some creative license with
this. What might have happened in the past that could be pointed to as evidence to support the
maladaptive belief, and what might have happened that can be used as evidence to refute the
maladaptive belief?

More info below… keep reading 

EXAMPLE:

A- C- D-dispute D-dispute
Activating B- Consequent - - E- Effective
Event Belief Emotion Evidence For Evidence Against belief
My friends are in
the bar with me, The guy is
so they must like probably drunk,
My girlfriend me. Everyone and he doesn't
just broke up else is nice to me, even know me.
Guy in bar I'm a with me, so I so I must not be a His insult wasn't
insults me loser Depression must be a loser. loser. even correct.

Note that A, B, and C are given already for each problem. B is the irrational, maladaptive belief
the person has. You will fill out the Dispute – evidence for, and Dispute – evidence against
columns. Please note, the E – Effective belief column is shown here, but you will not be
doing this one.

The Dispute - FOR column is where you state evidence that might support that irrational belief
(that might suggest that is it true). You will need to take some liberties and make up something
about this person. So for this example, something that might support the belief that this person is
a loser is that this person’s girlfriend just broke up with him. Or maybe they just got fired.
Maybe a classmate told him he sucked on Facebook. You see the idea. Remember, you want to
provide some evidence; some tangible, everyone can see it proof that this maladaptive belief
might be true. This is not just restating the poor belief. For example, saying “Everyone hates
me” is not evidence for the belief that you are a loser… that is just another belief.

The Dispute – AGAINST column is where you come up with evidence that might support that
the irrational belief is NOT true. So something that goes against that irrational belief in column
B. Again, you are making something up… so in this example, if I have friends with me, then I
must not be a loser. Or if they just got a raise at work. Or if they were just invited to a hot
party. Whatever might go against the idea that they are a loser. And again, be sure you are not
just stating an effective belief here. Saying “I know I’m awesome so who cares what he says” is
not evidence against the thought that you might be a loser. It is a more effective belief. But no
proof that it’s true.

The E-Effective Belief column should be a more realistic, rational belief to explain the original
Activating event in column A. Most people have no problem doing this part, so I am not
requiring you to do it for the assignment. It is here in the example just to show you through the
entire process.

The assignment worksheet is below on next page:

 D-dispute
A- C- D-dispute -
Activating Consequent - Evidence
Event B- Belief Emotion Evidence For Against

My friends are in the

bar with me, so they
My girlfriend just must like me.
broke up with me, Everyone else is nice
Guy in bar so I must be a to me, so I must not
insults me I'm a loser Depression loser. be a loser.
I continue to
procrastinate this
I'll never get this assignment, I My instructor can
work done by don’t know what help me understand
Having a long, tomorrow, and my is required, I must this assignment
difficult instructor will be very dumb and before tomorrow, So
assignment think I am stupid Anxiety, will fail this class, I must not be dumb,
due the next and lazy and I will depression, why am I even I think I can pass this
day fail the class. panic bothering? class.
I just wrecked I almost lost my life,
my friend’s car, and everyone is
So I don’t deserve sympathizing with
Getting into an Oh, no, she will a driver’s license, me, she knows it was
accident in a never speak to me she will never an accident, she will
friend's car. again Depression speak to me again speak to me.
Surrounded with
I’m surrounded new people and
with new people, speaking different
speaking a language, I must be
different lucky and not be
Moving away language, I must alone and learning
from friends My whole life is have left my something new
and family. left behind. Depression entire life behind beside my past life.
Everyone else Everyone just
knows more than I laughed at me
do, and I will look because I Everyone is learning
like a fool if I say answered the and participation is
Having to something wrong. question important, I must not
participate in a They will all laugh incorrectly, so I be foolish and stupid
class at me and think I must be stupid if am wrong since
discussion. am stupid. Anxiety, fear and foolish. everyone is learning.
 My coworkers My boss and
don’t like me and coworkers do
Hearing They are up to think I’m not fit appreciate the work I
someone laugh something. I bet for the job. So, I do, so I must be a
when you are they sabotaged my must be horrible good fit because they
walking past report to the boss at what I do, I like my report and
them in the to try to get me Paranoia, must not deserve therefore deserve the
hall. fired. Anxiety the job. job.
I don’t put in as
much time as he Everyone likes the
does and don’t contribution I bring
He is so lucky. work with others and with more effort
Hearing about Nothing good ever to promote the and hard work I
a friend who happens to me, I'll organization so I should be able and
just got never get a raise in can’t get a raise in lucky to get a raise at
promoted my job. Depression my job. my job.
I hope I make the
right choice. What
if my boyfriend
doesn't like the Yes I expect him to
location I choose? like or not to like the
He will hate the I can’t sleep or location I choose,
vacation and leave focused on it’s normal and I’m
me and I'll be anything because being hard on myself
alone the rest of life is not worth that I will be alone
Having to my life. Maybe I'd living if I don’t for the rest of my life
decide where better let him have someone to because not making
to go on choose where to love and take care a choice is actually
vacation go. Anxiety, Fear of me making a choice.
My best friend
was complaining
I keep getting of his terrible I may have this
these headaches. headaches and terrible headache
What if it is a later died of a and seek urgent care,
Having a brain tumor? brain tumor, so I so they might
headache What if it's a must be having a eliminate a stroke or
twice in the stroke! I could brain tumor or brain tumor and I
last 3 days. die! Anxiety maybe a stroke. may not die.