Baseer Maroof, LCSW · Raleigh, NC · Adults 21+
The cognitive model
Depression doesn’t just change how you feel. It changes the lens. Here’s how that lens works and how to check it.
In short
- In Beck’s model, stress switches on old negative beliefs. They bias what you notice and how you read it.
- Fast automatic thoughts follow, and they feel like facts. Feelings and behaviour follow the thought.
- The bias shows up in three places: how you see yourself, the world and the future.
- Cognitive therapy teaches you to catch these thoughts and weigh them against the evidence.
The model
Same situation, two different reads.
Thought to behaviour
Pick a situation, then switch between the two reads. Tap a step or press Play.
The situation:
The read:
Based on Beck’s cognitive model of depression.
The triad
The cognitive triad
Tap a corner.
Beck’s three negative views. The questions are the kind used in cognitive therapy.
Catching thoughts
Notice the shift
When your mood drops, ask: what just went through my mind? Write the thought down word for word.
Weigh it
What’s the evidence for it and against it? What would I tell a friend? What’s the most likely outcome, not the worst?
Test it with action
Many depressed predictions are about the future: “it won’t help.” The fastest test is to try a small thing and rate it. That’s where the cognitive model meets behavioural activation.
Not positive thinking
The goal is an accurate thought, not a cheerful one. Sometimes the situation really is bad; the question is whether the conclusion you’ve drawn from it is fair.
Sources
All sources, linked2 references⌄
- Beck AT (2008). The evolution of the cognitive model of depression and its neurobiological correlates. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165(8), 969–977. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18628348/
- American Psychological Association (2019). Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts. www.apa.org/depression-guideline/guideline.pdf
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