| Abstract: | Abstract As a therapist using a cognitive-behavioral approach to treating eating disorders, I devote a significant part of my work to changing irrational ideas that perpetuate the disordered eating and related behaviors. Typically. part of each session is devoted to helping the patient recognize her irrational thoughts and encouraging her to substitute more realistic ideas. Like many cognitive-behavioral therapists (e.g., Fairburn, 1985, Hsu et al., 1991), I use cognitive restructuring techniques, such as asking questions, encouraging hypothesis testing, and offering information, that counter irrational beliefs about food and weight. One problem I have encountered with this approach is that frequent repetition may be required. Issues such as body image, dieting, emotional coping, and self-esteem reemerge in almost every session. Yet I become uncomfortable if I feel that I am repeating the same cognitive restructuring techniques too often. As a partial solution to this problem, I find that the following analogies and comparisons are helpful. They make it easier for the patient to identify her own thought patterns and to recognize the illogical assumptions in these thoughts. As therapy progresses they can serve as a shorthand that reduces the necessity for didactic discussions about irrational thinking. |
