Editing Cognitive distortion (section)

== History ==
In 1957, American psychologist [[Albert Ellis]], though he did not know it yet, would aid [[cognitive therapy]] in correcting cognitive distortions and indirectly helping [[David D. Burns]] in writing ''[[The Feeling Good Handbook]]''. Ellis created what he called the ABC Technique of rational beliefs. The ABC stands for the '''a'''ctivating event, '''b'''eliefs that are irrational, and the '''c'''onsequences that come from the beliefs. Ellis wanted to prove that the activating event is not what caused the emotional behavior or the consequences, but the beliefs and how the person irrationally perceives the events which aid the consequences.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McLeod |first1=Saul A. |title=Cognitive Behavioral Therapy |url=https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.html |website=SimplyPsychology|year=2015}}</ref> With this model, Ellis attempted to use [[Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy|rational emotive behavior therapy]] (REBT) with his patients, in order to help them "reframe" or reinterpret the experience in a more rational manner. In this model, Ellis explains it all to his clients, while Beck helps his clients figure this out on their own.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ellis |first1=Albert |title=Rational Psychotherapy and Individual Psychology |journal=Journal of Individual Psychology |year=1957 |volume=13 |page=42}}</ref> Beck first started to notice these automatic distorted thought processes when practicing [[psychoanalysis]], while his patients followed the rule of saying anything that comes to mind. He realized that his patients had irrational fears, thoughts, and perceptions that were automatic. Beck began noticing his automatic thought processes that he knew his patients had but did not report. Most of the time the thoughts were biased against themselves and very erroneous.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Beck |first1=Aaron T. |title=The Past and Future of Cognitive Therapy |journal=Journal of Psychotherapy and Research |year=1997 |volume=6 |issue=4 |page=277|pmid=9292441 |pmc=3330473}}</ref>

Beck believed that the negative schemas developed and manifested themselves in the perspective and behavior. The distorted thought processes led to focusing on degrading the self, amplifying minor external setbacks, experiencing other's harmless comments as ill-intended, while simultaneously seeing self as inferior. Inevitably cognitions are reflected in their behavior with a reduced desire to care for oneself, reduced desire to seek pleasure, and finally give up. These exaggerated perceptions, due to cognition, feel real and accurate because the [[Schema (psychology)|schemas]], after being reinforced through the behavior, tend to become 'knee-jerk' automatic and do not allow time for reflection.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kovacs |first1=Maria |last2=Beck |first2=Aaron T. |title=Maladaptive Cognitive Structure in Depression |journal=The American Journal of Psychiatry |year=1986 |page=526}}</ref> This cycle is also known as [[Beck's cognitive triad]], focused on the theory that the person's negative schema applied to the self, the future, and the environment.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Aaron T. |title=Depression Causes and Treatment |date=1967 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press. |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |page=166}}</ref>

In 1972, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and cognitive therapy scholar [[Aaron T. Beck]] published ''Depression: Causes and Treatment.''<ref name="beck">{{cite book |last=Beck |first=Aaron T. |title=Depression; Causes and Treatment |location=Philadelphia |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=1972 |isbn=978-0-8122-7652-7}}</ref> He was dissatisfied with the conventional [[Freudian]] treatment of [[Depression (mood)|depression]] because there was no empirical evidence for the success of Freudian psychoanalysis. Beck's book provided a comprehensive and empirically supported theoretical model for depression—its potential causes, symptoms, and treatments. In Chapter 2, titled "Symptomatology of Depression", he described "cognitive manifestations" of depression, including low self-evaluation, negative expectations, self-blame and [[self-criticism]], indecisiveness, and distortion of the [[body image]].<ref name="beck" />

Beck's student [[David D. Burns]] continued research on the topic. In his book ''[[Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy]]'', Burns described personal and professional anecdotes related to cognitive distortions and their elimination.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burns |first1=David D. |title=Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy |date=1980}}</ref> When Burns published ''Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy'', it made Beck's approach to distorted thinking widely known and popularized.<ref name="burns2">{{cite book |last=Burns |first=David D. |title=Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy |location=New York |publisher=Morrow |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-688-03633-1}}</ref><ref name="Roberts">{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=Joe |title=History of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy |url=http://www.nacbt.org/historyofcbt.htm |website=National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists Online Headquarters |publisher=National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506094208/http://www.nacbt.org/historyofcbt.htm |access-date=9 April 2020|archive-date=2016-05-06}}</ref> Burns sold over four million copies of the book in the United States alone. It was a book commonly "prescribed" for patients with cognitive distortions that have led to depression. Beck approved of the book, saying that it would help others alter their depressed moods by simplifying the extensive study and research that had taken place since shortly after Beck had started as a student and practitioner of psychoanalytic psychiatry. Nine years later, ''The Feeling Good Handbook'' was published, which was also built on Beck's work and includes a list of ten specific cognitive distortions that will be discussed throughout this article.<ref name="burns">{{cite book |last=Burns |first=David D. |title=The Feeling Good Handbook: Using the New Mood Therapy in Everyday Life |location=New York |publisher=W. Morrow |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-688-01745-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/feelinggoodhandb00burn_0}}</ref>