Negative cognition is a common psychological phenomenon that can affect individuals' emotional well-being and cognitive functions. During the process of emotional distress tolerance training, negative cognition often emerges as patients may experience anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions. These negative cognitions can interfere with the efficiency of emotional distress tolerance training and may even lead to the exacerbation of symptoms. Therefore, addressing negative cognition is an important aspect of emotional distress tolerance training.
There are multiple ways to deal with negative cognition in EMDR therapy. One of the most common methods is to use target management. Target management involves pairing a negative cognition with an image or scenario and asking the patient to imagine the situation and experience the emotions it elicits. This can help the patient recognize that their negative cognition is unreasonable and gradually change it to a more positive cognition. Another common method is to use rhythmic language. Rhythmic language is a set of rules for language use that can help patients reprocess information in their trauma memory network. By using rhythmic language, patients can better integrate negative cognition with positive cognition and reduce the impact of negative cognition on emotional distress.
In addition, EMDR therapy also emphasizes the importance of choosing appropriate cognitions. When selecting a cognition, patients need to reflect on the negative cognition they express when thinking about their trauma and quantifying their belief in the cognition on a subjective scale. This helps patients identify which negative cognition is most distressing and difficult to change, thereby enabling them to generate more positive cognition and reduce the negative cognition's impact on emotional distress.
Overall, addressing negative cognition is a critical aspect of EMDR therapy. By using targeted management, rhythmic language, and choosing appropriate cognitions, patients can effectively cope with negative cognition and improve the effectiveness of emotional distress tolerance training.
