“What’s the point of losing a few pounds? I’m going to lose 50 pounds! “”I never thought about going to the gym to lose weight. Because it doesn’t work!” “I don’t have the will to stick to a healthy diet. “
Do these words sound like something you’ve said to yourself recently? Saying negative things to yourself is something we’ve all done. But for people with diabetes, it’s more common, said John Zrebiec, director of behavioral health and an independent clinical social worker at the Joslin Diabetes Center.
“We found that people with diabetes are more likely to deny themselves in a negative way than people who don’t have diabetes. ‘I’m lazy. I don’t have any self-control. I always make some bad choices.'”
Then try a treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to eliminate this implied inner voice. “What you think will change the way you behave, so the main thing CBT does is change the way people see things, which leads to more positive actions to deal with things,” Zrebiec says.
First, identify what negative emotions are commonly held and what impact they have on behavior.
- All or nothing thoughts. This type of thinking defines the patient’s experiences and behaviors as all good or all bad (usually bad). The patient may have had a well-controlled diet for the last few weeks and indulged a little and overdid it at the office holiday party. “I’ve been doing great and one party totally ruined it!”
- Moral judgments, or “blame and shame.” Think you’re a “bad person” when you don’t meet expectations. “I should have been able to eat healthy, go to the gym every day, and be a smart person. Because I wasn’t doing that, something must have gone wrong with me. “
- Make so-called valid excuses. These ideas may make the patient’s behavior excusable – the patient finds reasons for not doing the behavior they planned to do. “I can’t exercise right now. I’m not going to the gym because I’m just too busy. But as soon as the weather gets warmer, I’ll start going out right away. “
Once you develop these negative thought patterns, you will start to numb yourself in different ways. One would ask oneself: Is this true? Is this logical? Where did I learn this idea? Will it help me achieve my goals?
“Look at our own example to show you the answers to these questions,” Zrebiec said. “It doesn’t mean being harsh on yourself, much less following the plan exactly and without variation, just gradually recognizing that every miss isn’t a ‘failure,’ but rather a focus on doing better next time. Even with these negative thoughts, with diligent practice, you can learn to act in a smart and positive way.”