2.2

Thought Record

Date/Time

Situation

Automatic Thought(s)

Emotion(s)

Adaptive Response

Outcome

 

  1. What actual event or stream of thought(s), or daydreams or recollection led to the unpleasant emotion?

  2. What (if any) distressing physical sensations did you have?

  1. What thought(s) and/or images went through your mind?

  2. How much did you believe each one at the time?

  1. What emotion(s) (sad/anxious/angry, etc.) did you feel at the time?

  2. How intense (0–100%) was the emotion?

  1. (optional) What cognitive distortion did you make?

  2. Use questions at the bottom to compose a response to the automatic thoughts.

  3. How much do you believe each response?

  1. How much do you believe each automatic thought?

  2. What emotion(s) do you feel now? How intense (0–100%) is the emotion?

  3. What will you do (or did you do)?

4/28

5:12 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

Stepped on the scale and it read 210; I have been trying to diet to get it down to 190.

Sinking feeling in my stomach, tension in my shoulders

 

 

 

 

 

I am unattractive. 80%

I really want to lose the weight, but it isn’t working. 95%

I should be able to lose this weight. What’s wrong with me? 60%

 

 

 

 

Sad 40%

Frustrated 30%

Ashamed 50%

 

 

 

 

Selective abstraction

Although I am a little overweight, there are still attractive things about me. 95%

Childish fantasy

Weight loss is about the control of calories and exercise and not about how much I want it. 90%

Thinking in “shoulds”

Weight loss is hard and it takes time to develop a plan that works and that you can stick to. 95%

 

Unattractive 40%

Sad 20%

I really want to 90% true, but relevance 10%

Frustrated 10%

I should 10%

Ashamed 5%

Plan: Revise my diet and increase exercise by going to the gym three days a week.

From © J. Beck, 2011. Adapted from Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond, 2nd edition, and used with permission.