The Unwanted Thoughts and Intense Emotions Workbook

Book excerpt: Manage unwanted, intrusive thoughts—and the intense emotions these thoughts can trigger. Do you have obsessive, negative, intrusive thoughts that keep you up at night and miserable during the day? Do these thoughts make you feel sad, angry, anxious, or ashamed? Whether you have a formal diagnosis such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or borderline personality disorder (BPD)—or simply struggle with unwanted thoughts and the emotions they cause—this workbook can help you find the relief you desperately seek. Written by two pioneers in the field of mental health, this workbook combines two powerfully effective treatments to address relentless, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts—as well as the painful and intense emotions these thoughts can trigger. In this evidence-based workbook, you’ll find an innovative blend of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills to manage obsessive, self-blaming, judgmental, and catastrophic thoughts—and find lasting emotional balance. You’ll learn essential CBT skills to help you tolerate distressing thoughts and stay calm when thoughts feel overpowering; as well as DBT skills like distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and mindfulness to find reliable relief. If you’re ready to take charge of unwanted thoughts and find lasting emotional balance, the two-pronged approach in this innovative workbook can help.