CBT

Thoughts, which are made up of the “stuff” we are constantly telling ourselves (the voices in our head), create chemistry in our nervous system. When we tell ourselves anything, it starts a flood of neuro-chemicals. 

The chemicals you create as a result of the thought is then experienced by you as an emotion or feeling. So, if you tell yourself a story about a wonderful, happy experience from the past, or if you tell yourself a wonderful, happy story about the next vacation that you are planning, then you create the emotions or feelings of happiness. Just that simple. Emotions and feelings are nothing more than chemicals in our nervous system. That’s all. That’s it. Chemistry.

Now, there are two ways to change neuro-chemistry.

(1) Take Drugs.

(2) Make your own Drugs.

Let’s break this down. Prescribed Pharmacological drugs have all been discovered by accident. That’s right, none of them were intelligently invented. Certain experimental drugs were given to psychotic patients in mental institutions, and some had some beneficial effect (mainly making those patients more manageable. Think “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest”). Now these very powerful anti-psychotic drugs are being handed out like candy to whoever has emotional discomfort. All of these drugs often have unwanted side effects. Imagine, I’m your PCP, you have emotional issues (don’t we all?) I don’t know what to do with you, so I write a script for something that will get you out of my office because you have taken all the time I’m allowed. That’s how the system generally works. Now, in all fairness, there are awesome Physicians, Physician Assistants, Advanced Practice Nurses, that all have the ability to prescribe medications, and some of them start with life style changes and recommendations for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which actually has been demonstrated to work as effectively as medication. And CBT can teach you to make your own drugs!!

But what if you could make your own drugs. I’m not talking about setting up a meth lab. I am talking about thinking in such a way as to create the chemistry that creates better feelings. And that is simply what CBT is all about. Change your thinking, which changes how you feel. How you feel then drives your behaviors and actions. So, how you behave and act is a product of the emotions and feelings you experience, which are simply neuro-transmitters in your nervous system (chemicals), which are a product of your thoughts. You always are making your own drugs, so why not make great drugs?

Simple to understand, perhaps not so simple to apply. I teach people how to change their thinking so that they can create the quality of life that they desire. When traditional CBT is combined with Neuro-Linguistic-Programming, then it all works even more powerfully, because Neuro-Linguistic-Programming is CBT on steroids.

Axtell Hypnosis Center

Steve Axtell, Clinical Hypnotherapist

2801 Youngfield Street
Suite 300
Lakewood, CO 80401

2801 Youngfield Street
Suite 300
Lakewood, CO 80401

steveaxtell@msn.com