cbt Flashcards
What were you thinking when that happened?
Honestly, I don’t really think much in those moments. I just handle it.
CBT depends on dissecting your thoughts to fix behavior. If you don’t name thoughts, the whole model collapses.
What’s the core belief behind that thought?
I don’t operate in beliefs—I go by what’s in front of me.
You remove the entire “uncover the hidden belief” step they need to feel useful.
Could that thought be distorted?
Possibly, but that doesn’t make it irrelevant.
You sound self-aware but refuse to play the reframe game—making it impossible for them to “correct” your cognition.
What’s the evidence for or against that thought?
Depends on the day. Evidence is flexible.
You’ve just rendered their rationality-based approach useless. You can’t challenge a thought that doesn’t obey logic.
Let’s log your thoughts and behaviors.
I’m not great at writing things down. I just move through them in real time.
CBT thrives on homework. No data = no power. You’ve unplugged the entire progress tracking mechanism.
Can we find a pattern?
Probably not. My reactions don’t follow a formula.
They want predictability. You’ve become chaotic-neutral. Patternless people break their systems.
What’s a more balanced way to look at that?
I mean, sure, but sometimes imbalance is just the truth.
You question the assumption that balance is always better. That short-circuits their entire cognitive correction strategy.
What would you tell a friend in that situation?
I’m not a big advice giver. People just have to feel what they feel.
You won’t externalize your compassion or insight—meaning they can’t Trojan horse empathy into you.
What would happen if you changed that thought?
Maybe nothing. Not all thoughts lead to action.
You challenge their premise that cognition causes behavior, removing the engine from their entire model.
How would thinking differently affect your life?
I think my life works fine as it is. Change isn’t always the goal.
You deflate the need for intervention. No problem = no work = no therapist ego boost.
What’s one goal you can work on this week?
I’m not in a goal-setting phase right now. Just coasting.
You refuse to play the productivity game. They can’t help someone who isn’t “working on something.”
How will you measure success?
I don’t measure things like that. I just know when I feel aligned.
You’ve gone full intuitive and undefinable. No metrics = no progress = no boxes to check.
“Frustrate the CBT Therapist” Flashcard Deck
Code name: Mirage Logic
— you sound like you’re engaging, but they get zero traction.
cbt
cognitive behavioral therapy
CARD 1: “Let’s identify the unhelpful thought.”
Avoidant Response: “I prefer to view them as adaptive narratives from a different era.”
Anxious Truth: “If I call them unhelpful, I lose the only structure I trusted.”
Why it pisses them off: You made the pathology sacred. Now they can’t touch it without backlash.
CARD 2: “Can you challenge that belief?”
Avoidant Response: “I could, but I’m still evaluating its function under pressure.”
Anxious Truth: “If I let go of that belief, I’ll fall into the unknown.”
Why it pisses them off: They want a yes or no. You gave them a field study in progress.
CARD 3: “What evidence supports that thought?”
Avoidant Response: “Evidence is subjective depending on the lens applied.”
Anxious Truth: “If I prove it wrong, what else might collapse?”
Why it pisses them off: You weaponized nuance. Their logic tree just caught fire.
CARD 4: “What’s a more balanced thought you could try instead?”
Avoidant Response: “Balance is contextual. Some thoughts are equilibrium in disguise.”
Anxious Truth: “Balanced feels fake if I haven’t emotionally caught up.”
Why it pisses them off: You rejected the reframe—and exposed their over-simplification.
CARD 5: “Let’s talk about cognitive distortions.”
Avoidant Response: “I think of them more as survival-based pattern recognition errors.”
Anxious Truth: “They feel accurate, even if they’re skewed.”
Why it pisses them off: You reframed their reframing. Now no term feels safe.
CARD 6: “You’re catastrophizing again.”
Avoidant Response: “I call it rehearsing for emotional impact mitigation.”
Anxious Truth: “If I don’t prepare for the worst, I won’t survive the blow.”
Why it pisses them off: You justified the distortion—and made it sound strategic.
CARD 7: “Let’s reality-test that assumption.”
Avoidant Response: “Reality is layered. Which level are we testing?”
Anxious Truth: “Some assumptions keep me functional—even if they’re unproven.”
Why it pisses them off: You broke their ruler before they could measure.
CARD 8: “That sounds like all-or-nothing thinking.”
Avoidant Response: “Sometimes absolutes are how I establish temporary safety.”
Anxious Truth: “Grey areas feel like drowning in indecision.”
Why it pisses them off: You framed a “problem” as a protective measure. That derails their strategy.
CARD 9: “Would you talk to a friend the way you talk to yourself?”
Avoidant Response: “I wouldn’t need to. My friends aren’t wired like me.”
Anxious Truth: “If I don’t self-monitor harshly, I might lose control.”
Why it pisses them off: You rejected their empathy trap with logic armor.
CARD 10: “You’re using emotional reasoning.”
Avoidant Response: “Emotions contain encoded intelligence. I’m translating as I go.”
Anxious Truth: “Emotions are my only map when thoughts betray me.”
Why it pisses them off: You elevated emotions to data level. Their hierarchy is glitching.
