Definition:

Automatic Thoughts are rapid, involuntary, and spontaneous cognitive processes or mental responses that occur without conscious effort or awareness. These thoughts often arise in response to specific situations, triggers, or events, and can greatly influence an individual’s mood, emotions, behaviors, and overall psychological well-being.

Characteristics of Automatic Thoughts:

• Involuntary: Automatic thoughts happen automatically and without conscious intention. They often occur spontaneously and effortlessly, outside of our control.
• Rapid: These thoughts occur quickly, sometimes within milliseconds, in response to stimuli from the environment or internal triggers.
• Unconscious: Individuals are often not aware of their automatic thoughts as they typically bypass conscious awareness and are deeply ingrained in our cognitive processes.
• Repetitive: Automatic thoughts tend to be recurrent and repetitive, following familiar patterns in different situations or contexts.
• Interconnected: These thoughts are interconnected with our core beliefs, assumptions, and schema, shaping our overall cognitive framework and influencing our interpretations of events.
• Emotionally Charged: Automatic thoughts are closely intertwined with our emotions. They can evoke intense feelings, positive or negative, contributing to the experience of distress, anxiety, depression, or other emotional states.