Personalisation

As we navigate the labyrinth of our cognitive processes, we often stumble upon patterns that distort our perception of reality. One such cognitive distortion is personalisation. At its core, personalisation involves attributing external events to oneself without considering other more plausible explanations (Beck, 1976).

For example, a teacher who believes, "My students didn't pay attention in class because I'm a boring teacher," is personalising the behaviour of the students without considering other factors like the students' lack of sleep, their level of interest in the subject, or their general attention span. In this pattern of thinking, we become the epicentre of every event, bearing unnecessary burdens of guilt, responsibility, or self-doubt.

Personalisation is a frequent companion of several mental health conditions. In depression, the person may attribute negative events excessively to personal failings (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989). Similarly, in anxiety disorders, people tend to personalise potential threats, believing they are the cause or the target of danger (Riskind, 1997).

Strategies

Addressing personalisation in a therapeutic setting involves a combination of techniques primarily from cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

In CBT, the process begins with raising awareness about the distortion and tracking instances of personalisation (Burns, 1980). Therapeutic tools such as thought records can be used to capture these instances, making them concrete for analysis.

Once instances of personalisation are identified, the next step is cognitive restructuring (Beck, 2011). This process involves dissecting the thought, examining the evidence that supports or refutes it, and devising more balanced alternative thoughts. The teacher's thought, "I'm a boring teacher," might be restructured to, "There could be many reasons why students weren’t paying attention, and I'm just one factor in the equation."

ACT provides another avenue to address personalisation, by promoting psychological flexibility (Harris, 2009). Instead of fighting or denying personalising thoughts, individuals are taught to notice these thoughts and let them exist without necessarily believing or acting on them. Techniques like cognitive defusion can help create distance between the individual and their thoughts, reducing the impact of personalisation.

In sum, personalisation, while a common cognitive distortion, can contribute to a variety of mental health issues. However, by understanding, identifying, and applying therapeutic strategies to confront it, we can gradually untangle ourselves from its grip and move towards improved mental well-being.

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Sources:

1. Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. International Universities Press.
2. Abramson, L. Y., Metalsky, G. I., & Alloy, L. B. (1989). Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression. Psychological Review, 96(2), 358–372.
3. Riskind, J. H. (1997). Looming vulnerability to threat: A cognitive paradigm for anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35(5), 685–702.
4. Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. Harper & Row.
5. Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
6. Harris, R. (2009). ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy. New Harbinger Publications.