Thinking Traps 101
experience. Often processes such as worry and rumination
are verbal in nature. W hen people worry about the future,
they often try to analyze all the bad things that could happen
in sentence form (for example, If I were to request an extension
on this deadline, my boss would be disappointed in me.). The
verbal nature of worrying prevents people from actually
imagining these circumstances in a more vividly visual
form. Essentially, rather than experiencing some unwanted
future event as a realistic and lively image, people will try to
take the edge off by using language that is more detached,
analytical, and subdued. Although this initially sounds like
a very appealing strategy, it serves as a way of avoiding
intense emotional experiences and teaches you that your
future circumstances, as well as the unpleasant emotions
that accompany them, are dangerous.
Figure 4.1. Model of Repetitive Negative Thinking and Clinical
Disorders