CBT: Emotional Reasoning

Emotional Reasoning means assuming that if something feels a certain way, then it is a fact. If I feel bad, then I must be bad. Or this exposure feels dangerous, therefore it is dangerous. CBT includes identifying a range of thought distortions, including Emotional Reasoning, and it's the hardest one for me to deal with.

I tend to feel defensive when Leonard says I'm doing this, but he's always careful to emphasize that it's not pretend, that it takes bravery to feel that fear and still choose to do an exposure.

Right now I feel stuck. It's Monday afternoon, and I've been websearching. My shoulder hurts. I've sidetracked into many useless links, and I feel contaminated, as if once I start searching, the whole day is lost, cannot be repaired or changed. OCD in its self-replicating mode likes this feeling.