I’ve done a lot of work trying to identify cognitive distortions, weigh pros/cons of certain beliefs I have, and examine the evidence for negative thoughts or beliefs.
In my experience, this does help a little bit but only when I’m already feeling a little better. When I’m in the pits of being depressed and even brushing my teeth feels like work, these CBT strategies also feel like too much work. When I do manage to do one, they are less effective anyway.
What are your experiences with this? Have certain strategies helped you more than others?