The article explores how anxiety distorts perceptions and reinforces negative beliefs. It highlights the challenge that those free from mental illness face in understanding the rigidity of negative beliefs. Stubbornness is presented as a central trait among patients, leading to a protective yet limiting cognitive mechanism. Research indicates that anxiety biases attention towards threats and affects how we interpret our environment. This interplay between thoughts and feelings suggests that mental states can perpetuate negative belief systems, necessitating intervention to shift perspectives.
Simply put, our thoughts don't only affect our feelings; our feelings also affect our thoughts (or beliefs) through our perceptions and interpretations of ourselves and the world.
If we think of beliefs as cognitive mechanisms to support and protect ourselves, then we can more easily understand why so many of us often retreat to safety.
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