The basic theory of  CBT is that thoughts and feelings are consistently linked.

A person with depression (a mood disorder) has thoughts of hopelessness, helplessness, pointlessness and worthlessness.

 

Someone with anxiety perceives danger or a threat in their environment.

Feelings of anger are often associated with perceptions of unfairness, hostility or indifference in the environment.

 

In CBT, individuals are encouraged to become aware of their thoughts, scrutinize their thoughts, and recognize thinking errors also called cognitive distortions.

 

Examples of cognitive distortions are all or nothing thinking, mind reading, fortune telling and labeling, among others.

 

 If an individual is able to identify thinking errors, it becomes possible to develop alternative perceptions.  With alternative perceptions, it is possible to gain control of negative feelings such as depression, anxiety and anger.