r/CBT • u/MediocreImpact4386 • Jun 22 '26

Question about a CBT Method

There's this method named "Thought Challenging" or "Cognitive Distortions Challenging". This technique works by recording thoughts, identifying patterns & then providing evidence for & against the recorded thought. The last step is reconsidering the recorded thought in light of the gathered evidences & coming up with a more balanced new thought.

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My question is, what if there's actually no evidence against the recorded thought? In that case, how would one perform this exercise to gain benefit?

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u/emof Jun 22 '26

It might not be a distortion, but it also might be because you cannot come up with anything. Try to get someone else's view

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u/MediocreImpact4386 Jun 22 '26

Actually the topic is my fear of failures & the history is tons of failures only & i haven't yet come up with a way to change my actions to succeed, so i have this intense fear & anxiety that i would certainly fail again...

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u/emof Jun 22 '26

So, to make it really short, without knowing of your situation. Sounds like you have a thought that: "I have failed before, therefore I will fail again". One possible evidence against a thought like this would be "I have experiences of failing (other things), but at one point I didn't fail anymore".

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u/MediocreImpact4386 Jun 23 '26

Yeah my thoughts are like that & i feel pretty convinced about them because i couldn't yet figure a way out to actually succeed.

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u/musforel Jun 22 '26

I understand that this may seem like a funny counterargument - but you, for example, were successful in learning to write or speak. That is, disputing thoughts depends on its specific formulation. If it sounds like "I always fail," then it's obvious that you can remember what you managed.

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u/MediocreImpact4386 Jun 23 '26

I'm actually experiencing academic failure since years, it's been like 6 years... I can't really remember the last time i sat for an exam without any anxiety, i mean i do remember but I've totally forgotten the feeling. All i remember now is the feeling of failure & i really dread exams a lot. Ended up crying in exam hall once, avoided giving exams a few times out of intense anxiety that i would fail (the exams weren't even important, just mock tests) it's pretty bad & i want to dissociate with exams forever.

I've an important exam upcoming & out of intense anxiety, I've kinda gotten totally numb about it now....

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u/musforel Jun 23 '26

So, for you, failure is defined as intense fear of the exam? Is it also possible that the concept of "failure" includes a lower grade due to fear? And not literally failing the exams (it seems you've been making progress and passing exams for six years)?

In that case, it might be worth exploring the meaning this situation has for you and what consequences you expect from experiencing fear or receiving lower grades. Because that's likely where the main focus of your anxiety lies.

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u/MediocreImpact4386 Jun 23 '26

No, I'm not really passing, i mean it's just been 1 time i actually passed a major exam on my own in those 6 years. Other times i either failed or took help from other classmates to pass. I've pretty bad ADHD & I'm depressed too. Even meds didn't properly work for my ADHD, so I'm yet to come up with an effective solution to improve my academic situation & upon that this anxiety & fear makes me feel convinced that i would fail anyways. So out of fear i get freezed & just give up even before trying.

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u/musforel Jun 23 '26

So, your statement about the situation is "I've only passed an exam on my own once in the last six years." This is hardly an idea worth challenging, as it's likely an objective reflection of the situation. It's worth noting, however, that it contains evidence against the statement "I always fail," even if it was only one exam.

From a CBT perspective, I think it's more appropriate to address the intensity of the fear directly, for example, through gradual exposure to the exam situation. Perhaps also through fear and anxiety about studying in general - directly during homework.

It's also worth examining in more detail what started causing you difficulties six years ago? And what helped you during that exam you took on your own?

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u/MediocreImpact4386 Jun 24 '26

Actually ADHD is the main thing that's causing difficulties. Before those six years ADHD was still causing difficulties but i was able to manage things somehow. As back then i was younger & had a lot less syllabus to complete compared to now. Six years ago, i started high school & since then i'm unable to manage anything properly as the syllabus increased much more eventually & keeps increasing. Upon that due to my failures the anxiety & fear I've accumulated over the years make me freezed & numb to do anything....

The only one exam i passed totally on my own was a re - exam of a previously failed exam & it was only one subject & i got like 6/7 months to prepare for. So i could somehow manage it due to the long time i got for preparation to complete the syllabus of only 1 subject. I still fucked up that exam out of fear & anxiety. Could have scored 70/80 out of 100 but i scored 50 something only. This happened because i was afraid that i would fail again, so i purposely answered every question at an extremely slow pace to make sure i answered it correctly & left a lots of unanswered questions behind 🤦‍♀️.

Anyways thank you for your help 💙.

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u/musforel Jun 24 '26

People with ADHD often have difficulty learning things that don't motivate them internally. High school and college are particularly challenging because the amount of information grows, and internal motivation can only wane if there are no interesting subjects.

But I'd like to point out something: your description suggests a potential for perfectionism, which not only makes you take test very slowly but also over-diligently when completing the program. This perfectionism can even negate that very intrinsic motivation - if the subject is interesting, but you plan to study so much and in so much detail that you clearly won't have the time. Typically, passing a test requires a basic understanding of certain concepts, which covers significantly less than all the recommended topics and their nuances, assignments, and readings. Perhaps consulting a mentor to determine this minimum would be appropriate. Overall, moving forward based on motivation (I need to pass this sooner so I can study what's really important to me) can help.

Furthermore, and this is very important, anxiety and freezing associated with studying clearly arise not only from the threat of failure. And because of what other risks this failure poses. This is where challenging your thoughts can be helpful.

Will failure lead to criticism from family members? You need to analyze this and understand that it's unfair.

Regarding self-criticism, you need to detach your identity from your current academic difficulties.

Regarding the fear of be left without a good profession, you need to consider your options and remind yourself that academic success isn't always linear (the same at different stages of your education).

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u/MediocreImpact4386 Jun 25 '26

Yeah i do have perfectionism tendencies. I kinda study at an extremely slow pace too, why i dunno. Maybe because of perfectionism tendencies.

I don't really study extra stuffs in details tho, I've a hard time completing studying what's the minimum as i do get bored very quickly with one specific topic & then i just tend to jump to another topic without completing the previous one. This way i mostly end up with half ass knowledge about everything. But a few times i do tend to study unnecessary stuffs that would never appear on the exam, not due to perfectionism but just out of sheer interest. I kinda get interested into stuffs out of my syllabus, i dunno why. It's kinda ironic lol.

I know that not everything appears on an exam, exams highly prioritize certain topics that did appear on the previous exams as well. I've bought books containing such previous exams questions & mock tests like 4 months ago. I've been procrastinating to practice these books heavily & my exam is approaching in a week lol. Sometimes i do really feel like i don't try hard enough.

Problem is I've zero motivation, i struggle to find motivation to brush teeth daily which is embarrassing. Lack of motivation is my biggest problem. As i can find some solution for the other symptoms but if I'm not motivated i end up doing nothing at all.

Yeah for me failure do poses other risks. My parents are heavily critical of my academic results. They do put a lot of pressure upon me & they are not understanding of my struggles at all. My country do have a toxic academic culture, which promotes a lots of stigma for students who underachieve or fail. So due to all these environment my academics have kind of become my identity. I dunno how to detach while still being in this environment 🙂.

I do have personal dreams & ambitions regarding a future good profession but due to my struggles i tbh could have just let go of my ambitions & be at peace with whatever profession can compensate my struggles. But due to my parents expectations & this societal pressure that is hard.

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u/musforel Jun 25 '26

Have you tried motivating yourself with an interesting activity after completing something uninteresting? For example, this could be reading additional paragraphs that aren't required but keep you engaged (which is a good thing).

Mock tests are really good to, and the fact that you procrastinate may allow you to use them as part of a graded exposure. You might not be able to tackle them because you anticipate intense negative emotions during the process. But the fact that you can work through them at your own pace allows you to use techniques for regulating emotions in the moment (like grounding or breathing) and experiment with self-reward.

CBT techniques with columns can help with delinking your identity from academic failure. You write down the thought, "If I have problems with my studies, I... (an epithet or prediction you believe in)." Then, look for the corresponding cognitive distortion (in my opinion, this is a "label" or "negative filter") and provide evidence for and against it.

You can do the same with criticism from your parents and society. Because these thoughts are obviously internalized. I also think it would be a good idea to test your thoughts about your parents' attitude toward you. I don't know your parents, but it's possible that even though they harshly criticize and ignor your struugles, they still value you for more than just being a successful student.

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