PANIC STATIONSPANICSTATIONS

Panic Stations
Module 8
Core beliefs
Core Beliefs

2

Identifying themes from thought diaries

2

Identifying a core belief

3

Challenging your core beliefs

4

Behavioural Experiments

5Core Beliefs Worksheet

6

Following Through7

Module Summary

8

About this Module

9

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Module 8: Core beliefs

Page 1PANIC STATIONSCore Beliefs
By now you are probably becoming used to the process of challenging your thinking in a range of situations.
You know how to identify the thoughts that are causing you distress and how to challenge them andreplace them with more balanced thoughts. However, you might notice that there are times when it isharder to believe the new balanced thought and the old unhelpful thoughts seem to be very powerful. Youmight notice that this happens in certain kinds of situations.
A possible explanation for this ‘difficulty in letting go’ of an unhelpful thought is that there may be a strong
core belief at the root of that unhelpful thought. The aim of this InfoPax is to give you some information
about underlying unhelpful core beliefs and what strategies might help you to challenge them.
Core beliefs are the very essence of how we see ourselves, other people, the world, and the future.
Sometimes, these core beliefs become ‘activated’ in certain situations. These core beliefs might specificallybe about the panic symptoms, but they can also be related to a person’s self-concept, or their family, or
any part of their lives that is important to them. Here’s an example:
John is generally able to challenge his unhelpful thinking about his physical sensations but he has
noticed that he has great difficulty challenging his thinking when he is with his family. He evenexperiences symptoms of panic when he just thinks about these situations. Even after working
through his thought diary, he has a tendency to believe the negative statements and continue tofeel bad. In these situations, he has recognised that he is very worried about his children’s
impression about him. In fact, when he really looks hard at his thinking, he can see that often
the underlying self-statement is, “I must be a good father and always be strong for mu children”
and “I am weak and a bad father”.
Core beliefs, such as the one from the above example, develop over time, usually from childhood andthrough the experience of significant life events or particular life circumstances. Core beliefs are stronglyheld, rigid, and inflexible beliefs that are maintained by the tendency to focus on information that supports
the belief and ignoring evidence that contradicts it. For example, when John is with his children, he focusesintensely on his internal sensations, monitoring every change to try to avoid increasing his physicalsymptoms. Even neutral sensations are often interpreted as negative. Over the years, this narrow focus
gives strength to the belief and John no longer thinks to question it. It is just totally and absolutelyaccepted. It is not surprising, then, that these types of beliefs are the hardest to shake.

1. IDENTIFYING THEMES FROM THOUGHT DIARIES
So, how can you start identifying your core beliefs? The first step is to look over your Thought Diaries tosee if your ‘hot’ thoughts have any common themes. You might notice that there are certain patterns toyour thoughts – similar themes that occur in the B columns. Look closely at these to identify the patterns.
You may become aware of one or two common themes found in the things you say about yourself andother people. The columns below might help you to find common types of themes.

About myself…

About the world…

About the future…

Eg “I’m out of control”

Eg “The world is adangerous place”

Eg “I’m going to go crazy”

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Module 8: Core beliefs

Other themes..

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1. IDENTIFYING A CORE BELIEF
The process of identifying a schema is not a great deal different from what you have already being doing.
Essentially, the idea is to extend the B column out to reveal the bottom-line of what you might be thinking.
This is illustrated using an example from John’s thought diary below:Thought Diary (example)
AC

Activating Event

B Beliefs

This may be either: An actual event or asituation, a thought, a mental picture orrecollection.

1.

List all statements that link A to C. Ask yourself: “What wasI thinking?” “What was I saying to myself?” “What was goingthrough my head at the time?”

Playing with my children
in the park and notice myheart beating faster

NO – this can’t happen here!

Consequences“What does that mean?”

1.

They’ll think I’m weak“because…”

I’ll lose control and go crazy right infront of my kids

Write down words describing how you
feel. Rate the intensity of those feelings
and underline the one that is most
associated with the activating event.

“What does that mean?”That I’m not a good father

Panicky (80)“What does that say about me?”Worried“I’m weak and pathetic as a father”(core belief)

As you can see it takes a bit of work to get down to the actual core of what you believe. Use questions
similar to the Thought Discovery Questions discussed in Module 4, such as:•“If that’s true, what does that mean?“•“What’s bad about that?”•“What does that say about me?”This process is like sifting through the layers of self-talk to get at what is at the bottom layer. Now, you
are ready to challenge your core beliefs. Even though these beliefs are strongly held, it is important thatthey are challenged, just like any unhelpful thoughts. Once you have fully identified what you are tellingyourself, you can begin to see if your core beliefs hold up against all that you have experienced. This
process of challenging your core beliefs may not be an easy one. If you find the process too difficult ordistressing, do consider seeing a mental health professional and discussing this with them.

Turn to the next page for a discussion on how to challenge your core beliefs.

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PANIC STATIONS
2. CHALLENGING YOUR CORE BELIEFS
To evaluate and challenge your core beliefs, ask yourself “What experiences do I have that show that thisbelief is not completely true all the time?” Use the space below to list as many experiences, and be asspecific, as possible. Remember to write down everything even when you’re not sure if they are relevant.
Core belief to be challenged

Experiences that show that this belief is not COMPLETELY true ALL the time:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
When you have considered all the experiences you have written down, develop an alternative, balanced
core belief. Remember that these experiences show that your unhelpful core belief is not completely true
all the time. What would be an appropriate balanced and helpful core belief? Write this down.
Balanced core belief:

In the example of John, some of the experiences that go against his core belief (“I’m weak and pathetic as afather”) might be:
1. My daughter has made me a card saying that she thinks that I’m the best dad in the world
2. I help the kids with their homework and help out with my son’s soccer team. I’ve received a giftfrom him and his team mates to say thank you for helping out.
3. The kids have been with me when I’ve had a panic attack and afterwards they came up and gave
me a hug and said how much they loved meJohn’s balanced core belief might be: “Just because I get anxious, it doesn’t mean I that I’m a weak andpathetic father. I do a lot for my kids and they often show how much they love and appreciate me.”forCentrelinicalC Interventions• Psychotherapy • Research • Training

Module 8: Core beliefs

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3. BEHAVIOURAL EXPERIMENTS
You could also try doing a behavioural experiment to challenge those hard-to-budge unhelpful core beliefs.
The purpose of doing an experiment is to find out how true your core beliefs are. Here’s how you could
conduct an experiment.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Write down the core belief you want to test
Think of a few tasks you could do to test your core belief
B
Write down what you would expect would happen if your core belief were true.
Carry out the tasks
Record what actually happened when you carried out the tasks
Compare the actual results with your prediction and write down what you might have learned
from the experiment. Then, write down a new balanced belief that fits with your conclusion.

Let’s use the example of John to illustrate this for you. Use the blank behavioural experiment record
provided below, and a Core Beliefs Worksheet on the next page, to challenge your unhelpful core beliefs.
Core belief to be tested: “I’m weak and pathetic as a father”
Task/s:
Prediction:
What actually happened:* Go to my son’s soccer
training 3 times this weekand help out as the coach has
asked me before* I will have a panic attackand be so anxious I’ll haveto leave and he’ll be angry
with me* I was anxious at one session,
but waited a while and thenhelped with training. My son
thanked me for coming along.

*Take my daughter shopping
for shoes* I’ll get anxious and she’ll* I had a good time and myask to go home because I’mdaughter asked if I could help
not helping
her shop for school materials
Conclusion: From this experiment I realised that I am not a weak and pathetic father. I canstill do things with my kids to help them and enjoy time with them
Balanced core belief: Just because I get anxious, it doesn’t mean I that I’m a weak andpathetic father. I do a lot for my kids and they show how much they love and appreciate meCore belief to be tested:
Tasks:

Prediction:

What actually happened:

Conclusion:
Balanced core belief:

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Page 5PANIC STATIONSCore Beliefs Worksheet
Core belief to be challanged

Experiences that show that this belief is not COMPLETELY true ALL the time:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Balanced core belief:Core belief to be tested:
Tasks:

Prediction:

What actually happened:

Conclusion:
Balanced core belief:

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Following ThroughYou might find it useful to write your balanced core beliefs onto cards that you can carry around with you as areminder when this type of thinking is triggered. Remember, unhelpful core beliefs are approached just thesame as any other type of unhelpful thinking – they just take some extra work on your part. Once you’ve
gathered evidence against your unhelpful core beliefs, conducted a behavioural experiment to test them, andhave developed balanced core beliefs, follow through on them.
Balanced core beliefs require careful nurturing and ‘tender loving care.’ Affirm yourself by using positive selfstatements, remind yourself of all the evidence against the unhelpful core belief. Also, act against yourunhelpful core belief. If you have previously avoided doing certain things because of your unhelpful core belief,
now is the time to act against it, and stop avoiding those things. Ask yourself, “If I really believed my balancedbelief, what are the things I would do?” Then, go out and do them. The more you do these things, the more
you will come to believe your balanced beliefs. Over time, these new core beliefs will be integrated into yourbelief system.

corebelief

Note: In your own reading about core beliefs, you might come across the term ‘self-schemas.’ This term andcore beliefs mean the same thing.

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Module 8: Core beliefs

Page 7PANIC STATIONSModule Summary••••••••••

Sometimes, it may be difficult to believe balanced thoughts in certain situations
because there may be a strong core belief operating in that particular situation
Core beliefs are the very essence of how we see ourselves, other people, theworld, and the future. They are strongly-held, rigid, and inflexible beliefs thatare maintained by the tendency to focus on information that supports the belief
and ignoring evidence that contradicts it. Such beliefs are often unquestioned –they are just totally and absolutely acceptedCore beliefs can be identified by looking over your thought diaries to see if
your ‘hot’ thoughts have any common themes
You can get to the core of what you believe by asking yourself “What does thatmean?” after an unhelpful thought or a ‘hot’ thought
To evaluate and challenge your unhelpful core beliefs, ask yourself, “Whatexperiences do I have that show that this belief is not completely true all thetime?”
Core beliefs can also be challenged by conducting a behavioural experiment,
which aims to find how true your core beliefs really arePlan a few tasks to test your belief, write down what you expect will happen,
carry out the tasks, record what actually happened and compare this with yourprediction
Develop an alternative, balanced core belief to replace the unhelpful core belief
Remind yourself of your balanced core belief by writing it on a card and carry it
around with you and affirm yourself with positive self-statements
Follow through on your balanced core belief by putting it into action

In the next module we will
start to look at how to cope
specifically with physicalsensations.

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About This Module
CONTRIBUTORSPaula Nathan (MPsych1)
Director, Centre for Clinical Interventions
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Psychiatry and Clinical
Neuroscience, The University of Western Australia
1Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)

Dr Louella Lim (DPsych2)
Centre for Clinical Interventions
Dr Helen Correia (MApp Psych1; PhD)
Centre for Clinical Interventions

2Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

Some of the material in this module was taken fromNathan, P.R., Rees, C.S., Lim, L., & Smith, L.M. (2001). Mood Management – Anxiety: A Cognitive Behavioural
Treatment Programme for Individual Therapy. Perth: Rioby Publishing.

BACKGROUND
The concepts and strategies in this module have been developed from evidence based psychologicalpractice, primarily Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT). CBT for panic disorder is a type of psychotherapy
that is based on the theory that panic disorder is a result of problematic cognitions (thoughts) andbehaviours. There is strong scientific evidence to support that cognitions and behaviours can play animportant role in panic disorder, and that targeting cognitions and behaviours in therapy can help many
people to overcome panic disorder. Examples of this evidence have been reported in the following:
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Clinical Practice Guidelines Team for PanicDisorder and Agoraphobia. (2003). Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for thetreatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia. Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 37(6), 641-56.

REFERENCES
These are some of the professional references used to create this module.
Barlow, D.H. (2002). Anxiety and Its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic (2nd Edition).
London: Guilford Press
Craske, M.G., & Barlow, D.H. (2001). Panic disorder and agoraphobia. In D.H. Barlow (Ed.), ClinicalHandbook Of Psychological Disorders, Third Edition. New York: Guilford Press.

FURTHER READING
There have been many other information resources written for people with panic attacks and panicdisorder.
Barlow, D. H., & Craske, M. G. (2000). Mastery of your anxiety and panic (3rd edition). San Antonio, TX:
The Psychological Corporation. (ISBN: 0127850783)
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. (2003). Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia:
Treatment Guide for Consumers and Carers. Available: http://www.ranzcp.org/publicarea/cpg.asp (clickon “Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia”). Accessed Feb. 2004.
Zuercher-White, E. (1998). An End To Panic: Breakthrough Techniques For Overcoming Panic Disorder (2ndEdition). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. (ISBN: 1567313760)“PANIC STATIONS”
We would like to thank Uta Juniper for the title of the InfoPax that this module forms part of:Nathan, P., Correia, H., & Lim, L. (2004). Panic Stations! Coping with Panic Attacks. Perth: Centre for ClinicalInterventions.
ISBN: 0-9751985-8-0 Created: June, 2004.
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