this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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Mental Health
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"What do you think you should do?" is not about requesting a solution a problem.
It's an invitation to self-reflect, which is something that is difficult for almost everyone-- especially those trapped in a mental spiral.
In cognitive behavioral therapy, you learn that thoughts are what shapes our emotions and our emotions are what drives our behavior.
This is why it is important to identify cognitive distortions that will exacerbate unhealthy emotions, and consequently, unhealthy behavior.
I have had to drop a few friends who use their time in therapy exclusively seeking validation and nothing more, because they are afraid of challenging the way they think and behave. They live and breathe cognitive distortions and they really do not like who they are without them.
Validation is important, but it's not the end goal of therapy.
That said, everyone traverses life at different speeds so it's important to exercise patience and compassion whenever possible.