How Schema Affect Anxiety & Depression

How Schema Affect Anxiety & Depression
Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes
Objectives
– Define schema
– Explain how schema are formed
– Discuss why schema may be inaccurate or outdated
– Identify 5 strategies to address unhelpful schema

What are Schema
– Schema are mental representations or beliefs about a particular person or event that we repeat(and hopefully adjust) throughout our lives
– Schema about ourselves and our goodness
– Schema about going to the doctor
– Schema about job interviews
– Schema about news media
– Schema about flu season
– Schema about the stock market
– Schema about coronavirus
– Schema about the safety or dangerousness of other people
– Schema are a type of metacognition
General Categories of Schema
– Security/ Abandonment
– Trust & Safety / Abuse
– Emotional Support / Emotional Deprivation & Invalidation
– Self Determination / Vulnerability To Emotional or Physical Harm
– Positivity & Optimism / Negativity & Pessimism
– Acceptance And Contentment / Hypercriticalness
– Competence / Defectiveness
– Independence / Dependence
– Self Concept & Esteem /Enmeshment
– Success & Empowerment / Failure
– Self Control / Lack of Self Control & Subjugation
– Belongingness, Connectedness vs. Alientation

How are they formed
– Schema are formed based on the interpretation and memories of experiences
– They are a short-cut the brain creates to help us better anticipate future situations
– Interpretation is impacted by
– The person’s age and prior similar experiences
– The person’s cognitive development and metacognition
– Children tend to personalize, dichotomize and overgeneralize
– People with trauma histories may notice and remember more threats in the environment (Hypervigilant thinking)
– If you have had a bad experience with something, then you likely expect another bad experience (waiting in a doctor’s office; shots; the flu; thunderstorms)

How Schema Become Outdated
– What was dangerous to you as a child may no longer be dangerous (staying home alone)
– What was dangerous to you in the past (abusive significant other, emotional dysregulation) may not apply in the present (current SO, emotional regulation)
– The expectations that applied to something 20 years ago may not apply now (stock market, cancer, HIV)

Why Schema May Be Inaccurate
– Emotional Valence
– We tend to notice threats when we are in a dysphoric mood
– Lack of Knowledge
– Fear mongering headlines
– Conflicting or inaccurate information

Forming Healthy Schema
– Basic needs include:
– Consistency and Predictability
– Responsiveness
– Acceptance and Attention
– Validation
– Empathy and Encouragement
– Safety and Support in Solution Generation

Adjusting Schema
– Identify and evaluate current schema that cause distress
– Evaluate the facts
– Address cognitive distortions (overgeneralization)
– Explore schema related to old situations with “fresh eyes”
– Abandonment
– Safety
– Emotional dysregulation
Schema Restructuring
– Security/ Abandonment
– Trust & Safety / Abuse
– Emotional Support / Emotional Deprivation & Invalidation
– Self Determination / Vulnerability To Emotional or Physical Harm
– Positivity & Optimism / Negativity & Pessimism
– Acceptance And Contentment / Hypercriticalness
– Competence / Defectiveness
– Independence / Dependence
– Self Concept & Esteem /Enmeshment
– Success & Empowerment / Failure
– Self Control / Lack of Self Control & Subjugation
– Belongingness, Connectedness vs. Alientation

Summary
– Schema are lenses through which we predict and interpret situations
– They are only as good as the knowledge and understanding of the situation
– Schema often need to be altered as we gain new information