Is global thinking depressing you? Probably.

When you feel trapped by negative emotions you may be engaging in generalised thinking, a common cognitive habit that can worsen your mood and outlook. Understanding these thinking patterns can help you shift to more specific, constructive approaches, which can improve your emotional well-being.

Depression and cognitive patterns

Dr. Michael Yapko, a renowned clinician and hypnotherapist, has extensively studied depression and cognitive patterns. He argues that generalised thinking, which often leads to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, significantly contributes to depressive states (Yapko, 2010). This form of thinking is marked by broad, global, sweeping statements about our experiences, such as “Life is unfair”, “I’m terrible at relationships”, or “My partner criticises everything I do,”. These statements not only influence our perceptions of the past but also inhibit proactive behaviour, preventing solutions from emerging.

The issue with global thinking is its permanence. It is difficult to find solutions when problems are seen as global. Terms like “always” and “never” imply the existence of an overarching condition that has no specific source and cannot be overcome. 

Nevertheless, our world operates on cause and effect—changing contributing factors may change the outcomes. Something can only "always" be the same if "all", or at least most factors contributing to it remain the same. 

Besides, such statements hardly ever portray the whole truth, as there are often exceptions — times when a partner has not been critical and times when outcomes have been fair.   

The point of such statements, however, is not to portray the truth. Instead, they are self-discouraging statements: "Life is unfair; therefore, there is no point in trying to be good", "My partner always criticises me; therefore, there is no point trying to appease", and so on. What follows such conclusions is a sense of general helplessness. If there is no point in trying, then that is that—it is a resignation, and it is final.

The key to overcoming this generalisation trap is to go backwards from such statements, not forwards. Instead of "life is unfair; therefore..." we go back a little, checking "Is this really true? Is life itself unfair? Is there absolutely nothing in this life that is remotely fair? Could there be exceptions?" - and then we try to find what specifically is unfair about the situation and - most importantly - what can be done about it.

Compartmentalising for clarity

Compartmentalising is a cognitive strategy that breaks down broad perceptions into their component parts. Imagine someone who says, “I just want to be happy.” When asked what steps they would take to achieve happiness, they might be at a loss, revealing a lack of knowledge of what steps can be taken towards more happiness - instead of a personal prophecy of unhappiness.

In therapy, clients are encouraged to identify actionable steps toward their goals, sometimes breaking down problems to find their sources. Succeeding in relationships or building a fulfilling career are examples of what can be achieved through decisive action, skill, and planning; rather than fate. 

The process of breaking global statements into specific sequences helps us realise that we are not defective or cursed — we are simply missing critical steps to get where we want to be.

One therapeutic approach involves practising building detailed behavioural sequences, often starting with small, actionable steps. This strategy helps clients shift from feeling stuck in broad, generalised thinking to more constructive, detailed actions.

Rumination: A cognitive trap

Another barrier to positive thinking is rumination, the habit of overthinking and dwelling on negative thoughts. 

When ruminating, we focus on negative feelings and perceptions at the expense of constructive action, constantly asking ourselves depressing questions like “Why does this always happen to me?” or “What does this say about me?” over and over again, getting no closer to answering them by the 30th time around than we were at first.

Unfortunately, these questions lead to analysis paralysis, where thinking replaces action and no progress is made (Yapko, 2010).

Research shows that rumination is a significant factor in depression. Those who ruminate are more vulnerable to depression, experience more severe and chronic episodes, and are more likely to relapse (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2003; Law, 2005). Despite its damaging effects, people often defend rumination, rationalising it as “analysing all the possibilities.”

However, thinking is only beneficial when it leads to actionable steps (or impulse control). Beyond that, overthinking impairs one’s ability to act. Effective problem-solving requires a clear next step.

The path forward

To mitigate the aggravating effects of generalised thinking and rumination, it is important to adopt a mindset focused on action and problem-solving. Success does not come from waiting for the perfect solution—it comes from taking steps, learning, and adjusting as needed. Compartmentalising problems into manageable tasks and following a clear plan of action can empower us to break free from helplessness and move toward our goals.

There any many ways hypnosis can help, and one option is what Dr Yapko suggests. Yapko taps into your focused attention to encourage your imagination to picture you breaking down your problems and finding solutions. During hypnosis, you are in a state of relaxed, focused attention, where your mind is clearer, and your imagination can follow the suggestions of the script. 

Below is an excerpt from one of Yapko's scripts:

"I remember working with someone not long ago... who said something very much like what you said... He just wanted to be happy... and when I asked him what steps he took to take a shower... he was able to tell me the steps to follow so that anyone could successfully take a shower... and when I asked him what the steps were to be happy...

"He realised he didn’t know... and in that moment he became wonderfully aware that he was not defective... he just didn’t know the steps to follow... and how can you take the next step when you don’t know what the next step is?... and I think you’ll enjoy discovering you can develop a whole new way of thinking... that serves you well... a style of thinking that allows you to observe the steps that people take... that you can take... to experience something you really want to experience... you’re learning that there are steps to take to build a good career... or to have a good relationship... things you can do that can work... and there are things to do that will likely never work... and now you’re learning to take action... but action within a sequence that can likely succeed... so that one step at a time... you can move forward in ways you feel great about..." (Yapko, 2010).

There you can see how he gently nudges your imagination to take this suggested approach towards the issues you are working on, moving you away from the overarching, helplessness-inducing global statements to a more solution-focused approach. 

Internal family systems (IFS)

Another approach may involve elements of IFS (Internal Family Systems), where we look for the root causes of global statements. In other words, you may be encouraged to find out what you think will happen if you take action, bringing into awareness hidden beliefs that sustain global statements so you can challenge them directly. 

There are several approaches that can be used to address the same problem, it depends on a combination of factors such as the therapist's proficiency with a certain approach, your personality, or your preference. It is always a good thing to discuss your options with your therapist so you can work together and find something that works for you.

References and further reading

Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2003). Women who think too much: How to break free of over-thinking and reclaim your life. New York: Henry Holt.

Law, B. (2005). Probing the depression-rumination cycle: Why chewing on problems just makes them harder to swallow. Monitor on Psychology, 36(10), 38-9.

Tavris, C. & Aronson, E. (2007). Mistakes were made (but not by me): Why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts. Orlando, FL.: Harcourt, Inc.

Schwarts, B. (2005). The paradox of choice: Why more is less. New York: Harper Perennial.

Yapko, M. (2001). Treating depression with hypnosis: Integrating cognitive-behavioral and strategic approaches. New York: Routledge.

Yapko, M.D. (2010). 'Hypnotically Catalysing Experiential learning across Treatments for Depression:Actions can speak louder than moods,' International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 58(2), pp. 186–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207140903523228.