"It looks like CBT 101. It is dead boring" for clinicians, Dr. Andrews said.
In one version, comic book–like pages with cartoon characters teach the three basic steps to changing one's thinking: Stop and recognize when you have distressing thoughts. Challenge the thought by looking at the evidence against the thought. Change your unrealistic thoughts so that they are more realistic and destructive.
One female character in the cartoon tale gives examples of how she recognized, challenged, and changed her negative thoughts. A male character who has panic disorder and social phobia describes how he does this, too. Another female character with generalized anxiety disorder gives her own examples.
One of the heroines sums it up, "We realized that if we didn't fight against the negative thinking, we’d stay anxious and depressed. We had a choice. We could put up with the negative thoughts, or fight against them. Challenging thoughts really helps."
Dr. Andrews said he has no relevant conflicts of interest.