Ask Aldo

Hello, my name is Aldo Pucci, and I am President of the National Association of 
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists.  I am also the originator of Rational Living Therapy, which is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

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This Month's Question

Q.  I am a student in Cognitive Behavioral Studies. This is an age-old question
that baffles many. What is the Cognitive Behavioral view on optimal
functioning vs. maladaptive functioning? Many people question how a family
member can be "fine" one day and then be labeled as "mentally ill" the next.
Many triggers are obvious e.g. Trauma,--- but what is it specifically that
changes this level of adaptive functioning to maladaptive? Appreciate your
interpretation via a CBT perspective and pointing me in the direction of the
underlying evidence.

So much research devotes itself to abnormal psychology, I believe that
cognitively we need to learn more about normal behavior and what maintains
that state. IF I could only bottle it......

Thank you-look forward to hearing from you,
B.


A.   Dear B., 

Thank you for your question.

In CBT, rather than seeing behavior as being "adaptive" vs. "maladaptive", "mentally healthy" vs. "mentally ill", we make the distinction between "learned" vs. "not learned" behavior and between "rational" vs. "irrational" behavior.

"Not learned" behavior is the result of physical problems -- thyroid disorder, mitral valve prolapse, hormonal disturbance, brain tumor. An example of "not leaned" behavior is behavior that is typical of schizophrenia (hallucinations, delusions). "Learned" behavior is the result of our learning and is caused by the thoughts that we learn.

Rational behavior meets the following criteria:

(1) It is based on fact
(2) It helps us achieve our goals
(3) It helps us feel the way we want to feel

(Note that Dr. Maxie Maultsby, Jr. includes two additional criteria: It helps us protect our life and health, and it helps us avoid unwanted conflict with others).

Behavior that does not meet these criteria is considered irrational. Therefore, "optimal" functioning meets these criteria.

 Rationally yours,
 Aldo
             

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