Dysfunctional Versus Functional Thoughts and Beliefs

[DISCLAIMER]

When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Debbie Yang, I heard her spin the track “Sandstorm (Hypertrance Mix)” (2026) by Skytech. It’s a remix of the certified platinum song “Sandstorm”, by DJ and record producer Darude, from the album Before the Storm (2000).

Back when I would DJ or dance my nights away in South America, Darude’s song was virtually inescapable anywhere that EDM was featured. For clarity, a sandstorm is a windstorm, as in a desert, driving clouds of sand before it. Regarding this environmental event, one source states:

A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface.

Fine particles are transported by saltation and suspension, a process that moves soil from one place and deposits it in another. These storms can reduce visibility, disrupt transportation, and pose serious health risks. Over time, repeated dust storms can reduce agricultural productivity and contribute to desertification. […]

Dust storms have also been shown to increase the spread of disease across the globe. Bacteria and fungus spores in the ground are blown into the atmosphere by the storms with the minute particles and interact with urban air pollution.

I was born and, with exception of about two years, raised in Amarillo, Texas—colloquially known as Bomb City. From my sophomore to senior years of high school, I attended Amarillo High School—home of the Sandies (mascot name, short for the “Golden Sandstorm”).

Hailing from the Texas panhandle, located on the High Plains of the United States (U.S.), I often heard tales of the Dust Bowl (a period of severe dust storms and sandstorms which greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the U.S. and Canadian prairies during the 1930s).

Whereas damage from sandstorms unenjoyably impacted many lives on the High Plains, I enjoyably danced to “Sandstorm” during my time in South America. Given this juxtaposition of terms, a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) arises.

Specifically, I consider the matter of dysfunctional versus functional thoughts and beliefs. For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines dysfunction as “any impairment, disturbance, or deficiency in behavior or operation.”

As well, the APA defines function as “the use or purpose of something.” Whereas vegetation anchors loose topsoil and blocks high-speed winds regarding sandstorms (i.e., function), the lack of lush vegetation in the High Plains allowed for the Dust Bowl to occur (i.e., dysfunction).

Now, shifting focus a bit, the APA defines thought as “the process of thinking,” “an idea, image, opinion, or other product of thinking,” and, “attention or consideration given to something or someone.” For example, I may think that the Sandies are the best football team.

Alternatively, the APA defines belief as “acceptance of the truth, reality, or validity of something (e.g., a phenomenon, a person’s veracity), particularly in the absence of substantiation,” and, “an association of some characteristic or attribute, usually evaluative in nature, with an attitude object (e.g., this car is reliable).” For instance, I may believe that the Sandies are the best.

Drawing a meaningful distinction between thoughts and beliefs, I invite you to consider descriptions versus prescriptions. Descriptions inform us of what is, or often what we assume is the case, and prescriptions tell us about what we maintain should be the case.

Thus, if I merely imagine that the Sandies are the best football team, then I’m using a descriptive thought. However, if I proclaim that the Sandies are the best, and that everyone else better agree with this notion, then I’m using a prescriptive belief. The outcome of one’s belief has an impact.

Some thoughts and beliefs are either dysfunctional or functional. Also, some aren’t impactful, as they remain neutral in function. Now, I invite you to consider the dysfunction of prescriptive beliefs, as they can cause chaos within the mind, much like a sandstorm during the Dust Bowl.

REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the occurrence itself, that causes an unpleasant Consequence. This is known as distress or disturbance.

Noteworthy, with virtually any undesirable Action that occurs, it’s your unfavorable Beliefs which cause unpleasant distress or disturbance (Consequence). Given this framing of self-distress and self-disturbance, it’s worth noting that one REBT source states (page 71):

REBT conceptualizes [distress] as healthy even though it is intense. Other approaches to therapy have as their goal the reduction of the intensity of negative emotions. They take this position because they do not keenly differentiate between healthy negative emotions (distress) and unhealthy negative emotions (disturbance).

Now, REBT keenly distinguishes between healthy distress and unhealthy disturbance. Healthy distress stems from your rational beliefs about a negative activating event [Action], whilst disturbance stems from your irrational beliefs about the same event.

Complete elimination of distress is highly unlikely in an impermanent and uncertain world wherein people conceptually suffer, struggle, and battle with, or merely experience hardship. Still, individuals often make matters worse for themselves by disturbing about such instances.

In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people often use to distress or disturb themselves: global evaluations, low frustration tolerance, awfulizing, and demandingness. When contemplating these unproductive scripts, think of the acronym GLAD.

Additionally, from a psychological standpoint, people distress or disturb themselves using a Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that in the context of the naturalistic or physical world there is no Action-Consequence (A-C) connection.

From an A-C view, poor vegetation led to loose topsoil and an inability to block high-speed winds during sandstorms (Action), as the Amarillo farming and ranching industry took financial loses during the Dust Bowl (Consequence). Yet, the B-C connection caused its own issues.

For example, sandstorms swept the land (Action), farmer X Believed, “These useless storms will ruin me [G], and I can’t abide this [L], because it’s a catastrophic situation [A] that shouldn’t happen [D],” and then this individual experienced depressive symptoms (Consequence).

Addressing how people upset themselves with unhelpful attitudes, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unproductive philosophies of life in order to explore Effective new beliefs. Whereas rigid beliefs cause self-disturbance, flexible beliefs result in an un-disturbed condition.

Since I’ve provided a scenario in which dysfunctional prescription was used, allow me to add a functional description. Farmer X could’ve Effectively believed, “I’d prefer that these Dust Bowl conditions didn’t exist, though they do, so I’ll simply weather the storm!”

Herein, I’ve addressed the juxtaposition of damage from sandstorms unenjoyably impacting many lives on the High Plains, and how I enjoyably danced to “Sandstorm” during my time in South America. As well, I’ve illustrated the difference between thoughts and beliefs.

Specifically, I demonstrated the distinction between flexible descriptions and inflexible prescriptions. I then used a hypothetical example of a Dust Bowl-era farmer to exhibit how the ABC model functions. You can use this model next time that you cause your own dysfunction.

Oh, and for any Sandies out there, Blow, Sand, Blow!

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit (edited), Designed by Magnific, fair use

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