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Challenging Negative Thoughts

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 456

hi cammy.

I have not had a physical illness all this time ... i have had a mental disorder and from the time I was very young I have know truely understood the pleasure of living.

And there are days

, eh ... months

! even LETS admit it even Years

where it just does not seem like it is worth the efforts. Why bother to change how we think? why bother to see the positive sides of a situation?

Ultimately it is your choice!!! Why do you want to ? What made you get out of bed this! morning.... ???? I asked myself this question so many times and I cried over the answers so many more. And little by little I found one good thing within the thousands of bad. I found two good in the million bad. And it did get better. And when I began to understand that part of my pain was because of the way I was thought to think I knew I had to do something for myself.

I am not sure where you are in the quest to "feel better" It really does not work like a prescption (3 times daily for 10 days) but an exercise routein as part of a healthier life style. How about telling us how you used the CBT tools ... and perhaps we can give you fresh-er ideas to help a bit with your motivation ???

and it will allow you some direction to release some stress and vent the nasties ...

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 955

cammy,

I am sorry to hear things have been difficult for you. Have you started to work through the program? There are a number of tools and resources on here that can help you manage better. Although it can be frustrating to continue to try new techniques or strategies and not see any results, don't give up!

Please keep us updated on how you are doing over the weekend, we are here for you cammy!

Sarah, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 80

I was 13 when I started feeling the "blues" and didnt know why. Everything that you guys mention to "feel better" I have done - no one ever told me to do certain things, I just did them, but now, I'm tired and worn out of "trying". I dont want it anymore, I have been "fighting" the better part of my life and didnt know why. I would not wish encephalitis or anything similar on anyone- its brutal!, to make matters worse, no one beleived me when I said that things did not seem right with me. I just dont want it anymore.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 910

Hi Cammy,

I am so sorry to hear you are having such a rough go of it. Hang in there, we are all here for you. As for wanting to escape yourself I get that totally. Been there done that before. But it truely can get better! Please feel free to come vent here anytime.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 955

cammy,

Your frustrations and feelings are understood. Is there anything, any technique or train of thought that has made you feel good or better in the past?

Members, any suggestions?

Hang in there cammy, and don't forget we're always here for you.

Sarah, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 80

I have been doing just that for 35 years. It was just months after having encephalitis when I was 12 that I started feeling the "blues", but did not understand why and did not understand the feelings. 2 years later, I was close to committing suicide. Again, not understanding things, I did manage to pull myself together. At that time, I was going to a boys private school. All these years I have been doing "the right stuff" but these days I just dont feel like doing it anymore. I want some peace, the peace that I have never had. I dont want to do it anymore. I dont even understand myself these days. One moment I feel "ok" the next I can feel so damn miserable. I wish I could escape myself.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1044

Karen, I've been listing and listing negative core beliefs, thoughts, etc. for weeks now. I talked to my therapist today and he said it's time to move on, I told him I have more to list. He said that's enough for now. He indicated I may need to repeat the negative core beliefs part again (identifying more down the road). so I'm going to take all the things I listed and run them through this "test". I also am going to read Session 5 first.

I work in an alcohol and drug rehab center and he compared this to the 12 step process of Alcoholics Anonymous (or any other 12 step program). Some people get the misconception that once you are done working the 12 steps....we'll I'm done. But you have to keep working them (I taught this in my class, so I buy into this theory). So, having my notebook full of negative core belief - minor ones to really humongous ones - and I'm going to move forward and start to conquer, replace, circumvent, process through, compensate for, or whatever takes....one at a time, as long as it takes. I may be here for YEARS!!!!!! I just don't want to become complacent. That is another thing I taught, was complacency leads to "relapse". I see alot of parallels! I mean Step 1 is admitting and accepting and identifying areas of life that are effected. Step 2 is about identifying something (higher power) bigger than self. Step three is making a decision....move forward or keep doing what isn't working, Step 4 is identification of issues effecting recovery, step 5-9 are about getting rid of it once it's identified and Step 10 is about keeping it clean and step 11 and 12 are about maintaining and helping others.

I got off target, but I like these questions and I am at the point I need to start Session 5, so I am thankful for the timeliness of the post.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Dear Members,

In your quest to track your negative thoughts, you may have had trouble challenging them and you may now be wondering how to challenge them.

The following 10 questions will help you to challenge any negative thought. When you have a negative thought, try to answer these 10 questions:

1. What’s the evidence that the thought is true?

2. What’s the evidence that the thought is not true?

3. What is the worst possible thing that could happen and how would you cope if it did happen?

4. What’s the best possible thing that could happen?

5. What would most likely happen and how would you cope if that happened?

6. What’s another way of thinking about this situation? What else could be going on?

7. What would you tell a friend of yours if they were in this situation and had the same negative thought?

8. What’s the effect of believing the negative thought?

9. What would happen if you didn’t believe the negative thought?

10. What are some alternative thoughts in this situation?

Today we encourage you to look at your tracking results and share what patterns you have identified.

Karen, Health Educator

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