EvolutionHealth.care

Home
Main Forum
Anxiety
Challenging Your Anxious Thoughts
Afraid to write it down

Advanced Search Form

Afraid to write it down

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 823

Hi Tam,

How about writing down your thoughts on paper for a few days and then picking a day where you can gather these pages and burn or shred them as a symbolic gesture of freeing yourself from the negative thoughts?

Your concern for your loved ones is understandable. However the exercises are meant to be insightful for yourself in order to help you modify certain thought patterns and behaviours. It is ok to destroy them afterward if you feel uncomfortable about keeping records.

Members, please share your ideas on this topic and other effective tools that have worked for you.

Faryal, Health Educator

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 39

This has been my fear for a while now but I'm afraid that if I write things down about what I'm going through and if I really do die that my loved ones will be left to read over all these things going through my head and it will really upset them. They have been wonderful listeners and here for me this whole time but I limit all that I say to them because I know it is upsetting to hear too much.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 823

That's a great strategy Sunny!

Thanks for sharing what works for you.

Recording yourself, writing down recurring negative thoughts, positive self-talk, visualization are all excellent ideas that members have shared.

Keep up the great work folks!

Faryal, Health Educator

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 192

Visualize yourself taking your fears - comments - and throw them into the garbage can! Just like that - bundle them up and through them out! Every time a negative thought comes into your head, visualize yourself opening the can, and toss the negativity into the garbage.

Another thing I do if I having negative thoughts pop up, I shout "STOP" very loudly in my head and it works! I did have to practice a bit, but it really works, no kidding.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5

YES! THATS HOW I FEEL AS WELL. I AM JUST TOO SCARED to write it down :( i do begin to feel it or i tend to just write it while its happening maybe it helps me to focus better i think, but then sometimes it can intensify

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5

I started a tape recorder i just talk in the mic when i have any thought's at all.I don't think about them and i will go back and argue with myself later.It's a good way to sneak up on yourself and catch yourself off guard.When you go back and listen to it you will see you forgot most of what you said plus writing it down after ward's you can get your wording right and its not in 15 different notebooks.So you can read your revised version to your doctor or to yourself at a later date if need be.But recording yourself, to me is much easier than writing it down on the spot.Plus I think you can get more out of it i ad stuff like seeing thing's while driving like wildlife , and people i meet that remind's you to visualize where you were at, at that specific point in time.its just more convenient.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 123

Great to hear Denois, keep at it! Our demons can only grow if we keep feeding them.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Denois,

Sounds like you're making great progress! It's wonderful to know that the support of members has helped you

. Continue to keep us posted.

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2

Everyone,

thank you so much for welcoming me and valuable advice. I'm sorry that any of us has gone through these kinds of challenges, but I'm glad that at least we don't have to go through it alone. Sometimes just hearing someone esle say, "I exoerience that too" is very comforting. I got the advice I really needed here which is to write down the one thought that keeps from writing down the rest - "If I write it down it will come true." That thought alone keeps me so stuck and it's very frightening, but the one power it doesnt have over me is that I can actually write it down. Thank you!

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 538

Hello Denois,

Welcome to the forums! I have little advice but this one. Try challenging the thought that makes it hard to wrtie down the others. Like if the thought is: If I write my thoughts down I will make it happen. Well challenge that one first. Then once you feel that that is ot true anymore it might be easier to challenge the other one. And hey, if it helps at firt don't write the thought down, you know which one it is but do challenge it in writing. As in:

Thought: I know which one it is

Is is true? Probably not.

On 100% how much is it true? 50%

etc...

Eventually once you feel more comfortable you actually write the thought down and challenge it and when you feel more comfortable move on to other thoughts! Just an idea!

Anyway, sorry if this is not helpful! Welcome to the forums and please keep us posted on how you are doing!

Reading this thread:

today's top discussions:

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

Most Active

Most Loved

Afraid to write it down