Stress Center Peer Support

Hello everyone,
I am new to this program and I am one of the hundreds who have tried so many things to help me with my anxiety, stress and depression cycles.
I like this program, was attracted to this program, because I can have constant reinforcement. I can listen to the tapes, work in my workbook any time on my schedule. Seeing my therapist has helped me a lot, but I only see her once a month.
I am on Session 3 and it is painful to admit that yes, I am a negative thinker. I am a negative person. I have always said to others that I am a positive person, but inside I was not. I think this session three will be hard -- I have been experiencing episodes of anxiety since I have been a child. I am not 40 years old. That's a lifetime of negative thinking. It's overwhelming to think about overcoming a lifetime of habits. Does this make sense?
Thank you for listening. - Kim14

Hi Kim14, I just started on session 3 as well and I am 43. I had the same exact feelings. I am not looking forward to writing down all my negative thoughts and I know I am way over the 300 a day mark. I would have never guessed that I was a negative person as well. I always prided myself in being so positive. What I have realized is my own self talk has been very negative for years. This will take time and patience.....We can do it!!!!

Read the message fake it till you make it in this same section (just afew spots below your post). Cap77 said a lot that helpped me. Try his advice and see if it helps a little. I'm working on session eight and still am writing my negative thoughts and rewriting them positively. I will continue to do so untill it happens automatically in my mind. Don't stop. Even when we move on To a new session we must keep practicing the previous ones as this program works as a whole. We will always be improving or we aren't really applying this to our lives. Keep forming good habits and keep us posted. GOD BLESS; Bradley

Kim14:
This truly is a cornerstone session for this program. I have been a negative thinker for 41 years before I started this session. (I am 47) For us it is harder to break that negative thought responce(and that really is all it is) but I have been about 75 to 80% sucessful at it through this program thus far. I am on session 11 and I know I am getting better every day but I may not notice it immediately. Session 3 is the best medicine I have had in a long time!!! Session 3 is one session to review every couple of sessions. You should too. I know You will get it. God Bless! Wayne

Hi Kim,

I can relate to where you're at. I'm on Session 3. I'm 45 and have had symptoms of anxiety since about the age of 6. I never put a label on it like I have recently. I know I've suffered from bouts of major depression but they always followed periods of major stress. For some reason, I didn't equate stress to anxiety. I covered up my anxiety for so long that I often hid it from myself if that makes any sense. The denial was my way of protecting myself from the pain of the despair.

Here is one seed of hope that maybe you can grab on to. I know you're overwhelmed with trying to break a lifetime habit. I am too. But countless studies have shown that it takes about 21 days to develop a new habit, regardless of how long we've had the habit we're trying to replace it with. So in one sense, we're all in the same boat. There aren't any shortcuts but there aren't any shortcuts for anyone else either. We all have to do the same thing and it takes what it takes.

Mike