Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 9:04 am
In the program we are taught to change our negative thoughts into positive ones, we see the negative distorted thought and replace it with something more realistic. This is very important but when it comes to distorted thoughts you can also have positive distorted thoughts as well.
Positive distorted thoughts can sometimes be a little more trickier to identify. These are the thoughts that an alcoholic might have about drinking. Thoughts like "I'll feel good after having a beer". This is focusing on the positive which in alot of cases is good but in situations like this the consequences are ignored and the situation becomes more damaging then productive. This can lead to alot of bad decision making which may not be in your best intrests. You may need to work alot at the negative ones first before getting a grasp on the positive ones.
So what i'm saying is when replacing thoughts, shoot for replacing irrational thoughts as opposed to negative ones. Look at the whole picture instead of just the negative or the positive. If you are not sure then ask yourself is it more benefical or more detrimental.
Mike
Positive distorted thoughts can sometimes be a little more trickier to identify. These are the thoughts that an alcoholic might have about drinking. Thoughts like "I'll feel good after having a beer". This is focusing on the positive which in alot of cases is good but in situations like this the consequences are ignored and the situation becomes more damaging then productive. This can lead to alot of bad decision making which may not be in your best intrests. You may need to work alot at the negative ones first before getting a grasp on the positive ones.
So what i'm saying is when replacing thoughts, shoot for replacing irrational thoughts as opposed to negative ones. Look at the whole picture instead of just the negative or the positive. If you are not sure then ask yourself is it more benefical or more detrimental.
Mike