not knowing i have a negative thought

[tuggles]

I have feeling but can't always tell what i am thinking. i stay paralized because of this. i get stuck in the feelings. i feel bad, therefore i am bad. then i tell myself i am not bad. i just have feeling. but the feelings remain. the self talk is wonderful. i have uncovered a few negative things i say to myself. the program is fantastic. why do i have so much trouble figuring out my negative thoughts?

[TemperAnxietyStress]

Think of it like Lucinda suggests on the cd. If the thought makes you feel sad, angry, irritable, fat, depressed, lonely, resentful, hurt etc...it's definitely a negative thought. If on the other hand, your thoughts make you feel happy, beautiful, loving, loved, empowered, happy, hopeful, cheerful, etc...those are positive thoughts. Gage your reactions to your thoughts. Are you happy after the thought or unhappy? Those are fantastic indicators of whether a thought is negative or positive. And write down your thoughts, as many as you can for awhile...writing them down you can see if they're negative or positive as well. If after all that you're still not sure, get someone you trust and know won't judge you to read the thoughts and tell you if they're positive or negative. Hope this helps!