Stress Center Peer Support

Ok, so I probably read this in other posts but I want to ask this just to see what others think...

When you get a negative thought what exactly are you supposed to do with the positive stuff. I kinda feel dumb when I am trying to say something positive. I also kinda feel like it is nonsense with me telling myself the positive.

Any advice???

I kind of feel that way w/the positive thoughts too. When I do have a negative one, I immediatly think of a positive one and repeat it over and over. I even make myself think of the positive ones regularly, before I get a negative one(the ones I know get me on a regular basis). It's not always easy but like a habit, it takes time to change your thinking. The most difficult part for me is actually believing it but I guess the more I repeat the positive, the easier it will be to believe.

Did any of that make sense, lol?

negative thought---i will never be able to go to a resturant to eat again..
positive thought----- i will go and eat and sit there even if i feel panic. i know that i will not pass out..
hope that helps. to me that is what i think..take care and be blessed.
don

I guess from what everyone is telling me, it is what I already do..

I just thought that I was doing it wrong or something..

Thanks again

Candi,
I think the hardest part of this for me and probably others is turning those negatives into positives. We all recognize a negative thought, but taking that and turning it into something positive, when there is a possibility that we don't really even believe that positive statement, is extremely difficult. Sometimes, I feel myself getting anxious over the positive restatement. Sometimes I just have to get very aggressive with my negatives and just tell them to leave me alone and don't even replace it with a positive. I just say, you're not going to make me feel like that, so get out of my head. Then I move on. Hope this helps.

I make sure I write the negative thought in my journal even if I can't immediately think of a positive one at the time. Later on when I read over them I can come up with a positive replacement or at least identify the cognitive distortion. Noticing the positive before any negative thoughts come is a good idea. I've been trying to do this also to get in the habit of thinking in a more positive way in general. Also, when I've left negative statements in my journal for a long time and then go over them days later I've seen how unrealistic and absurd some of them really are. Especially the "what ifs" that never happened, and saw that a good 75% of my negative scary "what ifs" never even materialized.