How do I better stop negative scary thinking?

paxcas · Post by **paxcas** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 3:25 am

Hello everyone! I'm just ending my fourth week, but still haven't quite grasped the third session on positive inner dialogue. I know I can't have good feelings with bad thoughts, but I am having a hard time recognizing the thoughts that are making me feel anxious. Lately I've had generalized anxiety to different degrees throughout the day. Does anybody have any advise on how to catch negative scary thinking and use positive inner dialogue before the anxiety peeks? I hope I'm making some sense here. I'm new to this forum and looking forward to hearing from some of you.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:23 am

I'm on week 5 and pretty much feel the same way. I'm on a roller coaster though -- a week ago I was doing pretty good but this past week I have had mild depression all week and today I woke up with a feeling of panic at 5:15am. I think we just need to be patient and give this time. I'm all for any advice as well. Also, I need to be more consistent with following the program. Once I get into a funk I stay there for awhile and when I come out I stay for awhile. Mornings are the hardest for me right now. I think my biggest thing is my expectations...of myself and others -- actually, life in general. I'm working on renewing my mind. Take care.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 5:18 am

If you continue to journal all the negative thoughts you have everyday over and over you will eventually recognize them instantly as you start thinking them. I couldn't replace a lot of them with positive ones at first right away so I just wrote down any negative thought I was having and later on I went over them and really concentrated on a positive replacement and made sure I wrote them down. For some reason writing these out seems to get it more fixed in the brain. If you do it enough it will eventually become automatic- but it doesn't happen over night so have patience and don't give up.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 5:30 am

Stay positive - like Mary said you won't get better overnight.

While I have not done the program, I spent a lot of time on the forums, the free seven e-mail sessions and the chat rooms.

At first I was good for two or three days and then down for two or three days, it has progressively gotten better as I just went through a two or three week high note, but unfortunately dealing with some recent negative thoughts.

That is why I came back to visit, support, and vent.

It does get better! I hope I am living proof of that.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:25 pm

Thank you for the encouragement. I'm just going to trust you two, and that's that. Lately I have been trying to not entertain my negative feelings and just live in the moment rather than space out about how and why I feel either anxious or depressed...and how much longer it's going to last. Going back to the title of this message, I sometimes get scared of being scared when I'm actually feeling decent. Anyway, like I said -- I will trust you both and take your advice. Thanks again.

Chris

*D* · Post by ***D*** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:08 pm

Posted Apr 26, 11:18 AM Hide Post
If you continue to journal all the negative thoughts you have everyday over and over you will eventually recognize them instantly as you start thinking them. I couldn't replace a lot of them with positive ones at first right away so I just wrote down any negative thought I was having and later on I went over them and really concentrated on a positive replacement and made sure I wrote them down. For some reason writing these out seems to get it more fixed in the brain. If you do it enough it will eventually become automatic- but it doesn't happen over night so have patience and don't give up.

This is it. It's in the program. Follow the program by journaling your negative thoughts, then as Mary said, seek to come up with replacement thoughts that are compassionate, loving, and something you can believe. It's kind of difficult at first, but once you get ti going it does get easier. By confronting the scary or depressing thoughts over and over on paper and repeating the replacement thoughts the power of the negative thoughts dissipate and you begin to believe the replacemen thoughts. When this starts to occur you will begin to feel better. Good post, Mary.