Positive Thoughts

Can anyone suggest any techniques for banishing (or at least quieting) the constant flood of negative thinking? On top of all the bad thoughts on a normal day (I'm disgusting, I'm stupid, I'm ugly, I'm boring, I'm a horrible person, I'm useless and lazy and thoughtless and all around gross) with the Thanksgiving holiday and family related stuff I'm completely overwhelmed and constantly on the verge of breaking into tears.

I think emdr will help you with the negative thoughts. You can help speed up the process by doing fun things. If you allow yourself to try new enjoyable things it will be easier to open up during therapy.

You could try going to a craft store and seeing if anything catches your eye. If you end up getting a craft, then make sure you appreciate what you make because you are just trying new...it does not need to be perfect. I am probably going to give my family small crafts for Christmas this year, and handmade cards.

Hi

My hobby-horse at the moment is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) I'm quite new to it, but I'm loving it.

In a nutshell the turmoil you are experiencing is due to you trying to stop those thoughts. As a result you actually cause more thoughts.

As an example if I told you not to think of a polar bear, I bet the first thing you think it is a big white bear on an iceberg!

With ACT you do not engage with the thoughts. You do not wrestle with them. You do not try and solve the problem. You observe your reaction. You note the emotions you have. Note the physical sensations. Allow the emotion to flow and the physical sensations to ebb and flow.

Accept that you'll have negative thoughts, feelings and sensations. It's part of life. Recognise that they are just that - negative thoughts. They are not fact, they are not real.

Thoughts can be very real - very convincing. It doesn't mean they are real. Again, another example is for you to imagine a frog. Go on, imagine really hard. You can probably see his green skin, googly eyes and sliminess. It seems very real doesn't it!!!! But it's just a thought. It's an imaginary frog. So when you're having bad thoughts, they're only as real (or unreal) as your imaginary frog.

Another thing to try is grounding yourself. This is mindfulness. When you feel emotional flooding, divert your attention to what is happening and away from what you're thinking. Look around you, describe what you can see, hear, smell and feel. This can help snap you back to the here and now.

I hope these tips help. If so Google ACT and mindfulness for other explanations and exercises.

Meditation is also good for mindfulness. You can view free mediation videos on Tara Brack's website.

SB, that is pretty much what I do to get through the day. I didn't know that there was a name for that approach. I generally just accept that there is a low rumbling of negative thoughts in the back of my mind because I can't seem to turn it off.

I try to incorporate positive activities into my life, and that will often help to keep the rumbling to a very low level.

snookiebookie wrote: My hobby-horse at the moment is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) I'm quite new to it, but I'm loving it.

In a nutshell the turmoil you are experiencing is due to you trying to stop those thoughts. As a result you actually cause more thoughts.

snookiebookie wrote:In a nutshell the turmoil you are experiencing is due to you trying to stop those thoughts. As a result you actually cause more thoughts.

Yes exactly. Trying to stop them just gives them more power.

Thank you for the responses and suggestions! I'd love to take up painting (abstract since I can't actuall my draw to save my life) I just have to figure out a place to do it. I also need to get back on track with my mindfulness exercises because they really do help with my anxiety. I have an app from my therapist called Headspace that I need to start using again (if it's something you're interested in yourself it's in the Apple App Store and the first ten are free:))

Being in an unfamiliar space all week has been really rough and it's been nice to have this board to vent on and read.