Thanks to everyone for your replies. The negative thought I have trouble with is goes something along the lines of "I am an awful horrible person, and I deserve nothing good." The thing is, I "know" that this is not true, but the thought is always in my head.

I have spent years not really arguing with this thought...I wasn't really depressed about it, because the thought in my head was more like, "look at all these great things that I have had in my life, even though I am an awful horrible person and deserve none of them...gee, I am really lucky." I figure if it has stuck around for this long, it's not going away all on it's own. And the problem is, when I need to do something to direct my own life, or try to get what I want, I am often thwarted by this thought. I mean, it's hard to ask for what you want, when you feel like you deserve nothing.

Distracting myself helps sometimes, but it always comes back. I'm just getting tired of it always coming back.

One thing I'm working on right now is, I've printed up some affirmations, and put them where I can't help but see them...to read and say these things ten or twenty times a day is actually helping some.

Anyway, thanks for all your suggestions...I appreciate them all, and I'm gonna keep them all in mind.

*hugs* to all! : )
mj