[snowflake_48888]

I have anxiety/depression and have been treated by therapists and Pdoc over 15 years. When my symptoms increase, that is when I decide to find help. I am NOT always maintaining a good balance of spirtual, physical or mental health. If I feel good...I don't question it, I go with the flow. The only time I examine my behavour is when I am feeling the anxiety. The older I get the more I want to find positive healthy coping skills to give me the joys in life that I truly believe I deserve. In my search I have found (which I think I already knew) that my negative thinking is very harmful to my whole well being. I have many self-help books that I have bought over the years and some I haven't even read...maybe it wasn't time then, but I am finding it is time now.

The first book I picked up and wanted to share is "Telling Yourself the Truth" by Wm. Backus and Marie Chapian. I am reading this book a few pages at a time to really absorb what is being said. So far in this book I am learning how my negative thinking is destroying myself. By using sentences that begin with "I shouldn't, I can't" I am telling myself that I am not able to accomplish happiness in life. This morning an exercise that the book suggested was to write down all the negative destructive thoughts I had...even the smallest ones. WOW....I never realized how many negative things I think about myself. I knew I had some common ones like I am fat, I am ugly...but as I wrote things became deeper. No wonder I feel so down...so anxious. How can anyone feel good about themselves with so many negative thoughts. Sure it might be the little negative thoughts that I start out with but in the end....I turn them into false beliefs.

My first path to wellness is to examine my misbeliefs I have taught myself over the years. I will replace the negative thoughts of myself with the positive thoughts. I am going to pay attention more to what I am saying to myself so I can catch those negative thoughts (even the little, tiniest ones) and replace them with more positive thoughts. I know that it takes time to change behaviour patterns but I know I can do it.

Snow

[biiv]

go for it! good luck!

[snowflake_48888]

Thank you biiv....I appreciate the encouragement.

Snow

i'm going to get the book! thanks for the info! pat

[snowflake_48888]

I am enjoying it the more I read it....I hope you do too!

[psisci]

Good stuff, and the basis of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

[snowflake_48888]

I know it's not an overnight answer but a lot of hard work which I am willing to do for a better long term mental stability. It's amazing the way I have allowed my negative thinking to control my emotions. But day by day I am GOING to change this desctructive thinking!

[chichi]

hello snow, I have just been diagnosed with GAD this all happened on Dec 8,2006 my whole life changed I had my very first major panic attack,it woke me from a deep sleep, the most terrifiying thing ever I called the ambulance thinking I was a having a heart attack. Anyway I lived in constant fear that a attack was going to happen again it really made me look at my mortality,it's amazing how things can happen so quickly. Saying all that I went to my dr and just started on Zoloft reluctantly, but I also found that by reading books on GAD and meditating or at least trying. Cognitive behaviour therapy that I learned about has really helped, they say we control all our own thoughts and that we can control our own levels of seratonin without meds, it's a behaviour that we have to change on how we think and by being positive in our thinking is the right route to controling our chemical imbalance. I have been really trying to retrain my thoughts I allow my thoughts to come and I look at them and acknowledge them and tell myself it's my anxiety and I then think of something positive and it passes, thank-you for reaffirming my thinking, I know this is the way for me.

[snowflake_48888]

Hi Chichi,
Thank you for reaffirming to me that this is a positive direction to go for rethinking with positive thoughts. It's amazing how quickly those negative thoughts invade our minds. As I look back in the last year I can see so many little ways that I started the negative thinking. Little by little those small negative thoughts became huge issues in my life. I was negative about most things which was only increasing my anxiety. I now try to rethink the negative thoughts and replace them with what is truth.

I would like to know if you would share with me some of the things you have read that have been helpful with cognitive behavour.

Thank you once again for reaffirming that it does work!
snow