[Evening]

Im trying to find ways to deal with a my emotions while Im working with my therapist on my stress and ptsd. I came up with an idea that might help with my presumptive worse case scenario thoughts that tend to get me worked up, and I thought Id share it with you in case it could help someone else. Basically, whenever something doesnt 'go to plan', eg. someone says they will contact me and then they dont, I get myself so emotionally worked up that they dont like me, and drive myself nuts. So I thought what I would start doing is writing out some things to help me keep my mind open and not over react. I write the situation, then I write my initial thought and reaction, which is always negative and dramatic. THEN, I write out other possibilities, like perhaps they were busy or forgot, which will mean I actually have to sit there and think of other possibilities that arent so negative. Then I write the outcome when I get the answer to the situation, eg. I find out they didnt have the chance to get back to me, not 'they hate me and everyone else is more important to them than me'. I think this could help with thinking differently and not being so emotionally worked up, and hopefully this idea might help some of you too.

[madisgram]

evening, what a great thread. i had the same prob years ago. T had me do this (like you have done)...he called them "false tapes/beliefs". we changed them to real thoughts/beliefs in therapy. it also means irrational thoughts-things we learned that were skewed thoughts re ourselves. there's a super book...a guide to rational living. it is great re this topic, too.

[Evening]

Did this idea work well for you? I only just came up with the idea tonight actually, Im really racking my brain for different ways to work on myself. My therapist made me write down a list of things that stress me out and it was veeeery long, so even contemplating the thought of trying to fix all that seems daunting. Im so used to being stressed out and negative that I dont even realise Im doing it. I have to become very conscious of myself.

[Can't Stop Crying]

Thank you for sharing - I try that too. The whole cognitive restructuring ABC thing. Action - Belief - Countering belief. Keep us posted on how it's working. I am really struggling with finding a more reasonable belief when I get wrapped up in the negative thought cycle.

[Evening]

I think it will take some time for sure, Ive always have this frame of mind. Im used to having to think worse case scenario to protect myself and be prepared.

[Evening]

Ive done 3 so far now, I also decided to add WHY I react that way, because in doing this Ive come to realise, just in the small amount Ive done so far, how ridiculous and irrational my thoughts can be, but Ive found that there are past events that have caused me to think that way, acknowledging that emphasises that the thoughts arent 'irrational' as such, because there was a time when I needed to think that way. For example, I sent my mother 7 messages to her phone, none of which she replied to. The first thought in my mind, was not she might have her phone off, but perhaps she had commited suicide or was murdered. A bit on the dramatic side yes. But, there was a time when that was a very big possibility, I remember when she used to tell me how she wound kill herself, how she wanted her funeral. I was SO prepared in fact that if it happened and I found her, I would have barely reacted. Of course it turns out she was just asleep. But this thought process is an every day occurrence for me. Actually writing it down and then looking at it really opens my eyes to what Im actually doing to myself.