[ManOfConstantSorrow]

My T wants me to keep a count of those negative thoughts (http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...bout-them.html), I thought it would be easy but they come and go with remarkable speed before I can catch them - has anyone found a way of pinning neg thoughts down long enough to keep a count?

[Crescent Moon]

Originally Posted by ManOfConstantSorrow

My T wants me to keep a count of those negative thoughts (http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...bout-them.html), I thought it would be easy but they come and go with remarkable speed before I can catch them - has anyone found a way of pinning neg thoughts down long enough to keep a count?

Just start doing it. At first you may feel like a lot are happening that you don't write down... But you'll gradually become more aware of them and will "catch" more and more of them... Which is the point. The more aware you are of them, the more control you have of them and the less they can affect you.

If you have a recording app on your cell phone, you could just record the thought like that.

[HowDoYouFeelMeow?]

Originally Posted by ManOfConstantSorrow

My T wants me to keep a count of those negative thoughts (http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...bout-them.html), I thought it would be easy but they come and go with remarkable speed before I can catch them - has anyone found a way of pinning neg thoughts down long enough to keep a count?

I found it very hard at first. Intensive outpatient CBT helped, and talking with my T helps. She points out if I have a cognitive distortion, and now I'm starting to internalize her and recognize them on my own.

[pbutton]

I found I just had to start trying to do it. I think it's a skill and gets better with time. Good luck!

[unaluna]

Geez its like they say, like nailing jello to a wall!! Does a fish notice its in water? Or that the water is dirty?