It is not unusual to drift into negative thought and get stuck there. After all you have a lot of them in memory. The thing is you also have a lot of positives also. The problem is that every negative thought reinforces negative memory making more negative thoughts available. This is why forcing positive thought for 15 minutes during the worst period will stop them. It gets you recycling positive thoughts back to memory and they go round and round for a while. Much like using a different song to get an unwanted one out of your head. With practice this will even stop mild panic attacks. That dragged out lethargic feeling may just be your bodies attempt to get away from unwanted sensations. Of course if you go looking for negative thoughts to see if they are still there you will find them because they are still there, it is just that positive personality usually leaves them there unless they are needed such as in a survival situation.
Thank you Ashley. if this is the case, then how should i go about the therapy if different from panic and anxiety? the same? regular medical doctors are to quick to diagnose with just plain ole depression. i would really like to get better, because this is no way to live.
Welcome! You have come to the right place. It sounds like what you are describing is related to anxiety and more specifically Hypochondria. I am not a doctor so you will probably want to see a doctor for a proper diagnoses. Since what you are describing seems to be anxiety based then this program can help. CBT is the most effective known treatment for anxiety disorders. Start with Session 1 and try to do one session a week. I look forward to seeing how you learn and grow. You will see results if you put the work in. We will be right here to support you every step of the way.
Justducky,
I am sorry you are feeling this way. It sounds like you are stuck in a negative spiral. The best way to get out of a negative spiral is to challenge it and you can challenge it by doing the program. Hugs offers you great advice. Try breaking it down into smaller more managable chunks. If you are only able to work on the program for 15 minutes at a time then that is great! Just try little steps. The same goes for your work. Set small goals for yourself and go from there. You CAN do this. Don't get stuck in the I can't thinking as it will become a self fufilling prophecy. I think you can focus; it will be challenging but the more you work at it the better you will get. You were able to stay focused for the amount of time to read and respond here; therefore, you can focus for 5 minute intervals on the program or on your work. I have a hunch this is likely not what you want to hear because you may still be thinking I can't - challenge this negative and anxious thought. Check out session 3 for some specific tips. There is a list of 10 questions you can use to specifically challenge your anxious thinking that many members find very helpful.
Try not to get into the thinking of should or have to as that is not very motivating. What makes you want to do this? What about this work project do you care about? If a friend of yours was in this situation what advice would you give them? How will you feel once this project is done?
Hopefully you've had other physical contributors ruled out. I had unmanaged high blood pressure for years, but even with that under control, and my physical weight, the inside of my head still feels like a pin ball machine. Like yourself, I can't focus.
The good thing, is that I'm trying to accept some aspects of myself. One way is to look at my being detail-oriented, and using that to my advantage. eg. I actually read the nutrition labels on food products, which others don't have patience to read. Also, I try to break things down into small size activities so that I do many things, but in very small steps.
Some people don't get satisfaction from that.
I can only work with what I have. Sometimes we have too many resources, and forget them. eg. I'm really tired, but I know I should take a nap, so I can do a quick relaxation session before cooking supper
I've been doing the program on and off. Everytime I sit down to do it, I can feel the tension and panic rising within me... and I keep thinking I can't do it. I try to distract myself so that I don't have to think about what I'm going through, because I'll just breakdown. I'm not getting a big project at work done because i can't focus and retain what I'm working on, and it pretty much needs to be done by next week. The thought that "I don't care" keeps coming back up. But I tell myself I have to, and I get in a battle in my head. Then I start spinning and go blank.
Hi Jd and Ashley. im new to this program, i just started a couple days ago. Jd, i go threw the same kind of things that your going threw, and it will often times, last as long as yours do. sometimes i have days like that and i depend allot more on my anxiety meds, to get me threw. then comes a point where i feel like im going to have to take more then my doctor said i could. i get afraid of taking that stuff to because of side effects or just wanting so bad to be clear headed and not have to worry about it anymore. i also get the panic and racing negative thoughts threw my head sometimes all day until i go back to sleep. i have noticed, since i have been taking this class what little time i have, that i am starting to deal with the bad thoughts a little better. that i think, came from just reading the facts about anxiety and panic. i knew allot of the facts already, but sometimes you just need to be reminded.
I have a question also. i have been dealing with depression, panic and anxiety for the last 12 years, off and on. used to take zoloft and it worked the first few times that i took it, but it seems like nothing works now. so im trying to face this head on. it kinda seems like thats the only option i have left, but i dont really know that for sure. my biggest fear and problem i seem to have is the fear of having or getting cancer. it has always been my biggest fear. i dont understand sometimes why everytime i feel a bumb or something i have got to think that its the worst. if its not that then ill have an overwhelming fear for no reason what so ever, that will last all day sometimes. over the past 2 months or so, about 85 to 90% of the time, i will wake up in the morning with the shakes or tremors, and feeling nausea. it even happens after i take a nap. can anyone shine a light on this or relate to what im dealing with here?
I'm sorry you are feeling this way. It sounds frustrating and scary.
I wish I had an easy answer for you but there isn't one. CBT will help you manage this but it takes a lot of hard work. What specifically have you tried in CBT that isn't working? What are some negative thoughts that you are having? How have you tried to challenge them? CBT is proven to help with anxiety but you have to work it in order for it to work. What session are you in the program? What aspects of the program are you having trouble with?
There is hope but you really have to dig your heals in and fight to get past the anxiety. You cannot just "snap out of it" but you can take control of this. I know you can do this.
I feel like something has switched off in my brain. The last month, I feel like Ive been going downhill. Feels like there is a veil between me and the world. I'm sleeping decently but am panicky with racing negative thoughts almost all day over the past few days at least. I have an appointment to see my psychiatrist in 10 days and not sure what I should do. I can't seem to snap out of it. CBT doesn't seem to be helping at this point. Im scared to have to take another medication like an anti-anxiety med. I know I have to just stay in the moment, in this day. But my mind keeps going to the future. It's like I'm searching in my mind, thinking, for something to make me feel better or give me hope. I'm suppossed to go skiing this weekend and am not even excited about that. Is that a bad sign?
