Posted by Owen on February 17, 2003, at 15:40:10
In reply to Theory on Thinking Phobia, posted by TommyTommy on February 17, 2003, at 1:52:02
Some tricks that worked for me:
What gives this little voice its power is the feeling of helplessness, the mental fatigue that made me unable to challenge the negative thoughts. Where can I find the energy to fight it? It felt anger at this feeling of helplessness. Hmmm... but anger is energy, and this energy can be channeled. So I let myself get angry at it and used this anger to shake it off. Eventually it turns into a habit - when the negative thoughts popped up I could dismiss them in a second by making a funny angry face and baring my teeth at them (or just thinking about it if I'm around people).
Think of it as a game. It worked much better for me when I didn't take it too seriously. Experiment. Try to be creative. Have fun. Yes, really. You can actually have a little bit of fun fighting your depression. The thoughts may come up in all kinds of disguises. Try to unmask them. "Hey, I know you!! I saw right through that!"
Antidepressants and tricks like these eventually drove away these negative thoughts. Which one was more effective? I don't know. I like to think they complement each other.
good luck,
O.
poster:Owen
thread:201063
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030214/msgs/201212.html