Just a thought

I’ve been thinking about thinking, in particular negative thinking. Everyone knows that thinking negatively isn't good for you, and its often said ‘just think positive’. This is all well and good, and excellent advice normally. When you suffer from depression it's not alw

ays as simple as that. Negative thinking can be one of the most debilitating symptoms of condition, not least because when it’s happening you can’t always recognise that it’s happening, let alone stop it. And once you have that horrible thought, it affects how you feel, what you do (or fail to do) and how you react to the world around you. I remember once that my cousin didn’t respond to an e-mail I’d sent. I waited a few days, and still nothing. I assumed that I’d perhaps said or done something wrong, and that she was mad at me. At first I felt annoyed, then I felt hurt, and finally I felt rejected and abandoned. We had planned to meet up for a holiday, but I cancelled the plans because of my thoughts and feelings about the email. It turned out that her account had been hacked, therefore she’d closed it down! She had never received my e-mail.

To someone who is well, this might seem silly, however that natural tendency to think the worst happens all the time. I have to work hard every day to challenge these kind of thoughts, and replace them with other possible alternatives. I even note them down to do this if I'm having a bad day. For me, just being aware that I sometimes have negative thoughts helps. I know it happens, but I don’t blame myself. I just try to deal with them the best that I can. And if I’m struggling I ask for help, either from a good friend who knows my condition well, or from a professional. (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps, see Living life to the Full in links).

#thoughts #negative #thinking