Negative thoughts, how do I annihilate them?

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47x
Sea Gull
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01 Oct 2014, 4:06 pm

Lately I've been having more anxiety, stress and I have felt the beginnings of a depression. I for various reasons refuse to give in, even if giving in would be the easiest choice in this matter.
Basically I'm afraid and worried that if my depression takes hold, my anxiety will skyrocket, social phobia will re-enter my life and everything around me will crumble.
I can not allow that to happen, last time I went through this I did not fight it enough. Which led me to self harming and shortly thereafter I attempted suicide. Sure, my situation today are much different, but taking the chance would be insane.

Currently my way of trying to steer myself back to normal is to try and interrupt the negative thinking pattern I have, by manually overriding my brain. Normally if I would think something negative, I'd automatically dismiss these thoughts. Now I don't. Now, if I think that for example "My parents are ashamed of having me as their daughter" or coming up with various reasons as to why my boyfriend wouldn't like me, I have to recognize what I'm thinking of and try to think about something positive or give reasons to why those thoughts aren't true. Some days it works even if I do get a lot of headaches from this, but some days I don't trust the positive thoughts.

I'm basically just looking for ideas how to deal with all the negative thoughts and the anxiety that comes with it. Do you have any ideas?

Also, I've reached out for help from the local psychiatric clinic a whole year ago. They have yet to come back with an answer. I call them whenever I have the energy and courage to do so. So for now I need ideas to handle this myself.



Xanzotire
Tufted Titmouse
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01 Oct 2014, 4:32 pm

I got recommended 'Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety' by Nick Dubin by the psychologist who diagnosed me to help with my anxiety. The chapters on cognitive behavioural and schema therapy are really helpful in going through the common cognitive distortions of people with depression. Physical exercise helps. Meditation too. And whatever special interests you have can have a calming effect.


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Toy_Soldier
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01 Oct 2014, 9:17 pm

Something very wrong with the doctor delay thing. In fact it sounds like you have been forgotten. Get to a doctor, a different one if possible and be firm about needing to deal with this now. The above suggestions are good but also if you haven't tried Meds, consider it. It really can work very well for many people. Its not a guarantee it will work for you, just that many do experience significant improvement and its worth a serious look. Personnally, they have helped me greatly. The problems you are experiencing are common and sound to me like brain dysfunctions (like parts of a machine not working correctly) and treatable.



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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02 Oct 2014, 3:06 pm

I struggle with depression, have not yet tried antidepressants, but they are kind of my ace in the hole. From reading several different things, it seems like trial and error in a respectful sense. Just that everyone's biochem is a little different and no doctor in the world can predict in advance. And also, that it's sometimes important to phase down from the medication in a series of steps, even if it doesn't seem to be working. Just that your body may have gotten used to it.

One thing that has worked for me is a little bit of zen. Just the idea that mistakes and problems are texture. I know it's kind of a fiction. It doesn't always work, but it sometimes does. The whole zen approach is loosey-goosey, keep trying, look for opportunities where I can make a positive difference either in my own life or the lives of others, and I would add, a series of medium steps, observing feedback, that part I kind of like to remind myself of.

And then the idea of being a coach to myself. Maybe sometimes a blood and thunder coach. That's okay. Although a little of that can go a long way. And then coaching which is just very matter-of-fact about what needs to be done, and then other coaching which is intelligently encouraging and which recognizes the good stuff I have done.