Written by Healthy Seniors
Thursday, 22 July 2010 14:13
Q. I find myself thinking one sad thought after another and it makes me depressed. Is there anything I can do to stop this?
Everyone gets depressed occasionally, but gloom should not be persistent in your life. Go to your doctor for a checkup. You might need medication or therapy.
The cause of your depression could be a physical illness, life events, personality problems, side effects from drugs or combinations of these elements. Your doctor’s choice of treatment—-or no treatment—-will be based upon symptom frequency and test results.
A flow of sad thoughts through your mind can be frustrating because you can’t be sure if depression is making you think negatively or thinking negatively is making you depressed. A common cold, exhaustion, stress, hunger, sleep deprivation, even allergies can make you depressed, which leads to negative thoughts.
In many cases, depression can be caused by negative thinking, itself. Our feelings follow what we are thinking, and dwelling upon negative thoughts can send us spiraling down into depression. This concept is the guiding principle behind Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) developed in the 1960s by Dr. Aaron T. Beck at the University of Pennsylvania.
To combat negative thinking, it is important to understand it. The following are some cognitive distortions—ways that our mind convinces us of untruths. These distortions are usually used to reinforce negative thinking or emotions. By repeatedly refuting distortions, negative thinking will diminish.
Credit goes to David D. Burns, author of "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy," for coining common names for these distortions.
Filtering. You dwell completely upon a dust speck you notice on a Van Gogh painting.
Polarized Thinking. If you’re not perfect, you’re a failure. People are either wonderful or awful.
Overgeneralization. You fell off the horse on your first try, therefore you will fall every time you get on a saddle.
Jumping to Conclusions. Your friend hasn’t called for a while, therefore she hates you.
Catastrophizing. Disaster is inevitable. You’re obsessed with “What if? What if? What if?”
Personalization. Everything that happens is about you. Your best friend started playing tennis because he knows you don’t like the game.
Control Fallacies. You feel like a helpless victim of external forces. Or, you feel personally responsible for everyone’s happiness.
Fallacy of Fairness. You are the only one who knows what is fair, and you’re sure that you are being treated unfairly.
Blaming. You blame others for your pain. Or, you blame yourself for everything.
Shoulds. There are rules that must be obeyed by everyone. If you violate the rules, you feel guilty. If others break the rules, you feel angry.
Emotional Reasoning. My emotions define the truth. I feel ugly, therefore I am ugly.
Fallacy of Change. You think you can change people to make yourself happy.
Global Labeling. An extreme form of generalizing with exaggerated and emotionally loaded labels for yourself and others. You fail a quiz and call yourself a “lifetime loser.”
Always Being Right. Being wrong is not an option. You will do whatever it takes to win an argument.
Heaven’s Reward Fallacy. If you work hard and sacrifice, you will always be rewarded. If that reward doesn’t come when you want it, you become angry and bitter.
I found many techniques for fending off negative thoughts and becoming a happier person. The following are ones that worked for me.
*Negative thoughts can sneak into your mind and, before you know it, you’re focused upon them. The first step is to identify a negative thought so you can cast it away. The best way I know to label a thought is to ask yourself if thinking it makes you feel lousy. Examples:
Life has no meaning. Most people are rotten. I’m weak. I hate myself/everyone. The future is awful. What’s wrong with me? I’ll never make it. What’s the point of going on? Was I ever happy? I’m letting everyone down.
* Pray or meditate every chance you get. These reduce stress and lead to joy and peace. I use this technique whenever I’m forced to wait anywhere but in traffic. Good use of what would be wasted time.
* Take naps. Even a 15-minute power nap will improve your state of mind.
* Walk in a pleasant, natural setting—-the woods or park. The beauty, exercise and fresh air are all tonics.
* Recall all the happiest, most serene moments in your life. Weddings, births, vacations, successes. Dwell on these moments instead of the garbage dumped into your mind.
* Remind yourself that negativity hurts you. It’s worth the effort to be positive, because it makes you feel better.
* Read positive quotes. These will uplift you because of their message and the realization that so many wise people are life-affirming. A good place to find upbeat messages is in "The Book of Positive Quotations" by John Cook. Or, search the internet for “positive quotations.” There are many Web sites that offer inspiration.
* If you think negatively about someone, recall one of their good traits.
* "Smile though your heart is breaking…" There’s wisdom in those lyrics. It’s harder to be sad if you smile. The principle of this technique works with body language, too. Walk with your head up and shoulders back.
* Avoid negative people if you can. They will bring you down.
* Help others. The psychic income is invaluable. And you will stop thinking about your own troubles.
* Gratitude. Count your blessings got to be a cliché because it works. If you’re not grateful for what you have, you can never be happy.
* Have fun. This is difficult when you’re down. You’re not in the mood for fun. You have to force yourself. After you’ve had some fun, you’ll feel better.
If you have a question, write to fred@healthygeezer.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
From Shore News today published on Thursday, 22 July 2010 14:13
