My positive experience with CBT

[highlysensitivepersonhsp]

Recently I joined mindspot, which is an online course on CBT supported by a therapist if you wish. I have had remarkable success in a short time.

Why did it work?

Because I studied the lessons and applied the theory to myself. I was smart enough to know that if I believe in the theory then it might just work. And it did.

The key was to challenge my negative thoughts to make them realistic, helpful and true. No matter how true my negative thoughts felt, I was going to use my mental powers to overturn them and reconsider the evidence.

I used the list of biases to recognise the tricks my mind played on me and I managed to eradicate them completely. Now I am working on seeing the positives of my experience like the significance of my involvement with my treating team who I have come to appreciate and respect. We are working together after all.

Thoughts become negative or destructive when we are anxious or depressed, but by challenging the thoughts and dealing with the underlying problem you can bring yourself out of anxiety and depression. This leads to feeling good about yourself, even if you can't change everything about your situation. Remember the serenity prayer. Although, I now have a renewed optimism for where my life is heading.

The journey really is important. It's what carries you through life's challenges. Each success is a feather in your cap. Each failure is a reminder to keep trying or do something different, whatever works for you. Along my journey I set small goals...reading a book, joining a new group, etc. Dealing with negative thoughts makes the journey more enjoyable. Life can be good. It starts with your thinking.

Sandra

[MarkJT]

Sandra, awesome post!

I resonate with much of it with the power of positivity being huge in recovery from mental health conditions and challenging your thoughts.

I explore my negative thoughts, i investigate them and look for evidence as to the truthfulness of them. I soon work out that there is no evidence to suggest that i am worthless or a hinderance to other people therefore i can work on removing the thought.

The journey certainly is the reward. Phil Jackson who coached the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA Championships used that slogan throughout a record breaking season, the journey is the reward. Once you have been through a mental health condition, you are so much more in touch with yourself and the world.

Again, awesome post!

Mark.

[highlysensitivepersonhsp]

Thanks Mark! No wonder that you are called a champion. I really appreciate the support.

I am still turning my thinking around. I am jettisoning old negative thoughts that made me miserable and replacing them with new ways to think that are more realistic and healthy. Thank goodness that I have the creativity to think up better ways to use my mind.

The journey is the reward...life is more interesting when you keep moving in a positive direction. Of course, there are challenges, but when you are healthy you fly through them and don't dwell on the negatives. Let it rise and let it fall.

Thanks again. You are awesome!

Sandra.

[MarkJT]

Sandra, you're welcome and that is the awesome part of this forum is that everyone is supporting everyone. You will also find people that can relate to you just about spot on, like i can to you.

What I have found when having a bad day is that I can get through them a lot quicker now because of the positivity that i try to maintain. It is hard and it sucks massive that we all have bad days but to me, that is part of my life now so have to have to processes in place to counter bad ones.

May i ask what mental health condition you have been diagnosed with? Your positivity is so awesome that you could do some really worthwhile work in the forums. There are so many people who are really down and to inject some smiles into them is just so powerful. No pressure to do that of course, you must look after you before anyone else.

Mark.

[highlysensitivepersonhsp]

Mark, I would love to provide support to people here on this forum. Did you do any training to become a community champion? I aspire to the role. It is an awesome responsibility to be there for others, but I am up to the task. Can you do anything to point me in the right direction?

I have been diagnosed with a thinking disorder in relation to a particular situation in my life, but I am making progress with the CBT. I can see a day when I will be in full recovery and happy that my life has taken the journey it has. I have a history of being abused as a child, trauma and recovery. I have had to learn self esteem, self confidence, assertivenesss, and trust to name but a few. I feel I am a good role model for those going through similar challenges.

Let me know if you can connect me with the league of champions!

Sandra.

[MarkJT]

Sandra, every now and then the administrators put a call out for applications to be Community Champions so keep an eye out for that. Might not be for a while though as there was one not so long ago. There is no real training involved as most of it is "on the job" style. I read a lot of other champions posts who have been around a while and also other posters, you can learn so much from on another.

Keep in mind though that you do not have to be a community champion to give awesome advice or support someone through their roughs days/weeks/months what ever it may be but understand in what you are saying and it is good to have goals!

Have a good look around the forum in different areas and respond to the posts that you resonate with. If you do not overly resontate with the post, you can still post just to let that person know that they are not alone and that there is always hope. Hope is what drives us, hope that one day we will all be in a place where we are comfortable with ourselves. Hope that there will no longer be stigma and hope that mental health is openly talked about in all walks of life.

It is very important, critical in fact that you make sure that you are as healthy as what you can be. The forum is great and I love posting and helping out where i can but not at the expense of my own health. I will take a few days off here and there and longer if needed if i feel i need to.

Without going into the situation you talk about, what is a thinking disorder?

Great to have you here!!

Mark.

[highlysensitivepersonhsp]

Mark, what a kind and friendly person you are. Not to mention helpful. I will keep a look out for the call from admin, but I will continue to study others and hone my skills. You are right, it's a goal I aim for.

Thanks for the tips. Hope is just so important. We must have belief that we can get better. Mental health is a part of every persons life. We need to be aware of the basics and how to improve the likelihood of good health.

I will take seriously your warning about looking after myself and having breaks. That is wise. A thinking disorder is where you believe something to be true despite the evidence. Like a delusion. But I am now responding to treatment and am changing my mindset rapidly.

Great to feel so welcomed by you. Warm wishes,

Sandra.

[MarkJT]

Sandra, you're welcome and geat to see that you are getting on top of your condition.

Look forward to seeing you around the forums.

Mark

[criss]

Thankyou Sandra for posting such an uplifting post.

I too have had issues in the past with trauma, exploitation and resulting depression, distrust and addictions.

I have always worked on myself, doing whatever I can to read, to learn to help myself and be an independently successful person. Living alone has taught me heaps. However I still struggle with severe lows in mood that send me on a bender of relapse and self sabotage and am once again left with picking myself up. It gets so tiring and it feels like a train coming off the tracks. I don't see it coming it just hits. Thankfully I am getting better at picking myself up faster and its good to know there is somewhere like this site where I can share the experience and not feel so isolated in my thoughts.

Coming across the words you used.."the journey is the reward" meant a lot to me because I guess I have always been inclined to think when I am cured of this or that I will be okay. Or that when I am okay I think I am another person who is foolproof. But this is a faulty perception because I am not two people I am one with various parts of me some strong and some vulnerable. The journey is indeed the lesson and the reward.

My journey is telling me I need to revisit some basic training in my thinking and challenging myself again.

Your post reminded me of this. Thank you again.

The journey is the reward.

criss

[Guest_128]

Hey hsp,

I totally get what your talking about,but my prob is the time factor.

I don't have time in conversation or things that just hit you fast,therefore... I can't think about everything,I just react .

I get and I feel, a thought is just a thought, that's all it is.

I don't know how much you know about me, I loved your thread so I responded.

Dory