Fight The Pain

[Baba101]

Self-awareness is hard. Loving yourself is easier for some than others. My mind, wants me to suffer. It makes my conditions a hundred times worse than what they are. Takes me through the worst possible scenarios and lets me suffer through them. It takes work. Need to fight back. I need to confront myself on every one of those scenarios.

Do you feel the same?

[Hidden]

Unfortunately. It is so dang insufferable I can’t stand it.

[RemySue]

It is a lot of work. Everyday. I get so tired of it

[Midori]

When you feel able to, You need to give your imagination a good talking to, cuss it out, tell it to behave, and to stop annoying you.

I used to be like that after my husband suicided, leaving me with two small children, both under school age. I went from one disaster scenario to another, mentally.

I had to choose whether to stay as I was, with all the scenarios, or to fight my own imagination into submission. I chose to fight. It took a lot of cussing and swearing, but it got less and I got stronger, until it doesn't bother me any more.

It's not an easy fix and sometimes you backslide, but if you can keep on with it, eventually you will win!

Cheers, Midori

[Baba101 in reply to Midori]

I see. That's actually a good approach. trying to reason with them, is exhausting but I had occasionally just cussed them out. I'll do it more often from now on.And I'm truly sorry for what you are going through. I hope things get better for you.

[CarlJames]

It might be less effort if you don't see it as "fighting". I agree that reasoning with the imagination is pointless. It isn't interested in facts or reason, so it is no good trying to reassure yourself that things aren't as bad as they seem, or that scenarios are really unlikely to happen. It just wants to scare you, so it will keep on coming up with new stuff.

Cussing it out really helps. Another approach I found even less effort was to treat it with disdain. I would say to my imagination: "Oh you again. You're pathetic. You're a joke. I'm not going to pay attention to you." And then go back to what I was doing. Someone once said treat it how you would treat a drunk guy at the bar who keeps saying annoying things trying to provoke a reaction. You can't stop them doing it, but if you dismiss them and then pay no more attention to them, they get bored and find someone else to pester.

It is your reaction and fighting that keeps it going. Dismiss the doomsday thoughts and pay no more attention to them. Do this 10 times, a hundred times, or more if necessary. Eventually your imagination will get bored and stop doing it.

[Baba101 in reply to CarlJames]

Thank you, You are absolutely right. I read that just yesterday. Fighting it make it stronger while it drains me.

[Midori in reply to CarlJames]

I like that approach too!