Name that distorted cognition (thought/perception)

[Marie E.]

I often project my fears onto people, something to work on with my to be therapist after my intake.

 

[ms spock]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201301/50-common-cognitive-distortions

41. The belief that worry and overthinking will lead to problem solving insights.

In fact, overthinking tends to impair problem solving ability and leads to avoidance coping.

Stuck in ruminations - well coming in and out of them.

 

[Heather]

Just because someone disagrees with you DOESN'T mean that your points, thoughts, feelings aren't valid.

 

[Heather]

@Ms Spock I do that all the time. Have to be reminded to think about the here and now. Not focus on what could happen 6 months or 6 years from now.

Hard not to, though. I just want to be prepared.

 

[ms spock]

Just because someone disagrees with you DOESN'T mean that your points, thoughts, feelings aren't valid.

This is a tough one for me @Heather. It is a really tough one for me. I didn't learn in my Family of Origin that it was okay to have different thoughts, points of views, feelings and opinions. You just parroted what was black was white on cue, you just said what you thought they wanted to hear to avoid the seemingly never ending pain.

 

[ms spock]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201301/50-common-cognitive-distortions

41. The belief that worry and overthinking will lead to problem solving insights.

In fact, overthinking tends to impair problem solving ability and leads to avoidance coping.

Stuck in ruminations - well coming in and out of them.

Still here - but in a reduced way and I am challenging this distorted cognition in a stronger way.

 

[Heather]

#7 emotional reasoning.... I do that ALL THE TIME. God, I have a lot of work to do.

 

[ms spock]

@Heather I also have a lot of work to do as well. You are not alone with the needing to do a lot of work.

 

[Heather]

@Ms Spock thanks for saying that. A lot of time I feel so alone in this. Nice to know I'M NOT.

 

[ms spock]

Oh you are definitely not alone - that is the common humanity of PTSD and Complex Trauma - there are thousands of us around, if not millions - Hmmm I wonder what the figures truly are? I have no idea. But there are many, many of us, and even people who don't have trauma - they all struggle and suffer as well - so common humanity is a thing with day to day stresses and life time difficulties.

 

[Heather]

That other people's opinions are fact.... They are not. And just 'cause they say it doesn't make it true or so.

 

[ms spock]

I have been so in the rumination I couldn't see it was rumination.

I can now see I am in rumination.

I thought what I was thinking about obsessively was a realistic thing and so I got stuck in it. It was not a realistic thing it was rehashing why I have made the choices that I have made in the past. So I was beating the crap out of myself but not realising that that was what I was doing.

If I don't avoid, dissociate, depersonalise, derealise, ruminate or eat I have to be present in my body in this now and it is not easy. I feel so anxious and stressed out. It is TOTALLY CRAPPY to be inside my body. I don't like this at all. This is why I couldn't make better decisions 20 years ago. I have to let go of this. It is not a good idea to obsess about mistakes and fears of 20 years ago. The past is the past.

I am very stressed out at the moment. I have to make time table choices. I am feeling really paralysed at making those choices. I am reacting like it is life or death. It is not life or death.

I am not dissociating. I am not ruminating (as much). I am not depersonalising. I am not derealised. I am not eating. So I am in my body and feeling my feelings and it is really crappy.

I am agonising over making my timetable choices. I feel so anxious about making the wrong decisions.

So I am back at home with my parents - though they are a state away, if you know what I mean. But I am not back with my parents. I am just feeling lots of difficult and big emotions.