Lived Experience Forum

[outlander]

The 3 steps … The 3 steps of Thought Challenging are:
1. Recognise the Thought
2. Examine the Thought
3. Do Something Helpful

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Three things people often tell us are helpful is to:
1. Check their thinking when they notice a drop in mood or an increase in their anxiety – many people find this is a signal that they might be having negative or unrealistic thoughts. 2. Start thinking about a previous situation where they felt depressed or anxious and try to think about what they were thinking – this can help to dig up common negative thoughts. 3. Guess what they might be thinking – Many people find that their guesses are pretty accurate and that challenging the thoughts that come up is a helpful start.

2. Examine the Thought
When challenging a thought the key questions to ask are:
1. What is the evidence for this thought? Consider whether it is concrete and solid evidence. Consider what you would say to a friend who had the same thought. Also check whether your thinking is being distorted.

2. Is the thought I am having helpful? Consider whether the thought you are having is actually helping you to cope with whatever difficulties you are facing. If the thought is unhelpful it isn’t worth having.

3. Do Something Helpful
1. Challenge unrealistic and negative thoughts. Consider what you would say to a friend who had the same thought.

2. Make thoughts more helpful. If you are struggling with unhelpful thoughts, think of more helpful things you can say to yourself. Unhelpful thoughts are unhelpful.

3. Do something to help you cope. Think of things you can do to help yourself cope. They can be big or small things! Consider problem solving the situation to help find ways of coping and maintaining your wellbeing (see the Resource on Structured Problem Solving

[outlander]

@Former-Member@Owlunar@CheerBear@NikNik @Former-Member

can anyone please help me do thought challanging- its soemthing my psych ahs told me to do but i cant friggin do it!

[mudsum]

can be difficult to do this. I often find that if i'm falling and hitting a downer i can't do this at all. Sometimes i'm able to do this after i've had a downer and reflect and see the triggers and thoughts but often even going back to do it i am triggered and its difficult to get back out of.

Checking our thoughts though is important. My therapist says that the thought process and what is our thinking plays a huge part in our healing and life.

[outlander]

Its really hard @mudsum
I can never do it properly

[mudsum]

how are you anyway? Last time we spoke you weren't doing too well? How r u today?

It is so hard but don't give up. Stratergies from our therapists are always hard to begin with but when we keep doing it over and over it starts to get easier. like we get into the rythm of oh i know how to do this now.

working on stratergies is boring for me and so hard, but i do get the reward out of it when i've worked on it.

[outlander]

Im shite @mudsum im looking into hospital options as my MI has detoriated very badly
How are you?

Ive always had troubles with this strategy. Its really hard

[mudsum]

what does MI mean? sorry ;-I {mental illness}

can you call lifeline?

i'm doing ok though its tough. today is not too bad but i've had one of my close friends totally ditch me and thats just sucky as you have expereinced.

what stratergies are the best for you.

take a breathe, i'm breathing with you

[outlander]

Yeah mental illness @mudsum

Yrah ot sucks loosing a friend. I lost 2 and then now they are bullies which is even worse!

I am breathing
One of my coping strategies im using atm is actually just talking on here

Lifeline doesn't work now. Ive got a hospital thread thing though. I can tag u in it amd catch up there if you like

[mudsum]

oh cool. tag me please

[outlander]

Not a problem ill do that now