To find out which irrational thoughts are behind our emotions, we can look down this list of the 12 most common mental missteps upon which many people base their thinking. After identifying which ones we relate to most, we’ll have a much better idea of where to start correcting these faulty patterns. 1) Everyone should love and approve of me. If they don’t, I’m awful and unlovable. 2) I should always be successful and “on top of things.” If I’m not, I’m an inadequate, incompetent, hopeless failure. 3) People who are bad should be punished severely, and I have the right to get very upset if they aren’t stopped and made to pay the appropriate price. 4) When things do not go the way I want or plan for them to, it is terrible. This will, of course, cause me to be very unhappy—I can’t stand for that. 5) External factors, such as other people, a screwed-up society, and bad luck cause most of my unhappiness. Furthermore, I don’t have any control over these external events, so there is nothing that I can do about my depression or other hardships. 6) When a situation frightens me or goes badly, I should worry about it. There is no way to keep myself from worrying. Furthermore, if I don’t worry about it, more bad things will happen. 7) It is easier for me to overlook or avoid thinking about a stressful situation, rather than face the problem and take responsibility for correcting it. 8 ) I need someone—often a specific person—to be with and to lean on. I can’t get through anything by myself. 9) My life has been this way for so long. I can’t do anything about my problems now. 10) When my close friends and relatives have serious problems, it is only right and natural that I get very upset, too. 11) I don’t like the way I’m feeling, but I can’t help it. I just have to accept it and go with my feelings. 12) I know there is an answer to every problem and I should be able to find it. If I don’t, things will be awful.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Jul 2013 07:03:37 +0000