That critical inner voice at work. That’s why therapy is so important. Venting is ok, but what good does it do if we don’t do something positive toward recovery? Just sayin... Cause there is hope for recovery, lots of folks have recovered, it just takes help, hard work, and perseverance.

Yeah and I also rework other people’s reactions to me into something embarrassing. What the hell is that lol. I just try to reassure myself that I’m probably wrong but even so, what does it matter anyway? Sometimes other people are just strange or have wrong assumptions. Have faith in yourself and realise you can’t control everything and everyone and everything passes. You’ll have forgotten today and it’s events quickly.

Hello LetMeGrow. Welcome to the forum.

Yup, I pick harder on my successes than I do on my failures. In my own herstory, I believe that is part of my compulsion to reject before I can be rejected. My anxiety habits **know** the rejection is coming. It's safer to jump off my pedestal than to get pushed off.

My heavily psychotheraputed response to the phenom is to work on my damaged self-esteem. Not even **I** can get them **all** wrong.

When you have an amazing day, you are usually present, in the moment and your focus is on whatever you are doing, or on other people or whatever it is. So you are basically distracted from any habitual anxious thoughts. When you unwind and start thinking back, you are no longer in moment, and no longer distracted and there lies the opening for intrusive thoughts, rumination, etc.

So that’s my theory in why that can occur.. Distractions can be a godsend. Too much time to think, not so much.

Welcome to the anxiety board at DS.

You've taken the important first step in writing it out.

When you have a successful day, look at the good in it, and keep that in the front of the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and words presented.

The more you use your anxiety as the helper it is designed to be, the better your overall balance will be. Negative add positive=balance.

When you find anxiety overwhelming, start 'doing' thinking activities to distract the usual pattern.

Hello and welcome!

I do understand and know what you are going through. It was just last night, as I winding down, that I felt my mood plummet and I began to pick apart every single detail of the day. I had a pretty good day yesterday and there was no need to pick apart and break down the details in search for a negative aspect.

I agree with Mid… when you have a good or aamzing day, try to keep those positive thoughts at the forefront and focus. It takes time and practice, as I still really struggle with negative thoughts, but once you defeat the negativity you will be in such a great place mentally and it will show through everything.

You got this!! Stay focused… :)

Hi Everyone! Wow thank you so much for all your awesome responses. I juggle a lot so I am actually not able to log in as much as I'd like to and after a few days it feels nice to come back and see so much positivity.

Hi mtd, you are absolutely right, I completely 100% agree. I've had a therapist for about a year and it's been amazing. She always helps me to see when I am being unrealistic about the standards I set for myself and others and about reality in general.. Anxiety for me is like seeing a total different version of reality in my brain.. one that is negative and unlucky.. It gets very difficult at times to actually know which version is real. I've been through a lot in life and didn't start therapy until a year ago so I have a lot of work to do..

Hello Tropicaloo! Omggg... I do that too!!! I thought I was the only one. Thank you for your kindness, you are 100% correct.. Therapy has taught me a lot about how we cannot control what other people do/think/feel no matter what. That thought alone has lowered my anxiety all around and given me a little more inner peace.


Greetings rmd, That is really how it is for me. Distractions have always been something I cling on to when I have anxiety, I just wish I could sit back and relax without anxiety totally altering the events of my day. It's extremely exhausting, you know?

Hello Mid!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome and for your kind advice. That is what I try to do when I feel myself falling for the negativity.. I put my feet on the ground to ground myself and think of 3 hard facts about my life and it helps a lot.

You mentioned "thinking activities", what kind should I try? I like to touch my finger tips but I don't know if that counts as a thinking activity or just a force of habit for comfort..

Hi Connors_Wifey and thank you for the welcome :)

It's like on our best days we have the most anxiety it seems like!! It's an awful feeling but at least we know we are not alone in this feeling.. It starts to seem lonely when you feel like those around you are perfectly fine and mentally you're just not there.

Keeping positive thoughts are key. It really is difficult but when you are finally able to believe your positive thoughts over your negative thoughts it feels so free..

Thank you for your kindness. We both got this.. You hang in there as well!

Hello Arfie,

I really empathize with what you said about your history to reject before being rejected. I myself have a history of self sabotage and jumping ship prematurely. I like how your described it as jumping rather than getting pushed..

Thank you for your advice. XO