Hi guys
As for turning negative into positive, I sometimes am able to do it. Other times I am only able to turn negative into somewhat less negative, and sometimes I can't do it at all.
The technique I learned in cognitive behavioral therapy was to keep records of what I am thinking, when, and where and then to "challenge" those negative thoughts.
So at least a couple of times I get out my journal and write 6 columns
situation
feelings
physical sensations
thoughts
evidence for and against
alternative thought
The basic idea is to really pay attention to your thoughts when you get anxious and pay attention to how what you are thinking affects your anxiety level . Iam pretty good at catastrophic thinking, so I am pretty good at driving my anxiety higher when I start to panic. The idea is that once you figure out what your catastrophic thinking is, you start to challenge the thoughts (evidence for and against column) by asking yourself questions like:
Am I 100% sure that X will happen?
What is the evidence for and against that thought?
What is the worst thing that can happen? Haven't I already lived through the worst panic attack I ever had?
After you (successfully) challenge your catastrophic thinking, the next thing you are "supposed" to do is to write down some alternative thoughts. For example, "I have already lived through the worst panic attack I have ever had" or "It feels like I am going to die but it is just a panic attack, I can cope."
It takes a while to get th ehang of it at first but with practice, I find that these "thought records" can be very helpful most of the time. If they worked all of the time, I wouldn't be here.
Thanks for the positive energy