Everyone struggles with emotions and moods. For me, this is difficult, as I have struggled with depression on and off throughout my life. As well, years of using has created a very deep well of self-doubt and negative emotions.
One of the things I'm learning in recovery is to not hang on to those emotions, fears, anxieties and moods. People talk about "observing" the urge, or the emotion, or whatever. Instead of embracing it, acknowledging its presence, but not allowing it to take control of your state of mind.
Obviously, this is easier said than done. The other day in chat, someone mentioned something that I thought was a good analogy to the way I should handle these feelings.
This person was talking about how they liked to go fishing. When they were fishing, they practiced "catch and release." For those not familiar with fishing, this is when a person will fish for the sport of it, but after hooking a fish and bringing it ashore, or on board the boat, will unhook the fish and release it back into the water.
I think I would do a lot better if I would adopt a "catch and release" policy toward negative emotions, urges, and the like. Usually, a thought will come along like "you really are stupid" or something, and I'll catch that thought and hang on to it, when instead, I should catch the thought, look at it, and throw it back in the depths.
Good point there... it´s often our beliefs about a situation that creates the negative or harmful emotion(s) and not the situation in itself. I like the "catch and release" comparison to it!
ReplyDeleteYou could also practise stopping yourself and ask yourself "Am I really stupid?" "Why am I stupid?" "Does not everyone make mistakes sometimes?" "Is there such a thing as an infallible human being?" etc, etc...