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Busting Corrosive Cognitions

When a yucky, negative, depression-causing thought invades your mind and messes things up, it's time to address these corrosive cognitions. Ask yourself:

  1. What evidence supports my thinking?
  2. Would others say this is true about me?
  3. Does feeling this way make me feel good or bad about myself?
These negative thoughts need to be replaced (reframing negative thoughts will be addressed in another posting). Even so, replacing negative thoughts with positive ones doesn't mean repeating empty affirmations (something I have been doing in the past; no wonder those affirmations didn't work). Instead create and use self-statements that are factual and meaningful.

Begin by writing down - journaling - your negative thoughts as it will you you cut them down to size.

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