20th May I have not added to this, but now I am again.......

Today is the 20th May, I have been very lapse in adding to this blog. I suspect that this may highlight "my current state of mind!!" or the possible slip in health I have had recently. However, now I will try again.............

Here is today's thought, not a rant, just a thought!!

I am reading a book by Richard Carlson - Stop Thinking and Start Living - in an attempt to understand about certain things and ways around them.

Now, Richard would suggest that thoughts control our emotions, and also how long emotions such as depression can be made to last by the thoughts that we all have. The difference, alledgedly, between a healthy person and a depressed one develops from how we view thoughts and act or dwell upon them.

I started thinking (and I know this is dangerous!!), if this theory is correct then how do we develop sad thoughts into good ones. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy tries to make us break the chain of events that cause a "vicious circle" and look for a positive slant on issues, and this can be achieved. CBT shows us how to manage crisis and develop them into positive situation. Or at least a manageable one!! The thought process Richard develops is similar.

Let's look at an example and see how the 2 theories are very similar........

A man falls out with Sainsburys (topical this!!!) over a small issue, things are said between the shop and the customer that make the situation worse and in many ways irretrievable.

Here is how the "thought theory" would look at this -

The issue has occured, and it cannot be changed, unless we can time travel and not have the confronational occurence, our thoughts and continual thoughts about this cause us to dwell on the issue and continually replay it. Each time we replay it the issue gets bigger, like Chinese Whispers, and because of these ever growing negative thoughts the situation becomes insurmountable. This is Depression.

If we don't have thoughts continually, or dwell on the issue, it would not necessarily cause or be part of depression. We cannot change the occurence, we can't stop it happening, it has happened, so hey don't dwell on it just get on!!

I know this example is a little simplistic, but it is just an analogy!!

The CBT theory is like this -

CBT would look at the issue as having happened and the ongoing thoughts and worry of this becoming a vicious circle. this vicious circle would spiral on and become insurmountable. You get the idea......

CBT says break the circle by looking for a way out of the circle before it really starts, so, when the issue occurs how can it be sorted? and what can it prove? Well the issue has happened, and this cannot be changed. How can it be sorted? A climb down, or discussion with the store to analyse the issue before it becomes a huge situation. Can it prove anything? Yes, it can be said to highlight the problems associated with store parking and the potential issues caused by a lost ticket. It could be said that a store receipt shows the innocence of the visit and thus the potentially huge vicious circle becomes a resolved or understood and a positive. It is this understanding or resolution that prevents issues growing.

I understand this analagy is a little simplistic, but it highlights how much in synergy the 2 theories can be viewed.

Does this mean CBT is actually a thought process or is the thought process actually CBT?

Does it really matter which came first, the reality is can these methods go some way to working?

Situations occur every day, thoughts occur every second. Lots of thoughts are not even concious ones - we all breathe in and out, and a thought controls this. We don't think how to every breath.

If something bad happens we are aware of future thoughts, how do we deal with these?

To break the cause of depression we have to decide how to deal with this occurence.....

I say we have to look at the issue and find the positive, if we break a cup it is a sad occurence, on the positive side we now have to get new cups!!

If we feel bad about the cup and keep dwelling on this will it bring the cup back? Will it make us feel any less annoyed with ourselves or guilty? All these thoughts will just make us feel worse, so forget the bad and think of the good - we had lots of great drinks in the cup, so now we have to get a new one. Sad thoughts gone and our new thoughts are those of expectation of a new cup.

It is now time to be honest!!!

There is a saying that suggests we need to "practice what we preach" if I had known all these theories, and they are only theories, would I have been able to overcome easier or not been affected by my own "thoughts and dwelling on issues".

I might have been able to prevent my strange lunacy a while ago. I may have been able to lessen the effects of often insignificant events. Whether I could have avoided all illness, the jury is still out over.

However, and using my own analgies let's just look at how CBT or thoughts have helped me.......

CBT - A vicious circle of sweeping events under the carpet had been started, the more I tried to ignore the bigger the issue became. CBT showed me how to break the circle, my Wife is to credit with making me seek assistance. This Blog is the break in the circle that CBT recommends, by starting this Blog, like a journal, I can put down all sorts of stupid things. I still sweep some problems under the carpet, but this is much less as I can face more things head on as I am not as afraid as much of admitting my shortcomings, and this Blog lets me "spout off" about all sorts.

Thoughts - I have lots of strange thoughts. I dwell on thoughts rather than just shrugging and sorting the problem. If I can learn to stop highlighting the negative thoughts, I might stand a chance of seeing the good thoughts and sorting the issues.

So I say the 2 theories are very close, and may well be like the chicken and egg, but for me the CBT shows the issues and advises how to solve them. The Thought Process shows how to stop feeling bad about things and sort the current problem out.

I say the methods work and if I can start using these rather than trying to understand them I might actually start on the road to healthiness again...........

What thoughts do you have???