Negative thoughts repeated over and over

[esther]

I have negative thoughts (like a mantra) repeated over and over again.

How to get rid of them?

Mine go:

"God Please help me. Oh God please help me". (dramatic tone)
"I HATE you. I HATE you". etc etc etc

Always gets worse when doing repetitive or boring tasks. Or doing things I don't enjoy. Turns them into real chores and in fact ordinary every day tasks become ordeals. (Imagine changing the cat box, and having "God help me, God help me, God help me" repeating. Really unnecessary.)

Looking back now, I realize that these have been with me for a long time (maybe years). Every day, every morning, sometimes every minute of the day. It wears me down, slowly but surely, and eventually leads to negative behavior. This is actually a very serious problem. My thoughts create my reality.

I tried repeater technique (see Dianetics or Free Zone material) to no avail. (Shout aloud in the car the phrase over and over again - dramatizing it - in heavy traffic or you'll be carted off to the asylum). All it did was reveal a very evil sounding voice behind which pretended to leave but was still there the next day. So I suspect but I'm not sure there is some kind of entity behind it. Anyway doesn't matter. Can't get rid of it.

I've interviewed two other people with the question "do you have a negative phrase which goes around in your head over and over again?" and to my surprise they did. I wonder if there is a pattern here. I'm going to ask some more people.

One surprising (surprising because I thought I was the only afflicted, and also I realized how illogical these phrases are) one came from somebody close to me:

"You're so shy that's why you're useless"

She doesn't come across shy. So her day is a constant battle against this irrational "de"-affirmation.

I'll post my proposed solution as a reply, I hope to get suggestions from others.

[esther]

Not possible to stop the voice. So replace it with a positive one.

I like this one. Some thought has gone into it. Its probably a bit long winded.

"I love you in every possible meaning of the word.
And I will always love you.
Forever.
Unconditionally.
And when you leave here you will find out that nothing on earth was as serious as you thought it was."

The idea is whenever the negative mantra starts, to instead say the positive mantra. Seems to be the first thing that worked.

First line: Love devotion from sweetheart (spiritual). I believe my soul mate or sweetheart is waiting for me.
Second third and fourth line: Emulation of absolute love possible in the spirit world. Reassuring.
Fifth line (to end): Hopefully a statement of truth. In other words the struggling and the suffering will be viewed in a different light.

[Jarrod]

Slightly different approach.

Whenever the thought occurs (so yes very often) ask for it to be disintegrated.

Over time (days, weeks...) I find this reduces the frequency of the particular thought. But to be really effective you have to do it every time it appears. If you let the thought persist without asking for it to be gone it gains strength.

[esther]

Thanks Jarrod.

I think I will try it as well.

[winterwind]

I used to repeat "I hate myself" over and over and over. It was crazy and it started when I was a pre teen.

The last time I said it was this year and it only happened once. What I did to stop this defeating habit was to change my focus on my life. Instead of seeing what I didn't have, I somehow managed to see what I did.

Instead of living for my future, I admired and appreciated the present more. I love myself now but it only came when I decided that what I have is way more important than what I don't have and I detached myself from the must have's of success.

If you detach yourself from the outcome you are hoping for, knowing that with or without it you will be alright, then guess what- YOU WILL BE ALRIGHT.

You are NOT your thoughts. Allow them to float by you and laugh at them..

Silly thoughts...just like your heart was created to pump blood throughout your body, your brain thinks thoughts, that is its function. DOn't put so much stock in them unless they make you feel good. Feeling good is the purpose of life! Enjoy yourself, appreciate yourself and disregard that crap that doesn't line up with what you KNOW to be true. You are a beautiful, wonderful creation of God and everything about you is just right.

[Anna Conlan]

If you're having a repetitive negative thought, there will be a corresponding disempowering belief that underlies it, one that you have bought into at some point, consciously or unconsciously.

"God Please help me. Oh God please help me". (dramatic tone)
"I HATE you. I HATE you". etc etc etc

It sounds like you have a disempowering belief (conscious or unconscious) that you're separate from God. That God can rescue you.

Do you feel like you're the conscious creator of your life?

[noneother]

Just focus on positive and not be tempted by the negative. The more focus you give to either state the more it will dominate.

[lasti]

Get behind the thoughts. Trough meditation practice and being present you will disconnect from the destructive script running in your head (better known as "ego"). You'll get more conscious and be able to replace your thoughts with positive ones as well as you'll learn to let go of negative thoughts.

[Alexjstrandberg]

Positive thoughts are just as bad as good ones because the mind is a dualistic machine (every positive thought is followed by a negative one) so simply ignore the thoughts. Meditation helps greatly with ignoring thoughts but getting out of your mind takes much practice.