Counter Strike: Anxiety

Rational counterstatements? Can do!

Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith but they are afflictions, not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the passion of Christ.

C. S. Lewis

Working Worksheets

Let’s wrap this whole worksheet thing up, shall we?

Of course, I’ll be doing more in the future. I will even likely be putting ones you can fill out in an easy to find place, since they do seem to be useful.

I will admit though, I have been STRUGGLING lately. That does seem to be a theme but more-so than I usually am. Something about taxes always gets me down. At least I did them on time this year.

Anyways, this one is on countering anxiety, so let’s see what we’re doing THIS time.

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Alright, so this will be straight from the worksheet section in betterhelp, like last time (the first two thoughts are given, so you can “practice”):
Come up with a rational counterstatement for each of the following thoughts:

Anxiety-Producing Thought:

“I know I won't be able to finish my work on time.”

Rational Counterstatement:

I can at least try. Who knows?

Anxiety-Producing Thought:

“I can't face my boss. She's going to yell at me.”

Rational Counterstatement:

I literally cannot know what will happen. I can have a reasonable assumption of likely outcomes, but there is no predicting EVERYTHING correctly.

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Okay so now it’s time for my OWN thoughts and counterstatements.

So here’s the thing though, everything (almost, basically) I do is thought/counterstatement.

And if that’s the case, and I continue to have anxiety despite doing so, does that mean the counterstatements aren’t RATIONAL? Or does that mean I omit this process with things I hold to be true? Is this a blind spot?

Therapists are annoying sometimes. And by that I mean it’s annoying how spot on she is with some of these worksheets.

But it’s helpful.

So I will deal with it.

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Anxiety-Producing Thought:

I will not be able to make enough money to keep my family afloat.

Rational Counterstatement:

I’ve been working through this issue for a while. We’re actually fine currently and will continue to be so. What needs to happen is I need to get some influx of money to keep the LIFESTYLE afloat. So, chill.

Anxiety-Producing Thought:

I have to do THREE anxiety producing thoughts and I may quit before getting to the third, leaving yet another roadblock in between me writing about anything else.

Rational Counterstatement:

Well, I am currently getting #2 done. Also, don’t you say be comfortable with the uncomfortable? Shut up and get over yourself. These roadblocks are of your own creation. You can make them go away. Your imagination runs rampant when you’re not being productive, so shut it down when you need to.

Anxiety-Producing Thought:

Can I sustain this? Can I finish my book? Can I offer something valuable to people and my children? Am I able to follow my own ideas?

Rational Counterstatement:

Who the hell knows, but there is something I do know. If you don’t try, you’ll never figure it out. Move forward. Make a plan. Enact the plan. Make moves. Live. If it doesn’t work it, it doesn’t work out, but stop BEING STONEWALLED BY YOUR OWN THOUGHTS, DUMMY.

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Well, I was a little tough on myself there, but that works. Somehow I have grown to respond to tough love a bit better than anything else.

Even when I was working in telecommunications I would tell my bosses they didn’t need to constantly dose me with praise. Me forgetting they existed was praise enough. But I did want them to tell me WHENEVER I DID ANYTHING WRONG.

Not because I hate myself, but because I know I do a good job.

I need to know what to fix.

Love,

Dad