How to break the negative thought cycle??

Hello all. I usually am just in the tummy issue forums but lately I have been looking around in the Anxiety and Depression rooms as well. For the last what seems like forever but only a month or two I have been struggling bad with some health issues and anxiety. Now over the last couple months I can not seem to have any thoughts but negative ones and focusing way to much on not feeling well. It has really made me depressed all the time now and I have no idea how to break this cycle. I have dealt with depression and anxiety off and on for years but I think now is about as bad as its ever been and its really getting me concerned. I have missed many days of work because I just start to get anxiety/panic attacks before I even leave and the rest of my day and night I am just depressed and feel sick all over because I am focused to much on it. Everyone thinks its just as easy as well stop thinking about it and think happy thoughts. Well as we all know its not just that easy. As a matter of fact the more I try and think positive and about good things the more negative stuff seems to pop up and starts the cycle all over again. Have tried a handful of meds over the years but nothing really seems to work and some of them actually seem to make things worse. I have been talking with my Dr and been just short of begging and pleading with her to find a way to get me some time off from work so I can basically lick my wounds and try and get my head on straight. I dont know what to do really. As each day goes by I feel a little more lost and broken and just need a break.

Mindfulness is one of my 'go to's'

walking and music

Journaling helps to organize the thoughts and then I challenge them in black and white

Peace and strength
Trina

Believe me, I know how it is when people tell you to just stop thinking about negative stuff and cheer up, as though it were something you can turn on and off with a switch. Rather than list my problems I'll just give you a link to a recent post about my efforts to rise above PTSD. At the end of my sig in that post is also a link to my blog on the survivor's network.

We all have problems. Good luck finding a solution to your own. When I start feeling down I read some posts by the stage 4 guys who already know they're near the end. It makes my problems seem small.

/www.cancerforums.net/threads/50775-OK-now-I-m-REALLY-depressed

One line from the recent Dr Strange movie jumped out at me: "we all have demons... we must learn to live above them".

Thank you all. Sorry my internet has been out and dont always find time to check while I am at work.
Guess I need to look up some stuff on proper meditation and mindfulness and check out some of the links some of you were so kind to share. I would really like to be able to fight my way through all this without having to resort to medication. I have a couple prescriptions now that have way to many warnings and very long lists of side effects that just the thought of even giving them a try gets me overly stressed out. Again thank you all for your responses. I know it seems like a small thing but its huge to me.

I like that movie

Russel Crow starred in it. I may have spelt his name wrong.

Yes! Jack Nicholson was genius in Cuckoo's Nest!!!

Russell Crowe was good in Beautiful Mind as well.

...just because they are there doesn't mean I have to interact with them... Great reminder. Now if I could use that for controlling my recent overeating... just because ice cream exists, doesn't mean I have to eat it all. lol

Love Jack Nicholson.

As good as it Gets! is my all time favorite. I can connect with so much of the movie. The dog is awesome. Besides the ending, my favorite part is when he enters the building and the foyer is tiny octagon tiles!!

Love the way his character fights the monsters!!

Peace
Trina