That critical voice

Hi Resolve,

I'm sorry to hear you could not find the support you needed through your chosen spiritual group (for lack of a better word). I understand what you are going through, though - I think many of us on this forum do.

I am currently working on trying to get rid of these critical voices in my head (it's not Satan or any other demon, just mistaken beliefs and negative self-talk). I'm told the best thing for this is when you find yourself saying/thinking something negative/critical, try to catch yourself (write it down when you can) and come up with a positive and more truthful counter-statement. I myself don't find this easy to do (I barely notice the thoughts before they've come and gone) - but I'm trying. Just working with positive affirmations can be helpful as well.

Best of luck with this and I hope you can find a spiritual group that is more supportive of what you are dealing with. In the mean time, we are all rooting(?) for you at HW! And welcome, BTW.

Regards,

Skatterprank
Anxiety/Panic/Agoraphobia
Effexor/Klonopin/Ativan

Honestly, despite all of what you heard never forget "Stronger is he in you than he in the world", Maybe they said that but they forgot to mention God loves you very dearly and will take care of you. Your never in this fight alone for he is right there fighting with you! You'll be ok, no weaponed formed against you shall prosper!

resolve said...
You see that's the very reason i left that fundamentalist church. No weapon formed against me? He that is in the world? These are all references to the devil and in my opinion does not promote sound mental health.

I believe that if there is a God that he loves me as much as anyone else - but he or she'll never do anything for me that i can't do myself.

If there is an all powerful God I'm sure that God could remove my depression\anxiety and mend all the faulty wiring in my brain in an instant. I'd prefer to build character and self-worth by facing my issues and growing & maturing as a human being doing so. And while doing that I'll have more of a chance of experienceing God...


I'm not knocking your beliefs or making little of your comments - i have seen people experience religion and it works for some but not me....

As the saying goes, Faith can move mountains but bring your shovel ;)


J

Naw you got it all wrong, you were never promised an easy life with God, never at all, in fact from my experience of being a Christian it was always about falling and learning from my mistakes to become a better person, through God I am single handedly overcoming my anxiety...not by praying and wishing it to go away but by faith knowing he loves me and I'm part of his will for bigger and better things, I'm not asking for the mountain to be moved I am now glad I was plaqued with this whole mental crap because I've found an inner strength in me I NEVER knew I had


I tried it without him at one point and got nowhere when all my strength was lost and I felt alone at my worst, whoever told you God wants to sweep in and instantly get rid of your depression or whatever is just trying to tell you what you want to hear, often times what it says in the bible we DO NOT like, but just as well I've learned to put my pride aside and accept it and I feel like I'm getting rewarded as a result, no lie, I've found the love of my life, I've found a new calling to play guitar in my life, many job opportunities are opening up to me, my family is getting closer as a whole, so many good things are happening and you know why??

Seek God and his kingdom and the rest will be added onto you, thats why lol

alright I know this post is going to be deleted but I hope you read it before it does, it was never about coming to God to avoid the mountains, its about coming to God so the mountains are no match for you

be easy

Well religion and stuff isn't really tolerated on this board so I'd imagine I'd at least get a warning lol, and no the holy spirit didn't write it through them, those are things that happened that profess God's word, like those are accounts of the things Moses did and Abraham and Jesus that have been passed down by for generations, many people just look the other way from the bible because 'Jonah was swallowed by a fish and stuck there for 3 days' which seems redundant to many, but honestly I just don't care anymore if God seems real or not to people anymore, I'm going to defend him and his word...and I say this from personal experience, trust me...I know he exists...miracles have happened that could NOT be explained otherwise... I'll stand by my faith but I will not prosecute you and judge you for your beliefs, that is ok with me I am not one to judge at all, but I will hold my place and stand strong for him now when people come at me


I used to always just confide to what others believed and nodded my head when they said stuff like "Yeah I'm sure Jesus is great and all but I know I can go to heaven just by being good" but now I'm taking a full on stand and it's ok if I get rejected and turned away from people now

this inner strength in me taught me to not rely on others anymore haha, but ok this is where my life went, and yours is going in a different direction and I will not condemn u for it:)

@ BluAngel thank you for your post - yes I'm re-reading David Burns book Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy and was just reading today about the 'Internal Dialogue' that you mentioned...

WORLD: A series of positive, neutral, and negative events.
THOUGHTS: You interpret the events with a series of thoughts that continually flow through your mind = internal dialogue.
MOOD: Your feelings are created by your thoughts and not the actual events. All experiences must be processed through your brain and given a conscious meaning before you experience any emotional response.
(David Burns book Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy page 30)

I'm learning not to listen to the 'static' in my mind - I'm adjusting the dials :)

Thanks for the replies :)

Resolve,

That critical voice is with us all and I think especially those of us that have "mood disorders", we are more sensitive to all around us.  I do believe in God and I know for sure guardian angels are always with us but I am not a hugh fan of organized religion.

You have to figure out what you believe, explore different religions and the belief systems.  I can not imagine another human being having the right to tell another person if they don't follow what they believe, you are going to hell.  They are insecure and trying to get as many people to follow their way of thinking in order to make themseves feel better.  Even if it is at the expense of someone else.  That is not God's way. 

Learn to trust yourself, figure out what you believe in and live your life on your spiritual path.

Now, take those negative thoughts and turn them around into something positive.  Take good care of yourself and above all, have faith.

Gem

Im big on analogies. The old move Wizard of Oz. Dorothy & her friends seemed 2 look everywhere for their answers & her home. The witch was the negative voice of her fears & idea she was lacking. D never surrendered. Thing was they already had what they were looking for the whole time & she just woke up from that. I think we dont have an addition problem that we have 2 search on the outside but a subtraction problem in that we are already whole & have everything we need inside just covered up by faulty beliefs/thoughts we gotta get rid of so we can hear our truths resonate. D just needed to believe & have some trustworthy ppl 2 help her realize it!