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If you only have negative thoughts in your head, it is possible that you were criticized too much as a child. The voices in your head have their origin in your parents, IMO.
I have these too. I had an overly critical parent. This parent had an overly critical parent. And so it goes. (I seriously tried to break that cycle with my own kids.)
So, what can we do? I think we need to accept that we will always some of this, but we can choose to think positively. I personally find this hard. I am sympathizing with your problem.
Any number of people who have been safeguarded by harboring negative thoughts, always thinking of worst-case scenario's, are alive today as a result of it, and the postive thinkers didn't survive!
Germany, WWII:
Negative thinker: I don't trust Hitler! I'm a Jew! He's gonna kill us all! I'm leaving Germany behind!
Positive thinker: (Laughs!) I trust Hitler to the skies! It's never gonna happen!
Cambodia, 1970's/Pol Pot regime:
Negative thinker: I think if Pol Pot had his way, he'd kill all of us with Chinese blood! He's a maniac! I'm leaving Cambodia tonite, going back to China!"
Positive thinker: (Laughs!) This is all going to blow over soon! The Americans will arrive and defend us against Pol Pot! I'm staying put! I'm optimistic!
"If you only have negative thoughts in your head, it is possible that you were criticized too much as a child. The voices in your head have their origin in your parents, IMO."
It is interesting that you mention this because I was the youngest child and the only male and had 3 older sisters. That means that I lived with them through their teenage years. Teenage girls can be very critical and I remember that it the way it was. Not necessarily critical toward me but critical as teenage girls are. If someones hair was a little out of place it was reason for a critical comment. So I heard those kinds of things for many years when growing up. Now it would have been offset by a manly father but my father was as self conscious of what other people thought of him as a teenage girl. And he was as critical about dress and how a persons hair was combed etc. So that may be some of the reasons that I have had to deal with negative thoughts all these years. But I am not blaming my sisters for being critical at that age because that is the way teenage girls are and I think more so back then before people starting dressing wierd as they do today. Anyway it is a complicated thing to try and analyze oneself.
I feel that negative thoughts tend to lessen when one learns how to be compassionate with him(her) self . In fact the negative thinker often actually hopes for positive outcomes but is critical of himself . An intelligent and sensitive person who merely is vulnerable to overthinking in an effort to strive for perfectionaism is a classic example .
Give yourself permission to be human . It's ok to have thoughts and feelings. A negative thought doesn't have to be a set back . In fact it can be a growth spurt . A positive thought can be a time to relax. It can even be viewed as a time to recover .
Diet, exercise, manipulating your senses to release good brain chemicals for happy thoughts. Surround yourself with positive people, journal, read, breathing exercises, and work on your compassion for others and yourself.
It is interesting that you mention this because I was the youngest child and the only male and had 3 older sisters. That means that I lived with them through their teenage years. Teenage girls can be very critical and I remember that it the way it was. Not necessarily critical toward me but critical as teenage girls are. If someones hair was a little out of place it was reason for a critical comment. So I heard those kinds of things for many years when growing up. Now it would have been offset by a manly father but my father was as self conscious of what other people thought of him as a teenage girl. And he was as critical about dress and how a persons hair was combed etc. So that may be some of the reasons that I have had to deal with negative thoughts all these years. But I am not blaming my sisters for being critical at that age because that is the way teenage girls are and I think more so back then before people starting dressing wierd as they do today. Anyway it is a complicated thing to try and analyze oneself.
Its too bad your parent was not a good role model along these lines.
But you can break the cycle. You can be a good, positive son, brother, uncle, parent.
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