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Discounting the Positive |
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You insist that the positives do not count |
Cognitive Distortions
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In Discounting the Positive
you not only discount positives, but you turn them into negatives. |
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Unrealistic or twisted thoughts |
Realistic, untwisted responses |
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"Those people at the
meeting only say they care about me. They don't even know me." |
"The people at the
meeting have experienced many of the difficulties I have. They can identify
with what I'm going through."
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"Nancy said it looked
like I'd lost weight, but I've only lost a few pounds. In fact, I think she
was patronizing me." |
"It's nice that Nancy
notices. I can be proud of my efforts. Eating healthy foods is making a
difference." |
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"I made it through the
day without binging. It was only a fluke. It doesn't really count." |
"Making it through a
day without binging is exactly what I wanted to do. It's a real success." |
You reject positive
experiences, personal achievements, and compliments by insisting they "don't count". In this
way you can maintain a negative belief that is contradicted by your everyday
experiences.
Do you have a difficult
time accepting compliments? Perhaps you are discounting the positives about
yourself. Tipping the scales to reinforce the false belief that you are somehow
second rate. This type of automatic thinking is a huge drag on self esteem and
adds to our feelings of somehow being "less than". By rethinking these thoughts
in a more objective light, we can begin to step out of depression and
hopelessness.
We can practice accepting compliments and recognizing our accomplishments,
strengths, and talents. When we compliment other people we affirm their talents,
strengths, and accomplishments. We feel good doing that. In the same way, we
deserve to notice the best in ourselves and build on and celebrate those
qualities by allowing others to acknowledge them. Thank you a healthy response
to a compliment.
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Dave's Journey to Fitness