Ramblings – psychotic episodes

Dealing with negative thoughts and emotions. Sailing most of the time on my own and having more than enough time to think it does not take long for negative thoughts to pervade. With a helpful tip from Tricia on “Bluet” I improved on a technique for reducing the impact of these adverse thoughts. I have touched on this before with a reference to fear. I know this is nothing new, having time on my hands I thought I’d share.

Some observed traits among people are; that we need to have something to worry about, and if we have any spare time we need to fill it. One recent event that at the time so incensed me to put me on the verge of raging psychotic episode had been a payment into an investment fund. This has since been resolved amicable. I apologise for the impolite assertions made at the time and have retracted them.

Depending on the worrying thought it does not take too long before I have wound myself up into a right state requiring, probably, months or years of anger management coucelling or therapy with some shrink. And, of course “we” brew and stew over these thoughts making it far worse than it really is, which eventually effects our health.

The technique:

1. Recognise, label and tag the offending negative thought.
2. Visualise wrapping the offending thought up into a ball. Be creative. For example depending on how offensive the thought is; mix up some fibreglass resin with extra catalyst to make it smoking hot, pour concrete or glue over it.
3. Mentally choose your favourite weapon eg. Golf club, cricket bat, baseball bat, double barrelled shot gun, bazooka, food blender . . . . let the imagination go.
4. Tee up or toss the wrapped up offending thought and whack it, listening for the sound and feeling of the impact; eg. the swish and whack of the number 4 wood, the thwock and vibration of the cricket bat, the plink of the aluminium baseball bat, the boom and recoil of the shot gun or bazooka, the whir and grind of the blender. . . .  OK, so this might be a little too violent for some. Wrap up the offending thought put it in a little box, assuming that it is a little offensive thought that is. Visualise digging a hole, burying it, then planting some daffodils over it.
5. Depending on how imaginative you’ve been, with any luck, you start wondering what you were originally thinking about. Well, don’t think about this too hard or you’re back at square one. So the next part it to find some productive, good thoughts to fill the void.

Remember you are only wrapping and obliterating your negative thoughts. This technique is not for dealing with the actual or real problem or person that may have caused the negative thoughts.

My father once told me, way back when I was a mere squack, that if everyone threw their problems into a heap and you had to pick one, you’d want your own problems back. He was absolutely right.