Hi Brooke,
I have been following or at least trying to follow the model off and on whenever I can fit things into the right line. I say whenever because I often feel like my feelings and emotions are WAY more powerful than my thoughts so much so that I almost often feel paralyzed when trying to use the model. Recently I was offered a new job going back into a career field I had taken a significant break from. Though I feel terrrified and anxious about this new job, I put in my resignation giving myself 4 weeks to get it together mentally before I start this new job. Unfortunately, that gives me like 4 weeks to scare myself half to death and mourn the loss of leaving my current 12 year relationships behind.
My brain and the negative thoughts I started having have started to devour what was once a positive mind set.
The thoughts are so overwhelmingly negative that it’s difficult to tackle them using the model without feeling paralyzed. Some of the thoughts are things like: You won’t make it because it’s been too long since you’ve done this type of job and you are going to fail and you are going to end up being un-employed and you had it so good why did you get greedy when you were so comfortable at your last “easy” comfortable unchallenging job and you are a phony and everyone will see it and the list goes on and on. Should I attack each horrible spiritually crushing thought one thought at a time? I feel so horribly overwhelmed by the negative crap that keeps popping up that I started drinking just to try and quiet my mind.
Please help Brooke. I need a plan.