Tips to avoid self pity?
Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 133
Thanks!
Originally Posted by SoberinSyracuse 
Ever hear of a technique called "thought stopping?" When a negative, self-defeating thought goes through your head, CRUSH IT. Scream "STOP!!" And immediately force your mind onto something else, even if it's reciting the alphabet backwards.
I don't find it very useful to try to argue with self-pitying thoughts. It works better just to squash them.
I don't find it very useful to try to argue with self-pitying thoughts. It works better just to squash them.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Melbourne Australia.
Posts: 3,748
Originally Posted by ScrewdUpInDe
This was posted in another thread and seemed worth sharing.
That said I don't believe in absolutes, even in no self pity.
E.E.E.N. Enough's enough but enough's necessaary.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 290
Hi Zen,
I understand how you feel. Your doing great then something comes along and very quickly things go downhill and before you know it sobriety doesn't feel so good. Even knowing that these feeling are temporary and that they will pass, the whole thing can be very difficult to deal with!
At times like this its important to focus on why you wanted to get sober in the first place.
My best tools to ease self-pity are ...
take a piece of paper or journal and write a list of all the things I am grateful for. It can be little things, like the breakfast I'm eating, the sunrise, hearing a bird call, or big things like having a job, having a family member I love and appreciate.
Second thing is, to try to think of someone else in need, that I can help, maybe just with a phone call to say hello. Or reach out and post to others on SR who are hurting.
I hope your back feels better soon! I totally agree with tursiops, writing things down can help a lot! The very act of putting pen to paper for me seems to take the edge off things.
I also try to take myself back, just for a few moments, to how awful it felt during the worst of my drinking days. Thats a place I never want to go back to.
And of course reaching out as you're already doing, is probably the best thing of all
I understand how you feel. Your doing great then something comes along and very quickly things go downhill and before you know it sobriety doesn't feel so good. Even knowing that these feeling are temporary and that they will pass, the whole thing can be very difficult to deal with!
At times like this its important to focus on why you wanted to get sober in the first place.
Originally Posted by tursiops999
My best tools to ease self-pity are ...
take a piece of paper or journal and write a list of all the things I am grateful for. It can be little things, like the breakfast I'm eating, the sunrise, hearing a bird call, or big things like having a job, having a family member I love and appreciate.
Second thing is, to try to think of someone else in need, that I can help, maybe just with a phone call to say hello. Or reach out and post to others on SR who are hurting.
I hope your back feels better soon!
I also try to take myself back, just for a few moments, to how awful it felt during the worst of my drinking days. Thats a place I never want to go back to.
And of course reaching out as you're already doing, is probably the best thing of all
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