or how to feel better by feeding the “ant eater” with automatic negative thoughts or ANTS.
I want to introduce you to this way of looking at our lives, written by Dr. Amen, a brain researcher and psychiatrist. He makes some of the successful cognitive behavioral concepts accessible and easier to remember.
Dr. Amen calls negative thoughts that pop up uninvited on a habitual basis ANTS. He talks about what a profound impact they have on us, our mood and wellbeing. In fact these thoughts might keep us stuck in behaviors that contribute to our chronic pain issues. READ the online article by Dr. Amen. Below is an excerpt.
Teaching yourself to control and direct thoughts in a positive way is one of the most effective ways to feel better.
“This type of thinking severely limits a person’s ability to enjoy his or her life because how one thinks on a moment-to-moment basis plays a large role in how one feels and how one conducts one’s affairs. If you are depressed all the time, you don’t expect good things to happen so you don’t try very hard to make them happen. The internal distress from melancholy thinking can make you behave in ways that alienate others, thus causing you to isolate yourself further. On the other hand, positive thoughts and a positive attitude will help you radiate a sense of well being, making it easier for others to connect with you. Positive thoughts will also help you be more effective in your life. So, as you can see, what goes on in your mind all day long can determine whether your behavior is self-defeating or self-promoting.
Here are some examples of typical ANTs (automatic negative thoughts):
“You never listen to me.””Just because we had a good year in business doesn’t mean anything.”
“You don’t like me.”
“This situation is not going to work out. I know something bad will happen.””I feel as though you don’t care about me.”
“I should have done much better. I’m a failure.”
“You’re arrogant.”
“You’re late because you don’t care.”
“It’s your fault.”
These thoughts severely limit a person’s ability to enjoy his or her life. How you think “moment-by-moment” plays a large role in how you feel (a deep limbic system function). Negative thoughts cause you to feel internal discomfort or pain and they often cause you to behave in ways that alienate from other people. Hopeful thoughts, on the other hand, influence positive behaviors and lead people to feel good about themselves and be more effective in their day-to-day lives. Hopeful thoughts also are involved in helping people connect with others.
… Thoughts have actual physical properties. They are real! They have significant influence on every cell in your body. When your mind is burdened with many negative thoughts, it affects your deep limbic system and causes deep limbic problems (irritability, moodiness, depression, etc.). Teaching yourself to control and direct thoughts in a positive way is one of the most effective ways to feel better.
Here are the actual step-by-step “thinking” principles that I use in my psychotherapy practice to help my patients heal their deep limbic systems
STEP #1
Did you know…Every time you have a thought, your brain releases chemicals. That’s how our brain works…
you have a thought,
your brain releases chemicals,
an electrical transmissions goes across your brain and
you become aware of what you’re thinking.
Thoughts are real and they have a real impact on how you feel and how you behave….” READ the online article by Dr. Amen
Cognitive behavioral therapy
One standard recommendation for managing chronic pain is to include cognitive behavioral therapy into other treatment approaches. This has been shown to work well in a number of studies. A core teaching of CBT is taking a look at your thinking styles. I find Dr. Amen’s work user-friendly and easier to remember than some of the standard presentations. These days many therapists also combine mindfulness with CBT. See more here.