Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)

[Xinyta]

We all have thoughts that are intrusive. Negative, self-deprecating, or otherwise. But what if you listened to these thoughts? It sounds rediculious, and it is. But when your own self-worth is low, or nonexistant, these thoughts feel attractive. Validating even. It is fed by our own veiws of environment and people around us. Seeing anything bad or negative, in that moment, as confirmation of our own thoughts, insecurities, and general fears. The longer these thoughts are fed, the more they become automatic. ANTs require your habitual feeding and attachment to them.

There are 9 common ANTs that keep us trapped:

1. Just the bad ANTs: The veiw that there is no positive in anything. That everything is a negative. "Everything is bad", as I've put it my whole life.

2. Blaming ANTs: The action of blaming others for personal mistakes. Avoiding personal responsibility as a result. "It's everyone and everything else's fault, not mine".

3. All or Nothing ANTs: Either it's all good or it's all bad. If you make a mistake, your whole day is ruined. If something good has happened, everything is peachy keen. This black and white, 'set in stone', thinking is highly destructive to self worth. Especially since this will lean toward bad more than good, in most cases.

4. Fortune Telling ANTs: The act of assuming the worst of a future event(s), despite having no idea of the true outcome. This self-defeating thought process makes it so we never try for anything. Or that if we do, we end up self-sabotaging the activity or interaction.

5. Guilt Beating ANTs: Have you heard the saying "Shoulda, woulda, coulda"? Even if you haven't. This saying is used to point out a self-deprecating habit in response to hindsight. "I should of done this" or "I could've did that if I were not so busy". It can be also used in present tense for things we feel we should or could do.

6. Labeling ANTs: Labeling makes things harder to cope with. Especially when we label ourselves ,or take the label others give you, to heart. "Nerd", "retard", "worthless", etc. But do you need to listen? No. But when our worth is low, it's hard to ignore these.

7. Mind Reading ANTs: The belief you know what other people are thinking. Particularly about you. That you see everyone around you, judging you for everything you do. But it's all in your own head.

8. Less Than ANTs: The act of comparing yourself to others that you see as better than you, or you see as having it better than you. That you will never achieve, nor have, what others seem to have in spades. Not realizing that others work hard to get what they have.

9. If Only and I'll Be Happy When ANTs: Making claims that you will not allow yourself to be happy till something you feel will change everything, will happen. Basically asking/expecting the world to give you what you desire, to feel happy again.

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When you have one or more of these ANTs, it can make it hard to see what the objective reality is. Challenge what you've always known is hard. It's a struggle for me still. But it's doable. It just takes willpower, and a desire to overcome. That these ANTs have no hold on us. That the power they have, is given to them by us. These ANTs have no true power. They are not a force to reckon with, but a thought to disregard.

To eliminate these ANTs, like the bug you would kill in your home. Use the ANT Eliminator Form to question and add objectivity, to subjective and ultimately meaningless thoughts.

ANT:

ANT Type:

Is it true?

Is it 100% true?

How does this thought make you feel?

Counterthought: How can you use this thought to serve you?

This form is the 'pesticide' to annoying ANTs that plague our minds. By stepping back and looking at what the ANT(s) are. We are taking a step towards allowing more objective, clarifying, thoughts to squash a baseless thought. Not allowing ourselves to using mental energy and emotions towards unnecessary ANTs.

What ANTs do you struggle with?

 

[Cutesie]

1, 5, 6, 8, sometimes 3, maybe 2

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

What ANTs do you struggle with?

Hmmm ! I think the ANTs that get our kitchen almost every year at some point are the worst.

On a more serious note, the concern about future outcomes, past regrets, and taking insults to heart IF they came from someone I care about and/or see as an authority figure over me are probably the ones that pop into my head the most.

 

[Aspychata]

One and four seem to spend too much time in my head, probably anxiety related. Great post!

 

[Matthias]

What ANTs do you struggle with?

None of them. I first came across a list of these labeled as cognitive distortions about 5 years ago. I noticed they all involved negative thinking and was skeptical that simply thinking more positively would make much of a difference. Therefore, I decided to conduct a test by focusing on the good in everything and interpreting events in the most positive way possible for two weeks to see if it would make a difference. After those two weeks I felt so much better that I never went back to thinking like that again.

One example that happened during those two weeks was getting in the car to go somewhere fun only to find out I had a flat tire. In the past I thought something like "Life sucks! Bad things are always happening to me. The universe must be out to get me." and paid a service to change the tire while whining about how much I had to pay for it. When this happened during the two week test, I told myself "This is an opportunity to practice handling stressful situations and learn something new." I watched Youtube videos on how to change a tire and tried doing it myself. I failed. However, rather than telling myself I was a loser, I worked up the courage to ask a neighbor for help and eventually got it fixed. Instead of the flat tire ruining my day, I ended up feeling better that I learned something new and improved my ability to handle stress. Thinking like this has now become a habit. I estimate it decreased my emotional stress by 95% and increased my happiness by 10%.

 

[Judge]

Let's just say that I don't ponder such an issue so much as part of my autism.

However with consideration to my OCD it rises to another level:

Common Uncontrollable Thoughts From OCD

Makes me sometimes wonder how many of us may have comorbid OCD and not be aware of it.

 

[Xinyta]

None of them. I first came across a list of these labeled as cognitive distortions about 5 years ago. I noticed they all involved negative thinking and was skeptical that simply thinking more positively would make much of a difference. Therefore, I decided to conduct a test by focusing on the good in everything and interpreting events in the most positive way possible for two weeks to see if it would make a difference. After those two weeks I felt so much better that I never went back to thinking like that again.

One example that happened during those two weeks was getting in the car to go somewhere fun only to find out I had a flat tire. In the past I thought something like "Life sucks! Bad things are always happening to me. The universe must be out to get me." and paid a service to change the tire while whining about how much I had to pay for it. When this happened during the two week test, I told myself "This is an opportunity to practice handling stressful situations and learn something new." I watched Youtube videos on how to change a tire and tried doing it myself. I failed. However, rather than telling myself I was a loser, I worked up the courage to ask a neighbor for help and eventually got it fixed. Instead of the flat tire ruining my day, I ended up feeling better that I learned something new and improved my ability to handle stress. Thinking like this has now become a habit. I estimate it decreased my emotional stress by 95% and increased my happiness by 10%.

Absolutely valid. There most definitely isn't a one size fits all solution to this. The ANT Eliminator Form is just a tool for those that don't know how to start. But we all have our own ways with dealing with it.

Truthfully. What got me to start pushing harder, is listening to Les Brown. For those that don't know. He is a motivational speaker.

Glad that you found your own way to overcome it~

Let's just say that I don't ponder such an issue so much as part of my autism.

However with consideration to my OCD it rises to another level:

Common Uncontrollable Thoughts From OCD

Makes me sometimes wonder how many of us may have comorbid OCD and not be aware of it.

This is definitely something to consider. I'm not entirely sure of myself. Though that could answer some things about my thoughts, in the past and now.