Are you a glass half full or half empty type?

[nj]

As much as I try to be positive and look at the good side of everything, I can't help myself but to think the worst of every situation in life. It seems that would carry over to my health anxiety. Rather that looking for the good in life, are we always just looking for the bad?

None of us fret over having a blemish...it's skin cancer, or a headache...it's a brain tumor, or upset stomach...it's colon cancer, and so on. It's like we fit symptoms into our anxiety rather than having anxiety over our symptoms.

Does it take CBT to permanently rewire our brains?

(just rhetorically venting)

[kerri]

My glass is always half empty. Despite having ecgs and bloods etc im always wondering what if something was missed as I still have chest pain. Oh how nice would it be not to panic over every twinge of pain

[Kobey]

Half empty, always think the worse. Don't think I will ever change :(.

[Col]

Half empty, don't know why i was laughing at your list of symptoms and what you interpret them as being , ie headache = brain tumor! BUT I'm the same , Its beyond reduiculous, I surely should be dead by now!
So yes - half empty, I'm afraid.

[cattia]

I can be half full in some areas of life, like at work for example, but when It comes to personal matters and health I am always half empty. I wish I wasn't like this but I truly don't know how to change my thinking. I always think if only I didn't have xyz problem then my life would be perfect, but it never is as there's always another problem coming along!

[Arnie365]

Half full for sure and always have been though this anxiety is testing my resolve. Some days i dont think I will get over this but I then just steel my resolve because its not going to go away on its own (today is one of those days!).

[panic12]

Half empty for sure, I always look at the downsides of things first, would like to break this habbit!

[Justinf]

Neither. My glass is empty...full stop.:D

[Eek]

half empty definitely. I wish I could be a half full kind of person but I've always looked at everything on the negative side.

[Christers]

I think most anxiety sufferers will be a 'half empty' kinda person. I definately am! My perspective on life used to be 'if you think the worst you'll never be disappointed'. This is a very negative view of life and one i'm trying to change. It's the reason we suffer health anxiety. We catastrophize (sp.) everything! I ALWAYS think the worst case scenario when it comes to my health. CBT helps, but you do have to do the work to try and challenge your way of thinking about things, and that can be very difficult if you've always thought that way. I've had CBT and it did help, but it's not a cure! you need to remind yourself of the techniques to use when you feel anxiety creeping in again.

[nj]

My perspective on life used to be 'if you think the worst you'll never be disappointed'.

This is me exactly! I'm really trying to change this.

[ricardo]

I believe to an extent ,it is in ones genes . I have been half full, completely full, half empty and empty.

It's the roller coaster ride of life :)

[meche]

I'm with Ricardo on this one. Last year I was definitely verging on empty but the last 4 months have been full... and I intend to keep it that way. Life has a habit of throwing all sorts at us and we never know what's around the corner.... it's our attitude and how we cope with it that's important. xx

[almamatters]

Always half empty, expect the worse all the time. Wish I could be more positive .