Try A "Thought Record" & See If It Works For You...

[Ella_Jayne]

When I did CBT, the main things my therapist made me do were thought records, and honestly everytime i finished one I saw things for what they were, and with a more rational view.

Here's an example of one from me.
Just copy and paste and fill yours in for you.
See if it helps you atall.

Make a point of seeing things from a different view i.e almost like your arguing both sides of a case. Read back what you wrote and come up with a verdict. It can be as long or as short as you want. Just give it a try.

My Main Worry: My heart, dropping dead from some sort of arrhythmia, or undiagnosed heart defect.

Facts that support my fear: I get skipped beats, dizziness and sometimes a racing heart, I've been tested but I know that doctors can make mistakes.

Facts against: I've been tested so many times, and have been given the all clear each and every time. My skipped beats are probably caused by anxiety, and dizziness is a major symptom of anxiety too. Doctors do makes mistakes (very rarely) but for the amount of times I've been to my doctor complaining he would surely have picked something up on atleast 1 visit!

Verdict: Anxiety causing my fears/symptoms and putting unsettling thoughts into my head. My heart is okay.

Now you try...

[miniholly]

what a great idea

My Main Worry: Cancer, such as lymphoma, brain tumour and cervical and that it will go undiagnoised for years on end until it finally gets discovered one day I have some life threatening illness, and when it's found it'll be too late and I'll end up dropping dead!

Facts that support my fear: Having found several swollen lymph nodes, stomach pains, heavy periods, headaches etc.

Facts against: Had all my lymph nodes checked out and doctors and nurses have never been too concerned and doctors know when something feels cancerous or not. Being too young to have most of the cancers I worry about (i'm only 17!), heavy periods due to me being on the pill and aches and pains caused by anxiety.

Verdict: My health anxiety takes over my entire body making my symptoms far worse than they are and me of course over analysing every "abnormality" of my body which is always caused by something as small as a virus or my anxiety.

that really helps to write down everything.

[Ella_Jayne]

I'm glad it's helped you hun.

It's helped me so many times.

Makes you see things from a more rational point of view.

x

[candicemarie88]

My Main Worry: heart failure or a heart attack

Facts that support my fear: chest and arm pain, fluttering/sickly chest, sudden skipped beats sometimes whilst checking my pulse, chest heaviness, breathlesness. i haven't had it checked out this month!

Facts against: Verdict: i have been to my dr, a&e and called out ambulance all within the last 6 months over concern about my heart. each time it has been checked and have been given the all clear. If i was going to have heart attack my symptoms would be more severe.

Verdict: I have been anxious most of my life. I am very stressed right now and have ongoing panic attacks. Anxiety/stress can cause chest pain and palputations and many other strange sensations in the body. This is down to my anxiety, I am not going to die.

Thankyou for this, i am going to write a thought record diary from now on, to help reassure myself x

[Humly]

Hi

I always find that writing things down helps me. I write down every silly little thing thats going through my head and find that reading it back and seeing it there on paper helps to rationalise things. So yes, it does help especially if you are not able to talk about things to another person. Give it a go.

[PokerFace]

What a lovely idea Ella

My Main Worry: Heart attack!

Facts that support my fear: a lot of central chest pain, palpitations, jaw pain, left arm pain, scare stories!!

Facts against: Been to my doctor 3 times and A&E 1nce in the past 8 months and have actually been diagnosed with anxiety. Plus ECGs are more than enough.

Verdict: I'm stuck in a vicious circle and my anxiety causes all my symptoms, not my heart.

xx

[atari]

My main worry: heart attack or that I might just collapse

Facts that support my fear: palpitation, dizziness, shortness of breath, tingling of hands and legs, depersonalization

Facts against: I've been to different doctors. I had countless ECG, one 2d echo, metanephrine test, thyroid scan/reuptake, numerous blood test, chest x-rays and it all came back normal. My cardiologist already assured me that my heart is perfectly fine and I am not going to pass out. She also advice me to get these "negative thoughts" out of my head and I'm too young to be preoccupied with it, I should be having fun.

Verdict: it's just my anxiety, which is true because whenever I'm preoccupied with other things my symptoms disappear.

[Primula]

Hi

I always find that writing things down helps me. I write down every silly little thing thats going through my head and find that reading it back and seeing it there on paper helps to rationalise things. So yes, it does help especially if you are not able to talk about things to another person. Give it a go.

Yes i do this, and once I've done it I usually feel a lot calmer and can see my thoughts for what they are.