Can you consciously fight your subconsciousness?

[AsylumSeeker]

Hey Guys,
I wonder if you manage to fight of sadness/anxiety spikes by actively thinking "against" it? I believe most feelings and negativ thoughts are created because of patterns stored in our subconsciousnes. Does it help if you try to think such things away, I mean short term?

Like when I feel sadness rising in my body I try to use logic. I always tell myself that it has absolutely no positive or helpfull effect to be depressed, so it would be stupid to allow these feelings. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not.

 

[superfluouslyme]

Recently I've been trying to think positive when I'm feeling negative. If it's something relatively simple or benign that is bringing me down, it tends to work. But if it's something bigger, rooted deep in my brain, I have a harder time with that. IMO, it's definitely worth a try.

 

[Drew M]

Maybe when there is something coming up that I'm going to dread. Like today I had to go to the job centre and talk to someone face to face. I tried desperately not to play out how it was going to go in my mind and to an extent it worked. Maybe it helped having something to concentrate on. But when I'm on my own with my useless nothingness plaguing my mind I can't fight it. It just overwhelms me. Panic attacks often ensue from these feelings and I just have to flea the house. Occasionally walking on my own for an hour or so. The sense of panic continues, but being in a different place and on the move shifts these thoughts to a different part of my brain. Its no better or worse, but its different. And when I felt so bad originally I just felt as though I need my body, bad thoughts to be out of where they originally were.

 

[Streifen]

I'm not always able to do this, but sometimes when I sense those feelings coming on, I try to tap into the "cool" version of myself, who is not bothered by anything and just sees most things as different shades of awesome or I think about something funny that makes me smile or a song I like that makes me feel good. Alot of times I pretend I'm in some kind of RPG that requires interacting and obtaining items, haha. It usually works unless I get some kind of negative feedback that ruins it all, but it is kind of rare that someone's been mean and I know for sure it was directed at me.

 

[pebblesdundee]

I'll quickly reply, it's much easier to think "I will be calm when going to the shop" than "I will no have a panic attack on my way to the shop." sorry I'm not explaining myself better, I've just woken up

 

[EasySkanking]

It's not feasible to convince your subconscious part of your brain using your conscious(rational) part, because the subconscious is not a rationalizing mind - it is emotional. The only way to 'convince' it of anything, is to use feelings - in other words, feelings derived from traumatic/impactful experiences.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

It's not feasible to convince your subconscious part of your brain using your conscious(rational) part, because the subconscious is not a rationalizing mind - it is emotional. The only way to 'convince' it of anything, is to use feelings - in other words, feelings derived from traumatic/impactful experiences.

I think I can't totally agree with what you say. How should any therapy work, if it wasn't for the impact of the conscious mind on our subc.

I also think if I always had let my negative thoughts and feelings flow without steering against it consciously, I would have turned completely insane already.

Like almost every day when I get up I'm without reason depressed and totally anxious, but after a few minutes of mind work I manage to calm down to a level of bearable stress.

Regards Seeker

 

[EasySkanking]

I think I can't totally agree with what you say. How should any therapy work, if it wasn't for the impact of the conscious mind on our subc.

I also think if I always had let my negative thoughts and feelings flow without steering against it consciously, I would have turned completely insane already.

Like almost every day when I get up I'm without reason depressed and totally anxious, but after a few minutes of mind work I manage to calm down to a level of bearable stress.

Regards Seeker

You and I both said it bro . If you create a thought that has impact(an experience) it will stir feelings for your subconscious mind and reprogram it . I know this because lately I have done a lot of subconscious training and sometimes am able to only be "conscious" with my subconscious mind (if that makes sense to you?) and trust me, "stuff" like words spoken to you do not make sense! You can hear it, but you're like "wtf?"... but everything you experience is emotional... if the voice is too loud, you feel irritated for example, but you do not make sense of what is being said. I know that this is true because I have experienced it and because a lot of psychiatrists agree with me too.

Emotional experiences will program the sub... mind - whether it be a thought, a sight, or anything else. Rationalizing with the conscious mind _alone_ will not do this. The sub doesn't understnd rationalization, just realization attached with feelings

 

[eso]

Hey Guys,
I wonder if you manage to fight of sadness/anxiety spikes by actively thinking "against" it? I believe most feelings and negativ thoughts are created because of patterns stored in our subconsciousnes. Does it help if you try to think such things away, I mean short term?

Like when I feel sadness rising in my body I try to use logic. I always tell myself that it has absolutely no positive or helpfull effect to be depressed, so it would be stupid to allow these feelings. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not.

I have been trying the concept of Mindfulness to combat it recently. From the short examples I'd been taught from some people, I think it works rather well. Look it up on youtube, it's a sort of quasi-meditative way to sharpen your brain and get your feelings out of your head and focus into the rest of your body. It keeps you in the present and helps stop you from worrying about the past or the future, which a lot of anxiety stems from. It relaxes you and, from many people who teach it, purports to help you be more socially aware. Also it helps you start thinking more clearly as to why you might be having certain anxious thoughts or whatever. It just makes it easier to think about. I think if you combine with some other skills like learned conversation techniques or other things it would be very helpful.

 

[Kiwong]

I think you need to relax into a positive mind set. Figthing it will not help.

 

[missjesss]

I recommend going to see a good hypnotherapist to help deal with your subconcious mind it's worked wonders for me

 

[nicole1]

Nope. I'm trying desperately and I'm driving myself up the wall...

 

[EasySkanking]

I recommend going to see a good hypnotherapist to help deal with your subconcious mind it's worked wonders for me

Yeah that's true.

The thing is not all of social anxiety (at least in my observation) is not rooted in the subconscious. We also have to target the neural pathways that are connected to social anxiety, which we have strengthened (after so much use) and made so fast that they're almost automatic.

I think this might be what the original poster was really referring to - not fighting our "subconscious" because again, the subconscious cannot rationalize, but instead fighting the thoughts created by those thick and fast neural pathways that are part of social anxiety and essentially make up most of it.

A good way to do this is to "fight" against the automatic negative and *irrational*(not real/true) thoughts that plague us throughout the day. If you want to find out how to do this, I recommend this very helpful thread by SickJoke:

http://www.socialphobiaworld.com/one-simple-thing-that-changed-my-life-17132/

 

[missjesss]

EasySkanking

You are dead wrong because the sub conscious brain is in control of our "automatic behaviors and thoughts" once these are changed or resolved is when you truly free yourself from your conscious thought patterns and behaviors...of course working from the conscious end is a must also but once you correct your subconscious mind everything will happen automatically

 

[missjesss]

cbt and all of those other psychology methods do work but they take alot longer then hypnotherapy ... Also if you do not accept yourself then you will never get better

 

[EasySkanking]

Yeah you're right, but one still has to target those neural pathways that were thickened and made faster by social anxiety. Which is why you regress even when having hypnotherapy done (which is very effective and highly recommended). The subconscious might be free from social anxiety but if something concrete like neural pathways that are extra-present/thick, thoughts of social anxiety/worry can be created easier and again reprogram the subconscious mind into a state of social anxiety. At least in my experience.

The truth is, social anxiety very complicated and it takes a just a complicated method for removing it .

 

[jamie99]

No therapist will tell you to fight the thoughts, in fact they will say the opposite. When you do the thoughts/anxiety gain in power and grow until you have a full blown panic attack.

When you're anxious it is more helpful to notice the fear/anxiety with acceptance (very hard to do) but don't try to change it. Notice whether your heart is pounding..are your hands sweaty..notice any discomfort in your body..if you're restless or want to avoid it.

When we know what the anxiety does we lessen the effects. With CBT you're taught to challenge the thoughts which is very useful as well.

 

[EasySkanking]

I've tried CBT, and it did help me but nothing compared to how much medication, hypnotherapy, exposure or fighting my thoughts.

I'm such a firm believer of "fighting one's own thoughts", because I have defeated OCD like this before by fighting my thoughts almost all day for 6 months traight (it was hell!! worse than 12 years of SA)... but I got over it on my own. And also because I just very recently realized that that's how I got over OCD and have tried doing so with SA (I have had hypnotherapy and that helped a ton too but can't help me anymore), and the results are impressive.... very very impressive - equal to those of hypnotherapy.

 

[theslowesthand]

• Out-of-control thoughts --> Out-of-control feelings --> Out-of-control life
• Troublesome thoughts --> Troublesome feelings --> Troublesome life
• Good thoughts --> Good feelings --> Good life

Could it be this simple I wonder???

 

[Dronee]

I think it's counterproductive to fight it by thinking "positive thoughts" or forcing yourself to rationalize it. It may work at times, but the general problem is that it's really hard to put your focus or attention away from the issue.

I think it's better to just change the focus itself to an activity that's productive (to you) and that you enjoy.