ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ overcome intrusive thoughts

• how is ruminating about it is going to help with anything?
• do I really need to be thinking about this right now?
• it's not something to be worried about, it's not a real threat.
• it's just an intrusive thought, it has no power over your life, it's not what the future holds for you and it's not something to be afraid of
• remember you can survive any challenge because you already survived the worst challenge of all (being abandoned by your father)
• name your intrusive thought. will my accomplishments be taken away from me? no. will people go out of their way to ruin my life? no. would those close to me choose not to help me in a moment of need? no. would I have no choice to defend myself if I'm being hurt? no. these are manic thoughts, they're not correct. self talk until this negativity subsides.
• ask yourself, is this thought useful? If not, say to yourself: thank you brain, but I'm not going to take this thought on as advice as it is not useful to me.
• write your thoughts on a post it and stick them on an object in the room. look at them. they are not in your head, they are just words on a paper.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ catastrophizing / catastrofização

• acknowledge catastrophic thoughts as exaggerated worst-case scenarios to view them more objectively.
• when these thoughts come up, ask yourself "what evidence supports this thought? what's a more balanced way to look at it?"
• remember that most fears are less likely than they feel. just because something could happen doesn't mean it will.