Is Depression Making You Torment Yourself?

One of the cruel things about depression—and there are so many—is that it turns someone into his own worst enemy. Depression involves having automatic negative thoughts, many of which are self-critical.

These thoughts are exactly what the name says. They’re automatic, which means they’re in our head, and we buy into them without really thinking about it. They’re also negative. They’re critical, harsh, and distorted.

Have you ever had thoughts like:

• I’m no good, and I never will be
• I should be a better spouse/parent/friend
• I just can’t handle things
• I’m stupid, worthless, never good enough
• I should have more energy
• I shouldn’t be so exhausted all of the time
• Other people can manage their lives, but not me
• What’s wrong with me?
• People say I should snap out of it, but I can’t because I’m too weak

These statements are hurtful, and they can worsen depression. It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of despair and self-bullying.

Start noticing how you’re talking to yourself. When you notice criticisms, you can interrupt and reduce self-bullying. You might not believe this right now, but it’s true: you don’t deserve to be so hard on yourself.

This article is taken from  HealthyPlace.com