The Power of Positive Thinking

        Hello again, and thank you for taking the time to read my blog and my experiences as I work toward not only recovering, but also becoming a "better person" along the way.  I have been blessed to work not only with my therapist, but my partner's therapist has also agreed to spend some time working with me and I would like to share some of the ideas she has taught me.  Dr. Smith has decades of experience in the field of mental health and has been not only a strong advocate for the power of positive thinking, but also the benefits of meditation in her clients' lives.  **Please note this is not her real name, but figured it might be easier to read the post without the constant stream of "he" "she" statements**  Given that her practice is still strong after so many years, I think it's safe to say that her methods have been effective and I have the fullest confidence that if I stick with her contributions to my recovery that I will have the opportunity to enjoy and reap the rewards of life more than ever before.
        During my most recent therapy session with Dr. Smith I had the opportunity to share the improvement that I have felt in recent weeks as far as anxiety goes and my attitude towards my experience with DP/DR.  Although I still feel confusion and discomfort regarding my existence, my capacity to form thoughts, my physical being, and the notion of time, I have also begun to manage the discomfort in a manner that is more healthy and conducive to a happy and successful life.  At the same time I am not content with where I am at as far as my long term outlook goes.  I still want to experience the world without ruminating about so many of the details and I want to feel organic and integrated with my body again.  However, I am committed to having patience in that this is a process and I will continue to gather and implement the collective wisdom of my therapist and that of Dr. Smith.
        Yesterday, Dr. Smith introduced to me a flow chart of sorts that describes the connection between thought, feelings, and "states of being."  Essentially, positive thoughts lead to positive feelings, which in turn creates a state of being of "allowing" or "deliberate manifestation."  Similarly, negative thoughts create negative feelings, which in turn creates a state of being of "resistance" or "reaction/reckless manifestation."  Dr. Smith contends that it is impossible to have positive feelings that derive from negative thoughts and likewise one cannot have negative feelings from positive thoughts.  One must follow the other according to her teachings.  To quell the skeptical student, she did say that negative thoughts can and do creep into the mind even after positive thoughts, but that this should not take away from the link between thoughts and feelings.  The negative thought is a separate entity from the positive one just as the negative feeling is a separate entity from the positive one.
        The brilliant and encouraging part of all of this is that we have control over our thoughts.  She proved it by telling me to observe the bottle of Windex on her coffee table.  She told me to look at the lettering, the color of the liquid, the words on the front, and the shape.  And indeed she was right, my focus turned entirely  to the Windex even though I was completely enraptured with her discussion of positive thinking.  I will also concede that given that Dr. Smith's profession deals primarily with the human mind that she will not make generalizations about the mind without a great deal of scientific and anecdotal evidence to support this (again this is to quell the skeptical learner).  In short, Dr. Smith said that we actually have a great amount of control over our feelings and state of being as a byproduct of being able to control our thoughts.  This notion will be quite helpful in my recovery in that I have had a difficult time understanding my own autonomy and have often felt automated in my actions and deeds.  I also know that other people who experience symptoms of DP/DR have shared the same feelings, so I think that this concept can be quite helpful in the recovery of others as well.
        To sum up how Dr. Smith's concept of positive thinking can be applied right this moment, I will start by saying that if you have a negative thought replace it with a positive one.  For example, if you are wondering about the nature of your existence as I often do, try to replace that thought with how much you love your favorite food.  Go into detail about why you love that food.  Who makes that food the best?  What are good restaurants for that food in your town?  Does your family have a recipe for that food?  Are there any destinations around the country that make that food well?  Even in the most negative of frameworks there are still limitless possibilities to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.  This will take some time as Dr. Smith said that her clients are often amazed by how many negative or worrying thoughts they have every single day.  When you actually start to recognize how prevalent your negative thoughts are you can start to change them.  Again this will be more difficult for some people as negative thinking is a deeply ingrained habit for many people.  If you simply cannot replace the negative thought with a positive one start with neutral thoughts ie. "the couch is comfortable, it has soft cushions, I have enjoyed taking naps on it, I watch TV on the couch, my dog sits on it with me etc."  This will help get the ball rolling.  Again, I cannot stress enough my belief that recovery is possible.  It does take some time and effort, but keep hope and trust the process that you're going through.  Every life is a miracle and a blessing, especially yours!