Consequences of Negative Thinking

Consequences of Negative Thinking

The consequences of negative thinking are progressive. One negative thought piled on top of another starts to take a toll on how you view yourself and of course your future.

Here is the chain of thoughts as an example:

If you think that any mistake is a failure - this all-or-nothing thinking can lead you to anxiety. You will worry that any mistake may expose you to criticism or judgment. Therefore, you do not give yourself permission to relax and let down your guard. If you think that you are broken, unfixable, or even unlikeable - this negative self-labeling can lead to depression. You are trapped by your own unrealistic view of yourself. Feeling trapped is one of the common causes of depression.

Negative thinking that can lead to anxiety or depression can also lead to addiction because anxiety and depression feel so unbearable that you may turn to drugs or alcohol or smoking to escape.

Negative thinking not only leads to unhappiness, it is also a major obstacle towards self-change. Negative thinking patterns, particularly when they have become habitual, can be very hard to break. Patterns that have been in place for years will not be unfastened overnight so it is essential to be compassionate and patient with yourself as you will need to work through them.

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can change the quality of their lives by changing the attitudes of their minds." - William James