There are different types of thoughts people want to suppress as “bad”, and there are different methods for working with them effectively.
The first type of thoughts are ‘negative interpretations’ where we take a dim or critical view of ourselves or others, or imagine that catastrophic things will happen. The best way to deal with these thoughts is to challenge them – run them through a series of logical tests to see how well they would “stand up in court” before you believe them. If you think, for example, that people will think badly of you ask yourself if the people you have in mind are really that judgmental. Or try and remember someone else was in a similar position. What reaction did they get? What would you think someone else was in you shoes? This is the basis of cognitive behavior therapy or CBT. A site which lets you try some of these techniques free online is www.livinglifetothefull.co.uk.
A second type of unwanted thoughts are where you frighten yourself by imagining some harm you could do. If you see an old lady crossing the street, a thought might flash through your head that if you sped up you could hit her, and it worries you that you could think such a thing. In this case, you shouldn’t read so much into the content or believe that it reveals some hidden part of your character. It is another form of anxious thought. Instead of thinking “She is vulnerable to getting hit”, you imagine yourself doing it. One way to deal with these thoughts is to ask yourself what in your life may be making you feel anxious, low or self-doubting. These thoughts are normally generated by other tensions and, like all anxious thoughts, they go precisely for whatever will scare you. These types of thoughts benefit a lot from voicing them to someone you trust.
The third type of intrusive thought is a memory or flashback of something disturbing. If it comes from a traumatic event, you’re best to work with someone trained in the field. But in the meantime, visualizations can help. Try “freeze framing” the image as if it was on a movie screen. Then imagine yourself slowly backing out of the cinema, watching the frozen image get smaller and smaller until you leave.
Visualizations can offer relief for other unwanted thoughts. Imagine, for example, that you bundle up the thought up and then stuff it into a trunk or genii bottle with a secure top. Another is to imagine your thoughts are like trains arriving and leaving from a station. See it arrive but don’t get on. Then watch it pull away and disappear down the track. The main thing to remember about these techniques is to use pictures rather than words. Turn the thought into a symbol and then work with the symbol.
Suppression doesn’t always work well. For one thing, your fighting yourself so it’s an even match and very tiring. Secondly, part of you will be aware that you’re suppressing it and this will keep it in your mind, or make you worry about it coming back.
Distraction is more useful – have a shower, exercise, clean out a drawer, put on music with a much different feel to it. Pick an activity that gives little space for your mind to wander. A run, for example, is better than a walk. The cinema is better than t.v.. Physical activities are easier than trying to read.
