What are beliefs?
Beliefs are cognitive interpretations of our internal and external experiences. Meaning, it is a statement that someone finds true or exists.
How do emotions connect to beliefs?
Emotions are influenced by our beliefs about our experiences, not by the events themselves.
An example of how beliefs can intertwine with recovery is road rage. Sometimes an individual feels like, “Why should I deal with this right now? There shouldn’t be traffic at 1pm!” These feelings can often lead to frustration, which in turn leads to behaviors that aren’t beneficial for the individual.
Alternatives to harmful self-talk
Alternatives to harmful self-talk is saying, “I will get to my destination when I get there” or “this time can be used for alone time to listen to a podcast that I enjoy.” By providing yourself a different emotional understanding it can allow for a broadening of perspectives and help improve coping strategies in recovery.
Altering beliefs
Beliefs can be altered over time. However, it is important to recognize and understand the connection to your beliefs and recovery. When you feel the harmful self-talk is intertwining with your thoughts, actions, or behaviors, how does introducing that thought with, “I am noticing the thought that…” feel? Introducing a rephrased thought can help separate yourself and the belief. Harmful beliefs and thoughts around the road rage example given can often relate to ED thoughts.
Is there a thought that prevents you from pursuing things you’d like to accomplish?
The thought like, “I am not good enough for that person or job” for example, can be in relation to a core belief of not being worthy or good enough. Acting on the belief of not being worthy or good enough can be harmful in recovery. When someone reframes their internal dialogue, this can reinforce healthy decision-making. After separating the belief of “I am unworthy” to the thought of, “I am capable of accomplishing what I want to do” or “I am noticing the thought that…” can help adopt new beliefs that encourages someone to make recovery motivated decisions.
Further, shifting the dialogue someone has can greatly impact their life and recovery. Feel free to reach out to Gemmed for support if you are struggling to shift the internal dialogue you have.