Don't engage with the ANTs

Remove the food that feeds the ANTs

Accepting love and support is difficult to do when anxiety and depression keep telling me I am not worth it, I am a failure, I am a burden to others, I should be able to just get over it,  people would be better without me, etc.

Automatic Negative talks (ANTs) is one of the most destructive and difficult things to cope with during depressive episodes or anxiety attacks. They come hand in hand with the sadness, lack of motivation, crying spells, lack of energy, fear and worry.

At the beginning I struggled a lot with this self-sabotaging, self-hurting thinking patterns; but with time and practice I have been able to manage them and regain control of my mind, obtaining self-acceptance and self-love in the process.

It is important to identify when they are starting to happen and stop them right then, because if they get louder they become like a rolling snow ball; the bigger it gets, the more destruction it causes. One of the most important thing I used to do when I first started working on controlling them was not to engage in conversation with them or try to understand why they happen.

For me prayer works wonders to freeze the ANTs in place until they disappear. Whenever I see them present in my thoughts I pray in a constant way until they become quiet, this can take a few minutes or more. When they are too strong and argumentative I combine swimming laps or indoor cycling and praying. I know it might sound strange but it is pretty effective.

Other techniques include: write them down, for every one you have write at least 2 positive things about yourself, get distracted with a book or a movie, go to the gym or an outside walk, take a shower, talk to people, work on some doodling; anything that distracts your mind and bring you down to the present moment.

Another alternative to make ANTs disappear is to use guided meditations. Fully engage with the breathing and the visual guidance, they are more powerful that what you think.

The most important thing is to stop believing what the ANTs tell you, they are only a symptom of the disease, not a reality on your life.

Even though you might feel like hiding and staying alone, allow others you love to be close to you; they are also scared, confused and want to help.

                                 You are valuable, loved, smart, needed and wanted.