4 Types Of Internal Dialogue You Should Avoid

Everyone goes through painful periods and unexpected negative situations that they may need to overcome. But these experiences can lead to some people developing a negative internal dialogue. This is not good in any situation, but it is even more dangerous when it threatens to become a permanent habit.

No one manages to suffer from problems you can not solve, whether it is because they are too complex or because you do not have the right tools to solve them. Under these circumstances, it is normal for anxiety to appear if you see the problem as important because the challenge has then become a threat.

With disorders such as these, it is common to have an internal dialogue that reinforces negative ideas and brings the person back to negative experiences that he or she has not yet managed to overcome. The worst part is that when the person is faced with new experiences that are reminiscent of what happened, he begins to react negatively because the person thinks it can be potentially dangerous.

Expected anxiety is the main component of this thought pattern, once established. From then on, the person will repeat distorted thoughts that intensify the initial anxiety until it becomes unbearable.

When a person is in a state of anxiety, he tends to develop a catastrophic internal dialogue. This view of life is the product of a changed and therefore distorted emotional state. The danger is that if the person does not correct this dialogue quickly, it can become a vicious circle that gets worse over time and can even lead to a panic attack.

Symptoms of panic attacks include chest tightness, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, sweaty hands and palpitations. In biological terms, this is a normal mammalian response to a threat. The person affected perceives a situation he cannot control, and without realizing it, his inner dialogue reinforces these negative and catastrophic ideas. Therefore, the person loses control and is put in a crisis situation.

Panic attacks can escalate and become extremely serious. However, when effective action is taken at the first sign of its symptoms, the crisis can be stopped and the person leave the cycle of negative thoughts. This is possible because these negative thought patterns are learned and therefore can change.

Specialists in the field of psychology have classified four types of internal dialogue that can trigger anxiety: catastrophic, self-critical, victim mentality and self-demanding.

• Catastrophic: anxiety arises when people imagine the worst possible scenario. They expect certain events (which are not really going to happen) and reinforce them. This leads to misconceptions that can trigger a panic attack. The important phrase in this type of inner dialogue is, “anything can turn into a tragedy when you least expect it”.
• Self-critical: the characteristics that characterize this type of dialogue involve a permanent state of judging and negatively evaluating one’s own behavior. These people emphasize their limitations and shortcomings, making their lives impossible to manage. They tend to be dependent on others and compare themselves to others, which makes them feel inferior. They envy people who reach their goals and get frustrated when they can not reach their own. The preferred phrase in this type of internal dialogue is “I can not”, “I am not capable” and “I do not deserve it”.

• Sacrifice mentality: this type is characterized by a feeling of being unprotected and hopeless, which leads them to believe that they have no cure and that they are not making any progress. They believe that everything will always be the same and that there will always be insurmountable obstacles between them and what they want. They do not like the way things look, but do not try to change them. They tend to say things like “I suffer and no one cares”.
• Self-demanding: people in this category develop fatigue and chronic stress due to their perfectionism. They are intolerant of mistakes and try to convince themselves that their mistakes are due to external causes, not them. They wear themselves out thinking about how they did not reach their goals due to lack of money or status, even though they have been kind to everyone. The self-demanding internal dialogue includes phrases such as “it is not enough”, “it is not perfect”, “it did not go as I wanted” etc.

Making yourself aware of these types of inner dialogues is an excellent first step towards regaining control and preventing a negative perception of yourself and your surroundings, which only triggers a state of anxiety.

But real change involves discovering these negative thoughts and replacing them with positive affirmations. It is important to control your breathing, relax and calmly confront the situation. Pessimistic and self-destructive attitudes are self-perpetuating.

It is not easy to exchange these reactions for things you consider threatening, but it is the same as when you want to change a bad habit, such as quitting smoking: it takes determination and effort, but in the end you can achieve it if you are dedicated. .