Varieties of Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTS)

2. Varieties of ANTS:

We have learned that much of our distress is caused by certain habitual patterns of thinking called ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts).  Several different varieties of ANTS have been identified.  Here are a few:

A.  All or none thinking:  We think in rigid, black or white categories.   If we don’t make a 100 on the test, we feel like a complete failure.  If someone doesn’t like something about me, they dislike everything about me.  This can lead to anxious perfectionism and low self-esteem.   

B. Overgeneralization:   One or two events make us believe that something is “always” or “never” true.  Here are some common examples: “Nothing ever works out for me.” “I’m always messing up”  “I’m never going to succeed at this.”  Overgeneralization is often the basis for pessimism, negativity, discouragement and low self-esteem.

C.  Fortune Telling:   We are predicting that something bad will happen.  We will flunk out of school, lose our job, or catch a serious disease.  Often we are overestimating the likelihood that the bad thing will happen.  Fortune telling is the basis of almost all anxiety and worry. 

D. Catastrophic Thinking: This often goes along with Fortune Telling.  Not only will the bad thing happen, but the consequences will be terrible.  We are overestimating the consequence of the bad event and underestimating our ability to cope.  So, it would be “terrible” if we are late or “awful” if we get a low grade on a test.  Minor failings, setbacks, frustrations, and mistakes are seen as more awful than they really are.  Catastrophic thinking is the basis for severe anxiety. 

E. Mental Filter: We focus on the most negative aspect of a situation and fail to notice what might be more positive (or at least neutral).  For example, you get a number of positive responses to your presentation, but all you can think about is the one critical response.  You focus on one undesirable trait and lose sight of your positive qualities.  If you have free time, all you can think about is how bored you are and don’t look for positive things to do. If you are stuck in heavy traffic, you focus on how “awful” it is that you have to wait and don’t think about how nice it is to have a car.  This is the “glass half-empty” approach.   Mental Filter is often the basis for depression, pessimism, discouragement, and low self-esteem. 

Remember, the presence of ANTS does not mean that you are crazy or stupid.  Your ANTS will always be with you.  The key is to recognize your ANTS, question them and experiment with new ways of thinking. 

Copyright 2011 Stanley E. Hibbs, Ph.D.

 

1. In the end, you choose your emotional response to any situation:

This is the most important principle and every succeeding principle depends on it.  Here’s an illustration:  Suppose you are driving to a job interview and are stuck in traffic.   What you feel in that situation will depend on what you think.  Let’s say your thoughts are something like, “This is terrible.  Nothing ever works out for me.  I’m always messing up.  I’ll never get a job.”    Obviously those thoughts will cause you to be extremely upset. 

But let’s say your thoughts are something like, “I need to learn from this and leave earlier next time.  All I can do is get there as soon as I can and try to explain to them what happened.  I hope they’ll understand.”  You’re still not going to be happy, but you’ll be a little less upset. 

That is not to say that choosing your response is easy.  We all have habits of thinking that are so engrained that they are “automatic.”  We don’t intend to think this way.  We might not even be aware of the thoughts.  Nevertheless, they are always there.   Many of these thinking habits are negative, so we refer to them as ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts).   Much of our unhappiness is caused by our ANTS. 

So you got ANTS, I got ANTS; all God’s children got ANTS.  There is no point in being ashamed of them or even trying to stop them.  The mind doesn’t know how to NOT think something (e.g. Try real hard to NOT think of a pink elephant.), so any efforts you make to get your ANTS go away are bound to backfire. 

What you can control is how you choose to respond to your ANTS.  Do you take them as absolute truth or can you allow yourself to explore a different way of thinking?  It is your CHOICE where you go from there. 

That is why I say “In the end…” you choose your response.  You might not be able to control the first flash of emotion, but all human beings have the capacity to stop, reflect, and figure out how you want to think and feel about any situation. 

So when you are upset, wait!  Become aware of your ANTS and use your human capacity to think things through.  Your distress will be lessened and you will be more likely to find an effective solution to the problem. .  However, if you continue to feed your ANTS with more negative thinking, your distress will increase, and it will be more difficult to find an effective solution to the problem.    

Copyright 2011 Stanley E. Hibbs, Ph.D.