Recovery: Awfulizing. Are you still doing it?

If it's not a word, it should be. It's one I'm pretty sure I learned in the comfy chair of my therapist's office.

"I'm always doing this wrong."

"He's never going to stop!"

"Why does it always have to be this way?"

Those are generic statements, but they work fine as examples of what awfulizing is. Have you ever done it? My guess is you have. It's what happens when we turn every negative into an absolute. Everything is always at it's worst. That's awfulizing.

When you're in Recovery mode, you're paying attention to those absolutes. You're using them less often. And you're realizing everything's just not that bad.

Your assignment for the week: each time you hear yourself "awfulizing," write it down. Write down the exact phrasing you used. By Sunday evening, if this is a regular habit of yours, you'll see it right there on paper. You won't be able to deny it, and you'll be better equipped to curb it.

Are you willing to do that?