The thing is i have made a lot of progress...in my exposure to things i am scared of. But my main problem is positive talk. Also, i just feel like i forget all the informatio, like id ont remember how to make myself feel better. after teh week is finished,i kind of foget it all, i feel like someimes. the craving to feelbad is too storng. i feel to apathetic to make myself feel better. when higns happen all of a sudden i feel the same way i felt before

Look at the very first statement: "...I have made a lot of progress...". That's positive self-talk!

One of the things that you might find with many of these lessons is that there is so much good information there that it's sometimes more than many of us can process in a week. That's fine. Don't beat yourself up for that. Here are a few tips that might help:

1. Listen to the lesson tape at least 3 times in the given week, even if you already grasp the concepts mentioned.

2. On at least one of the listenings, have a notebook handy where you can jot down any key points or quotes that seem to speak to you, in addition to the main points discussed.

3. Don't go in with the attitude that says, "Oh my god, I need to learn all this. This is a lot of information, what if I don't get it in a week?" That is just going to stress you out and will actually PREVENT you from retaining the knowledge! If at all possible, do a relaxation session either before or immediately after listening.

It's perfectly normal (and thus okay in a sense) to feel apathetic about making oneself feel better. Chances are, your negative thought patterns have developed over a period of years. In many respects, changing our thought patterns is like learning to write with the hand we don't normally use. At first it can be frustrating, but eventually we get the hang of it with practice, and before long, we can write just as well with it! Think about something in your life, no matter how mundane it may seem, that you weren't able to do at first but eventually were able to do with practice. Riding a bike, playing a musical instrument, driving a car, learning to read, etc...what is something you can do that you had to put some time and effort into to get good at? Use that as a frame of reference for this task.

Remember, if you can write down ONE negative thought and change it into a positive thought ON PAPER, you've mastered one of the most difficult concepts for a lot of people in this program! In time it will get easier, and, the more you do it, it will become reflexive for you to do it in your head.

A good remedy for apathy is to look back on what you have accomplished already. If you got through one mile, you can get through the next, no matter how hard it seems or how much work it takes. The power is within you and if you've come this far I believe that you can go all the way with it.

thanks frp that. just to let ou know that I have taken your advice, and I write down information from the tapes. Thanks for taking time for me it really made me feel better!