One of our Session 8 homework assignments is to notice our circular thinking and jump out of it. Examples?
Does anyone want to provide examples of specific circular thinking they have, and HOW DO YOU JUMP OUT? Some advice and help here, please, anyone?

pecos:
Circular Thinking is a combination of thoughts mainly pertaining to the same fear or fears one after another and then they start all over again. Kind of like being on a Merry-Go-Round without the Merry. You need to "Jump" off to stop them. You need to find something to distract your mind and it may be as simple as starting to notice things around you such as sights, smells, etc that will return you to the present moment. See the Sunshine, the trees, the clouds. Also, Your Pets would be a great distraction. Smell the Fresh Air or the flowers you may have. You have got to get back into the present moment to get off the "Merry-Go-Round" of Circular Thinking. Hope this helps in some small way. God Bless!
Wayne

Hi Wayne, I think this is another one of those concepts to do with how we cause our own problems that is not as well understood as it needs to be. I had the same problem with secondary gains. It is mentioned very briefly in the session work (unless I keep missing something) and I only began to understand it last week with the help of Mary recommending an old post by Carolyn. I read that post and suddenly it all unfolded, made total sense. I may be trying too hard to see the entire picture of circular thinking (which was also briefly mentioned?). I always like a scientific model, with all the molecular structures in place because then I can work backwards or forwards and always have the same answer. Your explanation of circular thinking is very good. I am going to start noticing chains of one fear that turn into a merry go round of many. I can use my pets as a distraction. What a great analogy! I always appreciate you! Thanks.

Session 10 also mentions the circular thinking. My take on circular thinking is ruminating over the same thing over and over again with no end to the circle. In my case worrying over my cholesterol level without doing anything about it keeps these same thoughts stuck in the circle. When I decide to deal and not dwell and take action on it I'm jumping out of the circle because these old thoughts stop. Jumping out of the circle to me means that I'm interrupting or changing these same circular thoughts by dealing with it rather than dwelling on it. You might try reading over session 10 although tips for dealing with scary obsessive thoughts are a little different than dealing with sudden anxiety but the message is the same - Deal don't dwell.

Hi Mary, yes, ruminating is a good word. Today I was busy for several hours (solitary type work) and my mind kept wandering over to an issue that I dwell on, then get upset about. I would put my hand up in front of my face and say stop this, and then I would conjure up Wayne's not-so-merry merry go round. I would imagine I was going round and round with this particular issue until I got so dizzy, I fell off the darned thing. I know that is not the kind of Jumping Out that the program intends, but it worked. I ended up laughing at myself. And I noticed how sneaky my mind can be. It just kept slipping right back to that negative issue (I need to get a key back from a person who lives near my parent's house - and this person is ever so difficult!) What I have been doing (I now realize as circular thinking) is I rehearse the moment of asking for the key, over and over and over. I end up upset, with no key, never having had the conversation. Today when I let myself fall off the merry go round, I decided to just dissolve these negative thoughts until I see this person. Then I will simply say I need the key!
Thank you Wayne and Mary. That was the last homework question I had with Session 8, and now that I have completed it, on to 9 tomorrow.

PS: I add this many days later. Hi Emily, I read your post below and did consider that. The person helped with my mother's feeding station for her many "homeless" cats, and I don't want to alienate them. I will eventually just ask for it back. I put this into the homework and turned it into problem solving. Amazing how many hours I can waste worrying about how to get a key back!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pecos,

I know this doesn't address the issue of circular thinking, and many will see it as avoidance and a "cop out," but have you considered simply changing the locks? Just a thought...