Tuesday, July 19, 2011

"Mistaken" Beliefs

This is from an old therapy questionnaire; these statements are the ones with which I strongly agree. I've been reading back through some of my childhood journals, and I've discovered that most of these statements were true to me even in elementary school.

I feel powerless or helpless.
Often, I feel like a victim of outside circumstances.
I don't have the money to do what I really want.
Life is very difficult -- it's a struggle.
If things are going well -- watch out!
I feel unworthy. I feel that I am not good enough.
Often, I feel that I don't deserve to be successful or happy.
Often, I feel a sense of defeat and resignation: "Why bother?"
My condition seems hopeless.
There is something fundamentally wrong with me.
I feel like I'm nothing unless I'm loved.
If a person I love doesn't love me in return, I feel like it's my fault.
What others think of me is very important.
It's important to please others.
People won't like me if they see who I really am.
I need to keep up a front or others will see my weaknesses.
I have to achieve or produce something significant in order to feel okay about myself.
I have to be the best at what I do.
To fail is terrible.
I can't rely on others for help.
I should always be very generous and unselfish.
I should be able to endure any hardship.
I should always be efficient.
I should always be competent.
I should never be angry or irritable.
I should always be pleasant or nice no matter how I feel.
I often feel ugly.
I often feel inferior or defective.
I often feel guilty or ashamed.
The world outside is a dangerous place.
It's risky to trust people.
I feel anxious about making mistakes.
I demand perfection of myself.
My self-worth isn't a given -- I have to earn it.

I have my better days, maybe even some good days. But it's no mystery why I've only had one real boyfriend, though I did have a few imitations. Never married, no children. There's no wondering why.

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