ANT--Automatic Negative Thoughts

Blame ANTs

Dr. Amen lists the blame ANT as a red ant--very dangerous. Not only does blame blind us to what is really going on, it keeps us from seeing what WE can do about a situation.

I've learned that fear and anger are awesome for finding ways to overcome blame.

Consider a small lap dog yapping at you. I imagine you'd feel a flush of annoyance or anger.
What about finding yourself empty-handed in a room with a hungry lion? I imagine you'd feel a significant amount of fear.

Anger alerts us to when we already have untapped resources on hand to handle the situation.
Fear alerts us to when we need resources and skills not yet in our possession.

Knowing that allows us to more quickly shift our thoughts from freaking out to taking action.

Dr. Amen's Online University offers classes on how to conquer automatic negative thoughts, breaking old habits and old lifestyles. We do not benefit in any way from this referral. It comes from a desire to present Desert fans with as many helpful resources as possible.