Disputing Negative Thoughts—A Powerful
Stress Management Technique

Every once in a while secular psychology actually does get something right! Such is the case in cognitive theory; that is, in correcting 'cognitive distortions.'

What am I talking about? OK, I'll explain. Thoughts are powerful things and the quickest way to go to hell on earth is to simply allow your mind to go wherever it wants to go. But you do have a choice: You can dispute and correct negative thoughts or what secular psychology calls cognitive distortions.

I had a taste of how effective this can be some time back: One client would severely castigate herself whenever she made a mistake. She would start with something like "YOU BITCH" and then just keep flailing herself with one insult after another. It wasn't long until she was an emotional mess. And she didn't know how to stop doing this!

I told her to dispute each negative statement. She was told, for example, to say "I'm not a bitch" every time she called herself one. It worked. She now had a tool she could use to stop doing this to herself.

It wasn't until years later that I realized that this technique—which is fully consistent with the Bible—had a much broader application in terms of reducing stress and anger. Here's some examples of how it can be used.

Fear: "I'm terrified!" Correction: "I choose not to be afraid."

Anger: "I hate him!" Correction: "I choose to forgive him."

Anger: "I hate my mother-in-law and I never want to see her again!" Correction: "I choose to forgive her and I will call her on Mother's Day every year."

Labeling: "He's a jerk!" Correction: "I choose not to judge."

Drug Abuse: "I want to get high." Correction: "I choose to remain clean and sober."

Should Statements: "I should have a better job." Correction: "I choose to be thankful for the job I have."

Guilt: "It's all my fault!" Correction: "It was not my fault." Or "I choose to forgive myself."

I could provide many more examples but you get the idea. Correcting or disputing negative thoughts is not all that difficult. But it will go a long way in terms of reducing your anger and making your stress go down.

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