The New Bible Cure for Depression & Anxiety by Md Don Colbert Read Free Book Online Page B

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    10. The blame game
    Many depressed and anxious people are stuck in a trap of blaming others or God. This creates a vicious circle of thinking and feeling that leads to anger, resentment, bitterness, depression, and anxiety.
    People with a victim mentality fit within this group of faulty thinkers. They feel that they are victims of circumstances and everything bad that happens to them is someone else’s fault. An example of this form of thinking includes: “It’s her fault [pointing to his wife] that I lost my job because she made me late by not having my breakfast ready.” This person has not taken responsibility.
    To break free from this distortional thought pattern, it’s important to realize that the blame game keeps you from taking responsibility for your own failures and shifts the blame onto someone else. Blame locks you in the past; it also prevents you from examining yourself and recognizing and removing thought patterns and mind-sets that continue to sabotage your life. Instead of blaming, take responsibility for your mistakes, forgive yourself, and refuse to blame someone else. If it is someone else’s fault, then simply forgive them. Realize that forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling. Choose today to forgive rather than blame—not for the sake of the other person, but for the sake of your own emotional and physical well-being.
    Confession from God’s Word
    I release all blame toward myself, toward others, and toward God. God’s Word says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” I choose to forgive and cancel the debt even though I was hurt. Forgiveness is a commandment, and I realize if I do not forgive, I will not be forgiven (Mark 11:25–26). I refuse to blame or rehash any hurt or pain. I realize that forgiveness is a decision and not a feeling. I choose to forgive instead of blame.
    Putting Your Thought Patterns on Trial
    Now that we have identified the ten major distortional thought patterns related to depression and anxiety, we need to learn to recognize these patterns.
    Most of these thoughts are under the radar because you have been practicing them so much that they have become mind-sets. You may fly off the handle or become anxious over a minor event or circumstance without even thinking about it, or you feel stress, depression, or anxiety, and you don’t even realize that you don’t have to react this way.
    In order to recognize these patterns, you must first tune in to your feelings and take inventory of what you are thinking. By monitoring your feelings you will eventually be able to figure out which thoughts and beliefs triggered your anxiety. I call these “thought triggers.” The thought triggers are almost always one of these ten distortional thought patterns that have become ingrained in your thinking similar to a computer virus. The first step in breaking this stronghold is to identify these triggers.
    It is also helpful to journal your thoughts, to write down exactly what is going through your mind when you are feeling depressed or anxious. (Remember, depressed or anxious feelings mean that you are usually thinking a distortional thought pattern or reliving or rehashing a traumatic event.)
    Next, compare the thoughts you’ve written down in your journal to the list of ten distortional thought patterns. Then begin confessing the positive confessions from God’s Word that correspond to the negative thoughts you’ve identified in your journal.
    I call this “taking your distortional thought patterns to court.” You see, most people believe that these patterns are true since they have been thinking this way all of their lives. However, you need to put these thought patterns and assumptions on trial, convict them, imprison them, and then reprogram them with God’s Word. Unfortunately, most Christians have not done this, and that is why just as many Christians have depression and anxiety as non-Christians.
    I also recommend that you seek the advice of a