We have all been at a meeting and heard Oldtimers talk about “Stinking Thinking” and all thought how corny the rhyme sounded. In all actuality though, when you really sit and ponder on the idea of your own “Stinking Thinking,” you probably could conclude that these Oldtimers are onto something pretty profound.
If you were to really think about the things that run through your mind and take note of it, you may find that your thoughts tend to be pessimistic. After all, as humans, we have high expectations of ourselves and for others that let us down when things do not go our way. On the other hand, if you have abused drugs and alcohol, your body, mind, and soul have been endlessly poisoned because the psychoactive ingredients change your entire being and usually not in a good way.
The most loving people before addiction can become HALTed – hungry, angry, lonely, tired – during and after addiction. These factors can make a person start demonstrating a bad attitude which can ultimately end in the infamous stinking thinking that those Oldtimers were talking about. The good news is that you can combat your stinking thinking by making a few changes.
Surround yourself with positivity.
The human mind does not start out with negative thinking as an innocent child. Negativity is mostly a learned behavior that is emulated from the environment that you find yourself in. Now that you are an adult and sober, you get to choose who you want to be around. The people who surround yourself with the most will also influence your thoughts the most. Hanging out with solid people who are encouraging in your recovery will help you to change your attitude and build your confidence in a positive manner.
Make the effort to do the work.
In recovery, you will be given tools that can help you to approach life in a different way. Therapy can help you to talk out your negative thoughts with your therapist or expel them through using holistic measures. Working the 12-Steps can also help you to let go of the excess emotional baggage that you have been carrying around for years. Creating a relationship with your Higher Power through meditation and connection can bring some undue solace that you have probably been searching for. Although you have to work at your recovery, this work is the easier, softer way compared to what drugs and alcohol are capable of. Doing the work will help you to better alleviate your stinking thinking and become assured in yourself.
Recognize your thought patterns.
When you start going down that wormhole of stinking thinking, you must get to the point of being able to stop yourself before you bury yourself in the sand. Regret, anxiousness, shame, guilt, worry, criticism, self-hate – sound familiar? You never have to let those emotions have power over you again. That does not mean that you will not have them pop up from time to time, but when you take the time to recognize that you have these feelings and what they really mean, you can disperse from their negativity much sooner. By doing the work, you can notice when you are starting to go down the wormhole and then stop the negativity in its tracks. By stopping the adverse thoughts before they even get started, you do your best to get out of the stinking thinking and into the solution.
Look at how you treat others.
Part of how you interact with others on a daily basis can truly affect your thoughts. Look at how you are engaging with others to see where you can improve in contemplation. How you talk to others in person, or online, can be the impulse for how your thoughts will swarm in your head because how you talk to them is how you talk to yourself. If start edifying them, you will begin to edify yourself which will truly be beneficial in taming that stinking thinking into affirmative thoughts for yourself and for others.
Start doing things that will improve how you think of yourself.
If you are doing shady activities, it is highly unlikely that you are giving yourself constructive reflection. Change your activities to ones that will boost your self-esteem and make you proud of what you are doing. Being of service and volunteering is a great way to become grateful for what you have and to build confidence in your program in the process. Putting your hand out to someone less fortunate, or to a newcomer in recovery, can you a way out of thinking less about yourself and more about someone in need.
The way you think centers around everything that you do so why not make the best of how you effectuate yourself every day? Stop your stinking thinking and make better use of your time. Being positive goes a long way and can help you to transform your life into something more dynamic.
Offering a full range of recovery and mental health services, Detox Center of Colorado offers “Expanded Recovery” to enrich our clients’ lives in mind, body, and spirit. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Detox Center of Colorado fosters connection, encouraging clients to get connected to themselves, their peers, their families, and their higher power. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Call us today for more information: 303-536-5463
