I have been using "good enough" to get me through my school panic this time around, with the occasional, "not good enough but at least it is done". I will be using "good enough" for dinner tonight, because there is no way it will be perfect.

All Your Friends Think You're A Failure But Are Too Nice To Tell You

Or, in my case, "All Your Friends Think You're Annoying But Are Too Nice To Tell You."

The Reason You Look Ugly In Photos Is Because You Are Ugly

::makes out with Scrappy::

So, back in the land of cognitive therapy. What methods do folks use to turn off their tapes? What scripts do you refer to? What alerts you that you're hearing a tape? How do you get beyond it?

Nice Boy not only likes carrots, TB is doing constant carrot recipe searches to find more things he might like.

I know all those songs, plus, "And what if you don't like this job, either? You'll never be happy in a job, will you?"

Reason #563 why I love my neighborhood:

I just picked up the Fall Cold Special (TM): fresh apple cider at the market, homemade chicken barley soup with bread at the bread shop, and cough syrup with codeine at the pharmacy.

Life is good. Or would be if this code would go away!

So, back in the land of cognitive therapy. What methods do folks use to turn off their tapes?

100 Top Reasons Why This Tape is Wrong lists

What scripts do you refer to?

My safety plan can sometimes be helpful (it includes various life pros/cons lists including: Why You're Still in School; Why You Want To Live; etc.). Sometimes I make myself write down what my therapist (or Emily or the Buffistas) would say if I said what I was thinking outloud. That's probably the most effective.

What alerts you that you're hearing a tape?

Ooooo...that's the tough one. Depends on how far gone I am. If I can catch it early on, much easier.

How do you get beyond it?

Gin? Ativan?

The Reason You Look Ugly In Photos Is Because You Are Ugly

OOH, OOH, this one!

I have taught myself, through long hard trial and much error, to try to look at photos with someone else's eyes. How many times have you seen someone freak about a totally cute picture of themselves? Because their eye goes instantly to the mole, or the bulge, or the way their head looks four sizes to big (in their view), and totally skips over the way that shirt is boobtacular and the color makes their eyes look sexy as all get-out. And it's hard, and I have to consciously avert my eyes from some things, but the important thing is that other people do not see what you do.

So, back in the land of cognitive therapy. What methods do folks use to turn off their tapes? What scripts do you refer to? What alerts you that you're hearing a tape? How do you get beyond it?

I stop a moment and acknowledge that I'm feeling down/distressed/stressed out/sad/angry and think about what triggered it and where that trigger came from and then accept it and move on with the plan to not react that way again.

What scripts do you refer to? What alerts you that you're hearing a tape?

The familiarity of the words. The fact that, like Aimee says, if I stop a moment, I realize I'm stressed or tired or upset.

Turning them off usually requires really unhealthy behavior, like ignoring them and distracting myself with a book or the Internet or TV, and usually comfort food and additional cigarettes. And talking to Stephen, which is not unhealthy, but doesn't always help because I have this *other* tape that tells me The People Who Love You Don't Know What They're Talking About, and Will Say Anything to Make You Feel Better.

Okay, now I think I have to go back to therapy.

Turning them off usually requires really unhealthy behavior, like ignoring them and distracting myself with a book or the Internet or TV, and usually comfort food and additional cigarettes.

This isn't unhealthy...well, except for the cigarettes :). Distraction is a well-known effective skill.