Are the Stories You’re Telling Yourself about Your Charlotte Social Security Disability Quest Accurate?

July 24, 2012, by Michael A. DeMayo

In our last blog post, we talked about how the stories we tell ourselves about our Charlotte Social Security Disability journey can have a monumental impact — not only on our ability to get the benefits that we want but also on our general happiness and satisfaction with our outcome.

We highlighted why it’s so important to surface these subconscious stories and talked a bit about how negative, inaccurate thinking can influence our actions in the wrong direction. Bogus and overly pessimistic thinking can lead us to take desperate measures, choose the wrong people or companies that help us, etc.

But once you know the various stories that you are telling yourself, what’s the next step?

The next step is pretty clear: determine whether your stories are true! Odds are, many of the stories you have been telling yourself have kernels of truth, but they likely also include catastrophic or overly grandiose ideas.

For instance, you might have thoughts like “the system is going to screw me over.” Yes, the system can be unfair and difficult. But if you get good help from a seasoned Charlotte Social Security Disability law firm, like DeMayo Law, for instance, you can reduce the potential for unfairness. The catch is, you won’t likely take action towards retaining a good law firm if you believe the situation is hopeless!

It’s a good idea to go through each one of your stories and to assess it logically and objectively.

Get help from outside, objective sources, if possible. For instance, show your list to a family member or a friend you trust: get his or her take. If you have a law firm at your disposal, ask that team to vet your stories.

Once you have some realistic assessments, document them!

Ideally, you want a single sheet that lists all the subconscious stories that you tell yourself and also lists the “antidotes” to your inaccurate thinking. It’s very important to write this stuff down, since the brain has a funny way of playing with our perceptions.

One final point: once you have these answers written down, you need to review the document on a fairly regular basis – once a week or even once a day, if you’re really stressed out.

Over time, as you go through this process again and again – and it should be an iterative process, not just a “one-time thing” – you will find that you will develop new stories, as old stories phase out. Make a concerted effort over time to think realistically, and you will ultimately feel more and more in control of your situation and your life – irrespective of how your battle for benefits goes. And that’s the really exciting part! By becoming a more accurate thinker, you will feel less and less at the mercy of outside forces, like an insurance company or an administrative law judge.