The Knot Theory of Thoughts Domina Petric, MD

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Spectrum of thoughts Human thoughts can be imagined as a spectrum. On the one side of the spectrum are organised thoughts in healthy individuals and on the other side is severe thought disorder characteristic for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Between these two opposite sides of spectrum are milder impairments of thought quality that may sometimes occur even in healthy individuals, and more often in neurotic individuals. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Spectrum of thoughts Organised thoughts Healthy individuals, balance between negative and positive thoughts. Thought knots Healthy individuals, neurotic individuals, knots may lead to depression and anxiety. Thought disorder Psychotic patients, disorganised thoughts Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Negative emotions Sadness (depression, despair, hopelessness) Anxiety (fear, worry, concern, nervous, panic) Anger (irritation, frustration, annoyance, rage) Guilt Shame/embarrassment Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Negative thoughts Negative emotions provoke negative thoughts. Sadness is associated with self-critical thoughts, pessimistic thoughts and thoughts of loss or failure. Anxiety is associated with thoughts of something bad that could happen in the future, thoughts of threath, risk or danger and ˝what-if˝ thoughts. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Negative thoughts Anger is associated with ˝should-thoughts˝, thoughts of having been harmed or heaving been treated unfairly and thoughts of rules being broken. Guilt is associated with thoughts of having harmed someone, thoughts of having done something that goes against your own moral and sense of responsibility for a negative outcome. Shame/embarrassment is associated with thought that other will judge flaws or mistakes in a negative way. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Negative thoughts Negative thoughts have their function, but these thoughts should be always balanced with positive thoughts. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

Example of healthy process You offended someone Feeling of guilt (healthy negative emotion) Healthy negative thought: this is against my moral Positive decision: I want to apologize Apologizing Positive thought: I will forgive myself Negative thought is balanced with positive thought Positive emotion: I am happy for apologizing Negative emotion is balanced with positive emotion Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Thought knot When there is no positive thought following the negative thought, the new negative thought goes after and, thus, making a knot of negative thoughts. Knots of negative thoughts associated with anxiety can transform healthy anxiety into the pathological anxiety. The same, negative thoughts associated with sadness may transform healthy sadness into the depression. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

Example of thought knot You offended someone Feeling of guilt Negative thought No decision, no positive thought Feeling angry on yourself New negative thought: maybe this person deserves to be offended Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Thought knot People that score high on neuroticism are susceptible for creating negative thought knots. People who suffered psychological, emotional and/or physical injury and trauma are also prone for having these knots. Every trauma is a possible negative thought knot around which many negative thoughts are accumulated in a cluster of thought knots. These thought knots prevent traumatized patients to recover from the trauma. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

Example of thought knot Cluster of negative thought knots emotions Forgetting about the primary trauma. Anxiety, depression New negative emotion New negative thought No decision, no positive thought Negative thought Negative emotion Trauma Example of thought knot Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Thought knot Negative thoughts have tendency to accumulate more than positive thoughts. That is why is important to try hard and find positive thought to create a balance. Balance between positive and negative thoughts helps a person to better organize his/her thoughts. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Conclusion In an everyday life we often forget about importance of having healthy thoughts. Stress, everyday obligations, deadlines and living too fast makes us more oriented to the outside world. Health of reflection and emotions is often forgotten because it becomes important only how do we look or how much money do we earn. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview

PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview Conclusion Stress and any physical, psychological or emotional trauma, including unnoticed emotional and psychological microtraumas that may happen on the daily basis during the interaction with other people, may cause a knot of negative thoughts. Further accumulation of negative thought knots may lead to anxiety and depression. Disentangling of negative thought knots is important for maintaining the health of reflection and emotions. Petric, Domina. (2018). The Knot Theory of Thoughts. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26297.47207. PowerPlugs Templates for PowerPoint Preview