Yes, the negative thinking is exactly the problem. If one could silence the damned mind at such times, one might find much peace in the silence. That is the purpose of meditation. When you try to meditate, the mind of course starts busily trying to get you to STOP doing it! This is what most people find. That's why meditation is difficult to master. The mind wants to run you, and it does not necessarily have your best interests at heart. No siree. (As you discover when you are depressed.) I've been dealing with that very problem for several weeks now.

Many people drink, take drugs, and so on, in a desperate attempt to escape the torture their own mind is putting them through. I was never inclined to do that. Substance abuse didn't appeal to me. I found other escapes...like typing on this forum, for example. It IS just an escape, and I know it.