narrative

One of the things that really helped me in Acceptance Commitment Therapy is the idea that our thoughts are stories, so they aren't essentially true. When you have recurring negative thoughts about your self-worth or the prognosis for your life, which so many of us have, you can say, that's the whatever story: the 'I am doomed' story or the 'I am worthless' story. 

Our thoughts are just stories and some of them are only convincing because we've heard them so many times.