A new weird intrusive thought

[tashalyn]

So I posted earlier about my intrusive thoughts, and I could manage most of them

Yesterday I was hit by this thought:

When you dream, it’s just your dream and it feels real

What if my life my existence is only something in my head am watching it and I have created the characters? What if there is no one else but me?

The moment I got the thought I felt like puking from the anxiety it filled me with.

And it’s been hitting me and hitting me and literally my heart skips a beat every time

I usually share my intrusive thoughts with my husband but this thought am so scared he will think I literally went psychotic

I myself am worry am going psychotic or loosing touch with reality

Help me please

[hypercat54]

It's called solipsistic or something like that. It's quite common imagining you are the only person in the world and everyone else is a figment of your imagination. We humans think some strange things sometimes don't we? x

[tashalyn in reply to hypercat54]

Is there a way to stop it? And is it dangerous? Meaning am I going psychotic or loosing touch with reality

[hypercat54 in reply to tashalyn]

No and no of course it isn't. It just shows you are creative and think about things. Lot of people do without going mad and it's quite normal you know.

I do agree with Beevee though that it's the anxiety which is causing you to worry about your own thoughts. x

[Hopeful-Tinkerbell]

We are real! All these people are actually real. I could not tell you how many crazy thoughts go through my head. I think that happens to everyone. The key is recognizing it’s a silly thought and not acting on them. Ask yourself is the real? Then moving on. Things have a way of sinking in with OCD. My mom is constantly telling me that ridiculous or not important. Well obviously if I’m obsessing over it then it’s important to me at the time. Sometimes I look back and can’t understand why I was worked up or upset about something silly and can laugh. I like to call it part of my charm or character. If I was a house and someone wanted a house with charm and character which I feel can also be called quirks they would buy me quick. Once they got in they may ask for a refund though. 😜 I think it’s very normal. Ask him the craziest thought he’s ever had. If he admits it.

[tashalyn in reply to Hopeful-Tinkerbell]

I guess I still didn’t learn how not to react to my thoughts, till now even if the idea is so silly it scares the hell out of me or upsets the hell out of me. My brain is so active and reactive that the only time I find peace is when I sleep

[Hopeful-Tinkerbell in reply to tashalyn]

My brain is an endless merry go round. I have no focus on productive stuff but let one crazy thought come and I’m in overdrive. My mom tells me all the time to let it go or quit obsessing. Sometimes saying it for me and getting validated helps. I just can’t do anything about it so either I’m completely wigging out or just walking this road along with it. I still freak out a lot. I guess it depends on the thought. If you think it’s too crazy to tell your husband recogniZe that it may not be worth stressing. It’s hard to pick and choose what upsets us though and once I’m wigging that’s it. All rational thoughts are out the window and I just have to ride it out. I sometimes take meds to just knock me out. Prescribed of course. Never more. I think you should try a therapist if you can and haven’t. Write a list of questions like

Is this reasonable or logical?

Can I change the situation?

If so how? Etc.

maybe you can go and read it when you get an obsessive thought to help you clarify. I may not have the mindset once I’m too deep to get the paper and do it but it’s worth a try. You could even have someone remind you to read it. Even with out going in detail tell your husband a key phrase etc and he can talk you through. I’m not sure. I coexist as much as possible. My mom says I obsess over everything. I hear tools but I’m not always good at applying. Sometimes I am I think. I’m a hypocrite telling you what I’ve been told. I don’t stop for chest pain or things like that. I just keep going and it eventually stops. I wish I could help more. I can definitely tell you if things are unreasonable I guess. I’m not sure about you but I’m a very real person. Not an imaginary character for example. I’m not being mean. I promise. Just try to help you free yourself from a particular thought. I’ve got a lot so reading yours helps me not focus on mine. Selfish, maybe to a degree but I really do care about everyone I talk to on here. I worry after the fact at times but being removed from that particular situation is easier than worrying about my situation. I’m here a lot. Hit me up anytime you need a reality reassurance. I get those a lot myself.

[tashalyn in reply to Hopeful-Tinkerbell]

Thank you for your reply. At this point I feel I have no control over my mind anymore, yesterday I tried something new, that is doing nothing about the thoughts, I merely exist now

[DragonTears]

Hey! Our thought and dreams can be powerful and the emotions we feel, although the trigger was fictional like a dream, the emotions are actually real! If you dream something horrible and wake up, you know it was a dream, but the fear and shock can stay with you all day. Now add to that an anxious mind and a shot of OCD and Hey Presto, things get complicated. I find that my brain, like many of us on here, has a tendency to overthink a bit (understatement of the year) and I often find that naturally creative people get hit hardest by this. It is no wonder that some of the greatest creative minds in history very often suffered from some degree of mental health issues. All those movies out there, all the crazy art and inventions....someone had to think them up! Someone conjured up the idea of the MATRIX movies...I mean, that's pretty out there right? It is actually normal, like Hopeful-Tinkerbell said. Our brains are wired to always prepare us for the worst case scenario, in self-defence. It is a functionality from our cave-man genes. Survival. So in a weird way, your brain is probably actually protect you....only it is taking it a bit far by the sound of it. I do this all the time too, but I have learnt to interpret them differently. Instead of freaking out I try to think "OK, thanks brain, that was...weird, but OK, I now know exactly what to do if there is a chemical accident in China and all clouds turn to solids and fall down...I am still going to the shop". I really hope you find a way to tackle these thoughts and dreams. I have a partner too and over the years he has learnt to handle these emotions. I tell him everything, he listens and then just gives me a hug and says he understands and is here for me no matter what crazy stuff I come up with. And that's all I really need...that kinda takes the air out of that thought. Can you tell him that "look I had a very strange dream, I know it is not real, but it really affected me and I just need to vent it and for you to not judge, but just tell me everything is OK and that it was just a dream." I found that this way I gave him the tools to react in a constructive manner which made him more relaxed because he didn't need to guess the right thing to do...I already told him. Take Care and do share, if you want, how things are going. (OK this was a lot longer than I planned for, thanks for letting ME vent a bit!)

[tashalyn in reply to DragonTears]

Thank you so much for your input; I guess am struggling till now because am trying to fight off those thoughts which obviously isn’t working they keep popping up like anything and more vicious every time. I love that you made peace with it, I wish I can do that too.

[Moosue in reply to tashalyn]

I say yer so what what ever. It's hard but the more you try not to have the thoughts they seen to happen . I read to do that. You 'll be alright.

[hypercat54]

Great reply Beevee x

[tashalyn]

Best reply! Thank you so much as I said I guess I am feeling more tired and worse because am trying so hard to fight them off, monitor my mind for them and judge them. I wish for this hell to be over soon, the pain is unbearable, only thing getting me through is my faith

[tashalyn]

I have been reading your posts and I think your method might be the ultimate solution I have been looking for. Now when you say do nothing about them does that include not trying to analyze them or converse with them? E.G I get the weird intrusive thought that am the only person in the world and life is just a dream. Obviously my heart pounds, my body shivers, then I try to reason with that thought- first question should I try to reason or just go like so what- second should I discuss or talk about the intrusive thought with someone or does that only empower it?

[tashalyn]

I have been trying doing this today, and I think I will stick to it, makes much more sense than my therapist asking me what trauma I have gone through when there is none. Thank you, thank you!

[arcenciel]

This is wonderful advice.