Daily

[tppppppp]

Anyone else have daily intrusive thoughts? How do you deal with them?

[JAYnLA]

Not as much anymore (thank you therapy and Zoloft), but my therapist has me working on noticing them and considering their validity. They usually aren't valid.

[tppppppp in reply to JAYnLA]

How long did you have them for?

[JAYnLA in reply to tppppppp]

Routinely for more than a year. When I look back at my childhood, I even had them sometimes then.

[tppppppp in reply to JAYnLA]

As a kid I used to imagine I'd die a hero. Like saving a bus full of kids or something. Did you sleep well during that year?

[JAYnLA in reply to tppppppp]

No, my insomnia kicked in half of the way through last year while my anxiety was peaking. I'd wake up half of the way through the night with my pillow drenched with sweat.

[JAYnLA in reply to tppppppp]

...and, by the way - getting through this crap IS heroic and you don't have to die for it!

[kenster1 in reply to tppppppp]

you already are a hero tyler to your kids...

[jkl5500]

Are you familiar with the book "Brain Lock" by Jeffrey Schwartz, MD? There is a four-step method in it to deal with intrusive thoughts and OCD in general. It's a terrific book, very easy to read.

[ChicagoGirl1961]

I made up my mind that I would no longer dwell on them and immediatily push them aside when they come. Negative thoughts still come with regularity, but I make a conscious choice to not give them any merit and I refuse to waste energy on them. At one time that was not the case and I spent so much time dwelling on regrets and any number of things all of which had negative connotations an fueled anxiety and depression. Some times I would wake up and immediately start thinking about something negative. I just refuse to do it any more and it's really that simple. We have more control of our thoughts than many in this forum realize. I would encourage those with persistent negative thoughts to not dwell upon them. Living with constant regret or living in the past, which we CANNOT change, only fuels and turbocharges depression and anxiety .

[Beevee in reply to ChicagoGirl1961]

Go girl 😎

[Pearl67 in reply to ChicagoGirl1961]

Such great advice and I have heard so many times before. What seems hard is doing it. When I am “in a bad spin,” it is so very hard to talk myself out of it....especially off meds.

[Jeff1943]

tppppppp, we are allowed to have intrusive thoughts, they are harmless enough. They are the ramblings of tired minds caused by nervous exhaustion.

A thought only becomes harmful if you act on it. Why should you, you know this is only random short circuitry caused by an over sensitive nervous system.

Sensitive nerves can make us seize on some passing thought and make us raise it out of all proportion.

For some it's a haunting tune we can't seem to shake off. But most intrusive thoughts are based on fear: fear exaggerated ten-fold by sensitised nerves.

We're going to die before our time, we're going to lose our job, people are laughing at us behind their backs or we feel attracted to something or someone entirely unsuitable.

All meaningless nonsense, time wasters, distractions we can do without.

You deal with them in exactly the same way as you deal with all the symptoms of anxiety and the depletion (depression) that often comes out of anxiety disorder.

We accept it for the time being. We do not fight it. If it comes with a flash of first fear do not add second fear to it. Do nothing, engage in masterly inactivity towards it. Neither try to block it out of your mind with distraction nor stress and obsess about it.

Float on by when intrusive thoughts trouble you and Let time pass. Most important to Let time pass. They will yield before too long.

Intrusive thoughts are a nothing. Why be disturbed or feel threatened by a nothing?

[jkl5500 in reply to Jeff1943]

There is a lot of overlap with Weekes' methods and Schwartz's "Brain Lock". In both, you never fight the unwanted thought because you'll only make it stronger. In "Brain Lock" you step around the thought and do another behavior (you must be active), leaving the obsessive thought to "wither on the vine". You are right - it is a nothing. It's just a false brain message with no connection to anything real. What makes this so hard for everybody is that we are conditioned to accept what out brains tell us without question. Now we have to use our minds to evaluate what our brains are telling us, and learn to discard the nonsensical thoughts. It's not easy, especially at first, but it can be done.

[Jeff1943 in reply to jkl5500]

Thankyou for telling us that, jkl5500, and drawing attention to Schwartz's work. Many self-help writers today build on the foundations (like acceptance) that Weekes first established nearly 60 years ago. Maybe Schwartz is one of them, he stands on her shoulders and extends the teaching with his or her own original developments.

[Hidden]

How is this different than ruminating thoughts

[tmjourney]

YES. During the day and in my sleep. I do several things:

-I pray

-I pinpoint and command whatever is bothering me to stop (ex. I command evil spirit of fear to leave me in the name of Jesus)

-I remind myself of the quote “just because the thought exists, doesn’t make it true”

-I read or distract myself

Hope this helps,

God bless you

[Hidden]

I do but I remember I have a daughter and I wont leave her. I am stronger because of my circumstances. My husband is suicidal and I have a hard time having empathy for him because you don't give up, you keep fighting every day.

[Hidden]

You have a family and you are a great father. Keep it up. See it as your mission in life, your purpose. I am praying for you.

[Francis2019]

I have them daily. I have the kind that make no sense at all. I have been practicing focusing on the outside world, such as the leaves of a tree, as an example. It pulls me out of my mind and helps re-wire this pathway that has been created. It’s a habit, really. Daniel Goleman wrote a book called Focus, and it’s really quite good. Our amygdala is too active. It sounds so simple - to just focus outward on a tree trunk or the details of a building, but it’s the act of focusing that is hard. The more you do that, the easier it gets. I have been practicing this everyday this week and boy have things changed! I have been stuck in this hamster wheel of intrusive thoughts for almost a year! We also must remember that our brains are plastic, which means we have the ability to change it! We DO have more control than we think. Hang in there and focus.

[MyADAA in reply to Francis2019]

plasticity of our brains, and thus plasticity for a better self and future! YES!

[rsherma]

Google this: Enneagram 6. See if it describes you.

For me, journaling and meditation help keep my mind calm. I still get the thoughts (I’ll hurt someone or myself, or I’m not a good person), but they don’t sting as much. Mine came upon starting a business while balancing a full time job and family life. There’s usually something going on that causes us to react so emotionally to thoughts.

Time also heals all wounds.

[Hidden]

Hi , this is an awful aspect of anxiety distress.

I feel for you because I've suffered with this for years . It's so hard isn't it .

Increased stress usually makes it worse.

I've recently tried headspace app and that helps .

Accepting the thoughts , letting them come and go .

I think fear creates the cycle and depending on how distressing the thoughts are , refocussing in any way .

Physical distraction.

I keep saying I'm not anxious I'm excited.

You are your thoughts , therefore we are creating them .You probably know that.

I think it's anxiety in my case.

I've tried therapy .The only thing that works for me unfortunately is medication, antidepressants.

Keep battling.

Best wishes

[Hidden]

Constant. Terrified of not waking up. I have truly lost my mind. I have three amazing kids I need to stick around for....Though I have distressing thoughts of harming them

[MyADAA in reply to Hidden]

You are not alone, so many here and outside here are experiencing the same pain, keep staying positive!

[JohnPB]

I also have daily intrusive thoughts. These start me spiraling down. If I keep my mind occupied, I have less intrusive thoughts. I am studying coding on my own, and it requires very focused attention.

As a Christian, I focus on God's promises to remind myself that He has not given up on me.

[MyADAA]

Whenever that happens, I keep telling myself "you are again torturing yourself on garbage thoughts!", and I think of my dear wife and cat who don't deserve these all! Until the day when the darkness finally lift