Overthinking..

[Lights21]

Hi I have a problem with overthinking.. My mind is always busy thinking about a lot of things then I come up with the worst possible solutions then I start panicking then get headaches.. How do I stop?

[Lights21]

I do that sometimes but it only helps at that moment.. Then it starts again later on

[Fallen_angel94]

Hey, overthinking is one of the worst parts of anxiety and what it thrives on. Sometimes it helps to remind yourself that their just thoughts and nothing else. I know this may seem hard to do because it ain't easy but I once read (and this was for ocd sufferers) that "remember the things ocd tell you are not true" , and the second I saw this post which was from a psychologist I felt a certain calm come over me like someone understands you and that I'm not crazy or anything but this is just the imbalance of my brain chemicals messing with me. Also do things that make you happy, hobbies, watch a funny movie, or try writing. I heard writing is great therapy.

Hope you feel better soon & hope this is of some help to you.

[Lights21 in reply to Fallen_angel94]

Thank you so much.. Being in this group is making me realize that I am not alone and I am not crazy which gives me hope that one day it will all be okay though its very hard at the moment.. It gets harder at night wen m trying to sleep.. Sometimes I get this fear that I wont wake up in the morning.. Its terrifying

[Fallen_angel94 in reply to Lights21]

You are most welcome. You are not alone. The best thing is to stay positive even if it hurts sometimes. Another thing to remember about anxiety and bad thoughts in general is that one bad thought replaces another, so just as you got over the previous thought so will you the current and whatever thought after. This is just some of the advise I have picked up from research myself. So if this helps someone other than myself that makes me happy.

[26Savage in reply to Fallen_angel94]

This is VERY True !!!

I got over two bad thoughts i am presently in my third thought ...

[Marshall64 in reply to Fallen_angel94]

So how do you get out of that cycle? I'm constantly overthinking and like you said, one thought will replace another.

[Fallen_angel94 in reply to Marshall64]

You can never get rid of bad thoughts as there is no cure for anxiety. All I'm saying is that you learn from previous thoughts that you have had on how to deal with them. They may never stop but they do pass. It's really how you choose to handle them. Please do keep in mind this advise is only from my own experiences and how I've overcome some of my bad days and what has helped me. I'm no psychologist so what has worked for me may or may not work for someone else.

[Hidden]

I overthink and it is very unpleasant, all you need to do is look for diversions to cancel out these brainstorms,

BOB

[Lights21 in reply to Hidden]

Hi thank you for ur response.. How do I do that?

[Hidden in reply to Lights21]

Hobbies can work, that will be up to you

Music can also help, or even Specialist programs on You Tube they can divert negative thoughts. It is all down to the likes and dislikes you have. I love you Tube, being on here or going on You Tube

I have picture books I enjoy looking at before sleep. Generally they are pictures of places I have been too in the past. etc

BOB

[Gillyflower18]

Meditation helps me. You have to practice it regularly to get the best results. I use the calm

App. Their beginners course is very good.

[Lights21 in reply to Gillyflower18]

Thank you.. I will download it and give it a try

[Sabio77]

Lights21 one of the ways to slow the mind down is to find a quiet place. think of the moment. tell yourself that "you are ok this moment". begin to believe in yourself. take those negative busy moments and use that energy to redirect it towards something positive and productive. make a list of what needs to be done in the day and only focus on one thing at a time. structure and a list will help you along with setting aside some quiet self time that you can not think about anything but that moment and on just good things for your.

[Lights21 in reply to Sabio77]

Thank you so much Sabio77. I will definitely try doing that...

[admirablesloth]

overthinking can be the worst 😔 especially if you fall in the rabbit hole of worst case scenarios and get yourself worked up over what ifs. I usually either try meditating and focus on my breathing. once you master that, it gets a little bit easier to change your focus to nothing and slow your mind a bit. or if it feels impossible to stop the thoughts, i try to redirect those thoughts and snap myself out of it by thinking positive things, and even force myself to recite affirmations “i am happy. i am smart. i am healthy” etc.

[Lights21 in reply to admirablesloth]

Thank you so much for your response.. M trying out meditation and thinking positive thoughts.. I can't say I have mastered it yet but its slowly calms me down.. Thank you

[Longo12]

This is so me

[Spartacus22]

I have literally the same thing. I'd say about 80% of my free mind ( not concentrating on work) always seeks the worst case scenarios or bad outcomes.

I was reading some talk from Tony robins basically he said try a week where every time a bad negative thought comes in to your mind just shut it out. Stop the thought. A weeks managable it was liberating. At the end of the weeks look back at them if you really need to and you'll see you didn't need to worry about them

My friend swears by eckhart tolle the power of now. Worth a look at too.

I guess its challenging yourself to change the way you think.

Stay well 🙏