It's really tempting to see anxiety as the villain trying to destroy your life so you do everything to fight him. ), the adrenaline powered mind starts to fire off thoughts as a way to expend the excess mental energy. This is why we try to distract ourselves in myriad different ways or keep fighting such intrusive thoughts. I've found that the things that work best with mental health usually sound a bit silly. Report comments that violate these rules. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. How to stop OCD intrusive thoughts depends on the severity of the problem. Be aware of it without judging it. I almost read it wrong too. When i get the thoughts i just say, aye fuck off you fucking cunt. It was rough. I have gone to therapy since February but the tips she has given me have not worked well for me. In some cases, intrusive thoughts are the result of an underlying mental health condition, like OCD or PTSD. If I have an intrusive thought about someone hurting me or my family, I have to counter it by thinking of myself hurting the attacker. Know that they are just excess mental energy and that they cannot do you any harm. It works sometimes. I've been told to do that too or think of your intrusive thoughts as an obnoxious 12 year old you're against in an online game. Not a licensed therapist, but I do have adequate training to be a counselor. The content of unwanted intrusive thoughts often focuses on sexual or violent or socially unacceptable images. I had thought they were basically the same thing and the OCD was just the intrusive thoughts and the strange coping mechanisms I'd developed. We develop the inner strength to come out through the anxiety storm. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the technique? It would be nonsensical. I can't make it through this without tearing up :( ... a significant portion of my life has been taken by exactly this. Press J to jump to the feed. I’ve been working on a few methods to take control of my intrusive thoughts. I find whenever I'm not actually listening to music, I'm "listening to music" in my head. When we are in danger, we need to think and act fast. My perspective is to not see it as a fight. Intrusive thoughts (and thought suppression) are also features of other clinical conditions such as PTSD and depression. Visual metaphors like these have been surprisingly helpful in calming my anxious mind. Fantastic post. share. In both cases, the patient desperately tries to … When i get the thoughts i just say, aye fuck off you fucking cunt. 10 comments. Various techniques, such as meditation, mindfulness, as well as the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can help you with intrusive thoughts. My intrusive thoughts are connected to a disorder. Now, when my brain produces an unsettling, disturbing thought, more often than not I … Just a fusion of unrelated words and concepts traveling at lightning speed inside my head. They flow with such force that it seems unstoppable. Posts that have few relevant answers within the first hour, and posts that are not appropriate for the [Serious] tag will be removed. 2 I have a playlist for when I have intrusive thoughts. Most of my writing comes from personal experience and also through the experience of my clients. When we fight or try to flee from the thoughts of our minds we are sending a signal to the body that we are facing a threat. See if it helps. It usually won’t happen overnight, but with patience and understanding, your mind will eventually learn to rest, and the intrusive thoughts will be extinguished. It seems so hard for me to not fight the thoughts though. Unwanted intrusive thoughts are stuck thoughts that cause great distress. One of the most troubling issues with anxiety is the constant flow of intrusive and unwanted thoughts in our minds. In most cases, that something we do is to find different ways to distract our attention away from such thoughts. On the other hand, when we stop fighting and instead of running away from such thoughts, remain internally steady, we send a signal to our body that the current situation is not a threat and that it can stop producing the excess adrenaline. When you get distressed by an intrusive thought, this alerts your brain as something important. Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest Reddit LinkedInHow to Stop Intrusive Thoughts They’re there, they’re unwanted, they’re dreaded. Mundane thoughts leave, but intrusive thoughts last longer and often return. My therapist told me to name the intrusive thoughts. ;). It gnaws deep in your brain, burrows through decisions and keeps replayng memories in your mind. By letting these intrusive thoughts come and go as they wish and not fighting them, you are not considering them as a threat. If my mind wanders at all then I have to start the song from scratch. Intrusive thoughts can hurt you and ruin a perfect moment you are having. This may provide some relief, but often, these thoughts almost always return. We can learn how to make them go away. My mind runs in unintended directions and unwanted thoughts intrude at the worst possible times. My therapist told me to name the intrusive thoughts. I totally agree with you journaling works wonder. Most often, these are thoughts that can range from mildly unpleasant to utterly scary! Label these thoughts as “intrusive obsessive thoughts.” Remind yourself that these thoughts are automatic and you can safely ignore them. You can journal to take the excess energy build up out of your mind. If you’ve been dealing with this for a while, the prospect of […] We need to break this adrenaline-thought cycle. Adding to this, I find it effective to say ‘NO’ loudly in my head, like telling off a dog trying to get my food haha. Avoid RUMINATING It’s not the intrusive thoughts in themselves that cause you distress. Everyone has intrusive thoughts, but people with Pure OCD also have an anxiety disorder, so when they see uncomfortable images, they start … I've found it helps if I put a song on and force myself to listen to every word. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. The mind feels energized and spends this excess energy by firing off many thoughts that are aimed to tackle the threat. How can you turn your mind from being engulfed in the uninvited? Try journaling, I don't have anyone to speak my mind to so to speak but jotting them out on paper seems to help. Sometimes, the thoughts won’t even make any sense. I know it’s been like i think a few days, but i thought at least a little bit they would be less frequent. My intrusive thoughts are connected to a disorder. Anxiety and ocd go hand to hand with another. Our mind is similar, such that when we are healthy, it remains still and takes care of the essential functions of day to day activities. I don't know how my life would be without metaphors and analogies. Treatment can be as simple as using intrusive thoughts self-help methods like mindfulness. When this adrenaline stops, the mind stops becoming agitated. Here Are 5 Ways to Make It Stop. Recurrent intrusive thoughts can actually be a symptom of a repressed traumatic experience from the past. I did a lot of weightlifting (have to get back into it) and it really made my day excellent! Has something to do with separating the thought with yourself. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. It works sometimes. Now I just need to get a handle on my depression, I don't know if the same thing applies to that. Thanks OP! Let’s open up the can of worms and see what we can learn. With more and more adrenaline being pumped in, our mind tries to spend this excess energy in the form of thoughts (just like the ripples on the water’s surface). Journalling really really helps with unwanted & intrusive thoughts. Has something to do with separating the thought with yourself. It takes weeks or even months for the adrenaline in your bloodstream to return to normal levels. When we experience intrusive or unwanted OCD thoughts, our first instinct is to fight them or try to run away from them. CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Plus you can cherry pick songs that best match your situation or distract you entirely. The distance and making it seem like a choice help. They seem to come from out of nowhere, arrive with a whoosh, and cause a great deal of anxiety. report. r/AskReddit is the place to ask and answer thought-provoking questions. When intrusive thoughts do appear, don’t obsess over them nor try to to stop them. I've read similar articles recently, but I do think for me, it does bear repeating that these thoughts don't hurt me, despite what I may think in the moment. So the content of your intrusive thoughts, horrible as they might be, are the opposite of who you are, and how you see yourself. It is constantly fired up. Then why do I think these things?" I find the obsessions much more manageable when I compare them to … Press J to jump to the feed. This excess adrenaline, when it reaches the brain, energizes the mind even more and the cycle thus perpetually continues. It felt overwhelming and as if this wasn’t enough already, I would have music stuck in my head all the time. Parent comments that aren't from the target group will be removed, along with their child replies. If you try to stop thinking of the intrusive thoughts, you’re most likely making it worse. This additional stress produces more adrenaline, which keeps these thoughts going. Discover ways to manage the flow of PTSD intrusive thoughts , such as by using self-monitoring techniques and correcting errors in thinking, in this informative article. Thought suppression is a common feature of problems such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) where individuals attempt to suppress intrusive thoughts. How can you stop intrusive thoughts? We develop the resilience that even when anxiety can scare or threaten us and sometimes knock us down, we can still get up and continue where we left off. It’s this whole thought process that is being triggered immediately. Do … So idk if this works for everyone. As I've mentioned in other comments in this thread, fighting only does more harm than help. One piece of caution is that this practice requires patience. Adrenaline agitates the mind. This is an important point. If you don’t believe me just challenge these intrusive thoughts that popped up in your head and try to find any and I mean ANY evidence of them being true, accurate or relevant. Let the thought play out in your mind. Your water/stone analogy reminds me of a quote from The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: "Be like the cliff against which waves continually break, yet stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.". Cookies help us deliver our Services. ), the adrenaline powered mind starts to fire off thoughts as a way to expend the excess mental energy. Accept and allow the thoughts into your mind. Try to relax, and as you do so, your mind will find something else to focus on and the thought will go away on its own. Whether you have minor intrusive thoughts or experience them as OCD, you can stop them from hindering your life. Doing so only produces additional stress. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But I’m not giving up. You are not alone. 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