[dylou83]

Hi everyone, thanks for reading.  I don’t know if I can manage to type out all of the experience that brought me to make this account and post, but I would love some guidance.  The best term for what I’m going through, I think, is obsessive thinking.  It’s not thinking about any one thing in particular, but more that my mind is constantly concluding, second guessing, questioning, evaluating, etc.  I can’t seem to stop and just focus on, well, whatever I would want to be focusing on.

It could be this is also called anxiety I guess, but I’m not anxious, in particular.

I’ve noticed that coffee makes it worse for me.  I’m working with an IFS therapist as well.

I would really love to just hear from people who can relate to this.  Not looking for advice, just clarity (which I will almost certainly question :))

Thank you!

[splitandtrying2bme]

Hi!!

Wow I really get the struggle. It can be so so hard when your mind just does it’s own thing and is always active without giving you a break!!!

I really struggle with this and have not found something that always can help it, but one thing that is helpful is to really just notice the thought. Notice them and continue on with whatever your doing without giving them much attention. I try to notice and move on. But it can be really hard at times too. And this is something that doesn’t get rid of it but sometimes can just help not get all tensed up from the thoughts going crazy.

Breathing deeply can also help sometimes. Let me know if any of these resonate with you. And know that your not alone in this feeling!!! It’s

super hard. If techniques don’t work, and the obsessive thinking presumes, medication can really help!

Good luck, stay strong!

 

[dylou83]

Thank you for the response.

Your right in that letting the thought just go helps, not “engaging” it, I have done that before but had forgotten about it.

Altogether I’m pretty frustrated, all I seem to be able to do with this is gain a tip here, a tip there, try to implement, then over think the implementing of that advice itself, etc.

Which medication can help?  Did you also try anything natural, supplements, etc.?

 

[splitandtrying2bme]

I haven’t tried anything natural.

But many anti anxiety medications can really help with this type of thing, if your interested in going to a psychiatrist. It might be a good idea…

[Meir]

Hi. I’m not sure if I’ll add something. But I think that I’m in the same case. I try to have control on my mind. Instead of thinking about…I’m thinking what and how I’m thinking and feeling.. The feeling of control is the way how I escape from myself, and from the negative way I see myself. For me, when I confront the reality that I’m not in control, It is pretty annoying. For example when I need to make a change in my schedule, or when I don’t understand something clear enough, or when my work isn’t perfect, etc. I’m in therapy working on my childhood trauma, B’H the need for control shrinks. I hope that I helped you understand yourself.

[dylou83]

Thanks to everyone for all the responses — it is very helpful to hear about how other people go through it.  It’s a good way to put it Meir, the need for control.

Truthfully, posting on this forum was kind of me doing that also!

But I figured it couldn’t hurt to talk to people.

[Chavy]

I meant to respond as I also deal with obsessive thinking – rumination – but I’m glad you got great feedback!

[dylou83]

Thanks Chavy — do you mind sharing some of your experience, what worked, what didn’t, etc?

[moshe]

In my opinion over thinking is not a problem, but a personality.

It has its good and bad like everything else – when it comes to making  a big decision you’d have [most probably…] a good decision, but when it comes to a quick reaction you won’t necessarily make the correct reaction or you’d think about it for days.

I would sit down and write a topic of thought then Write all the thought then circle all the thoughts and number them based on importance and think it over one more time in a organized way.

You won’t stop overthinking but you’ll have it organized, though it wouldn’t help for quick reactions.

 

Good luck.

[Chavy]

In response to dylou83's post #10926:

Sure.

So not that I do this, but obsessing about something and thinking about it over and over again, actually fuels it. It gives it “food,” and the cycle continues.

What I try and aspire to do is to accept my obsessive thoughts. Okay, so I’m worried about X.. Okay, so I’m thinking about Y… For me, it’s not something that’s solvable. One example would be this: Will my Corona test be negative so that I can see my therapist in person? I can’t control that. Until I can get the results, there’s not much I can do aside from waiting. Or, let’s say I’m obsessing about how I feel: I have a lot of nervous energy in me and I just want it to go away. This is actually happening right now. I’m trying to accept it one some scale, and then distract myself. Maybe I’ll get up and clean the kitchen a little. Maybe I’ll read…

Another thing I noticed that helps is tightening my muscles to get out some of my nervous energy. It’s grounding to me. And grounding one’s self with the 5 senses (or one of them), can also be a distraction and calming.

I hope this information helps someone! 🙂

[moshe]

In response to Chavy's post #10928:

guess I’m talking about over thinking more then obsessive thinking.

Great tip.

 

[Chavy]

I hear that. I guess you mean thinking about many different things, like things that have to get done?

[Author]

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