Anxiety and intrusive thoughts

beewinnie · ‎24-02-2017

Hi everyone,

I am new to the site but unfortunately not to anxiety - with a lovely touch of intrusive thoughts. This is my third big dose of it. I had it originally when I started university (8 years ago), then about a year and a bit ago and again now. I guess I am just looking for any tips and some positivity. I am feeling pretty disheartened that it has returned so quickly after my last encounter. I have gone back to running, been trying to incorporate deep breathing, started back up on my medication and seeing a psychologist. Any other things you have used to 'get out of your head' would be much appreciated.

Also, wondering if it is normal to be feeling pretty bummed out after a psychology appointment. I assume it is as it is dealing with everything you don't want to really be dealing with. But I feel at the moment I am talking a lot but not getting a whole lot of guidance as to what I can do moving forward. As I have dealt with it before I guess I know some techniques but any tips to bounce back would be amazing.

Thank you

Jacko777 · ‎24-02-2017

Hi beewinnie, welcome to the forums.

Have you tried meditation? I can certainly relate to how you are feeling and I find meditation helps me a great deal to reduce the mind clutter. It can feel a bit pointless at times when you are meditating and your mind is flat out but that is the whole point. It is the practice of meditation that trains the mind to focus, giving you new skills to keep your attention where you want it.

And yes, I reckon it is usual to feel out of sorts after an appointment, it is for me anyway. Do persist, it can take a while for a professional to understand all the aspects of a situation. Time to relax, your mind is an ocean and at the moment there are a few waves, they will pass. Stay focused on the positive, ban the negative!

Jack.

Faithh · ‎24-02-2017

Hi Beewinnie,

Sorry to hear you are experiencing another anxious time.

I too am not new to anxiety, and am also looking for which are the best ways for me to ease the anxious over thinking and those lovely intrusive thoughts!

In response to feeling bummed after a session, I think it's normal to feel that way and even exhausted after a session where you have dug really deep into your feelings, as you know!

Something that is starting to help me is writing a loose schedule for my day to follow. (An example is, 7:30am - look forward to a cup of coffee. 8:30am go to the gym. 10am - 3pm do whatever I like, this could be shopping, watching a movie, meeting a friend etc. 3-5pm work on my course. etc!)

I'm currently looking for work, so treating my schedule as if I were going to work is helping my motivation - even if I really don't feel it yet. It takes us about a month to retrain our brain so I'm keeping the hope that the physical activity and structure will pay off in the long run.

x Faithh

geoff · ‎25-02-2017

hello beewinnie, these intrusive thoughts will plague our mind at any time or perhaps at any inappropriate moment, especially when you could have been going along feeling OK,then suddenly you are swamped by these thoughts, only to pull you back down.
I have OCD and had it for most of my life and these thoughts I used to have 'put the fear of god' back into me, but none of them ever came true, but it was a hard road to accept at first and it did take me a long time to acknowledge this, because they were about hurting my Mum who I dearly loved, but as soon as she was put into a nursing home they stopped.
Sometimes thoughts like these come to us precisely because we do not want to act in this way.
If you google 'intrusive thoughts' there is an enormous thread where people have spoken about their own experiences, so it would be helpful to look at it.

When you are sitting down with your psychologist and try to tell them what is troubling you and get little feedback from them, then you do feel as though that time was useless for you, however as bad as it may seem it gives your psych notes that they can make and study before your next session, but I think the worst part is when you are sitting down with them, crying and trying to talk, is when the psych says 'times up' tyhen that feels so disappointing.
If you feel strong enough are you able to just make a note of what you have spoken about, so that you can remember to ask questions when you have your next session, I know that this may not be easy, but it may help. Geoff.