Placing intrusive thoughts

[Possummagic25]

I struggle with intrusive thoughts. They are all about my relationship with my husband. How I feel about him and where our relationship is going. I am cognitively strong and I know to just ignore and not feed them. But I am after some strategies to release them from my mind. The only thing that seems to settle them is cuddle time with hubby. This is all new to me, I had my first attack about a month ago, following a few weeks of incinsistent intrusive thoughts and then a few days of intense thoughts following the seperation of an engaged couple close to me. I am on medication and am seeing a psychologist. But am looking for support on the 'down and out days' I am 27 a mum of 2 bouncing boys. And am determined to beat this. What do you do to help you through the bad days?? Feeling good today 😊

[geoff]

Hello Possummagic, can I please offer you a warm welcome to the forum, and thanks for posting your comment.

To have these 'intrusive thoughts' are what some people have to try and cope with, it's an awful feeling that some of us have to endure, they are caused by anxiety which I have had for a long time.

Please know that you are not alone when you have these thoughts.

I'm about to log off as I start very early in the morning at about 12.30 am, I'm so sorry, I will get back to you first thing in the morning.

Others will reply back to you today and I will certainly do the same tomorrow.

Please look after yourself tonight.

Geoff.

[Scared91]

Hey possum magic25

ive never replied to anyone before but this place is an amzing place to chat vent and realise you are not alone.

i have struggled and do struggle with intrusive thoughts but in a different sense. Mostly around death all kinds my death my families anything and anyone dying ... it’s horrible ...

ive done a lot of googling and meditation and been on here searching too ...

its good that you are strong enough to know that they are just thoughts and u can push em aside even a lil bit ... 6 months ago i wish I had your brain power I struggled so so much ...

meditation apps you can download on your phone and listen to help ..

also there is a grounding technique that is on here somewhere I don’t know how to share a link sorry .

but it’s like thinking of things you can touch smell hear feel etc ..

and it’s good that cuddling your hubby helps calm you down .. hugging my kids and husband and also being around my mum helps me .. I’m a 27 yr old mum of 2 also so .. here for a chat if you ever need 😄👍🏿 Parent hood on its own ain’t no easy street so I hear you .. and you are clearly doing an amzing job already so just imagine what you can do with some tools to help you out more .

sorry hope this helped a lil

[Possummagic25]

Hey there scared91. Seems we have a bit in common. 😀 I just today downloaded some meditation apps. And will b getting back into regular physical exercise. Any and all advice is helpful to me as its all new to me, and im trying to be proactive in self help. Mental health such as anxiety and other things run in my family, I was originally extremely disappointed in myself for not identifying it before the attack. But I am where I am, and I just want to get better for my family, il do whatever it takes 💪

[geoff]

Hi Possummagic and 91, intrusive thoughts are known as obsessions and can result in compulsions, which are things we do to help cope with these unwanted thoughts

Please don't believe that they mean something bad about you because that's what they make us believe so it feels like they have taken over your life.

If you cope with your unwanted thoughts by avoiding anything that may trigger them, you may experience anxiety, the same applies if you try and think about any pleasant thoughts you may come back to a negative thought.

We can't control what goes through our mind but we can react positively or negatively to that thought, if you don't have anxiety and/or depression then that's easy to do, however, if you're struggling then it's much more difficult.

My intrusive thoughts happened awhile ago where I wanted to hurt my dear Mum, I loved her, so it really upset me but as soon as Mum was put into a nursing home it all stopped.

What I have learnt over all this time that any intrusive thoughts don't come true, that's something you have to learn from each experience, but it still makes me feel so sorry for you, and look forward in hearing back from you.

Take care.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hello Possummagic, I just wanted to let you know I have replied back to you, it's waiting on moderators to check it.

Geoff.

[Scared91]

Hey possummagic25

yes it does seem like we have a lot in common ....

even if just knowing your not alone helps that’s good ... I know it helped me a lot the first time I went thru this ... the meditation app did help me a bit and they say fresh air and exercise is meant to be really really good also .. I found my medication was a big big help in helping me be able to get out of the house to do the other things that would help me get better at the same time and get on with life and be an active mum who wanted to do all the things mums wanna do with their kids ..

hope your our doing better today and everyday after today gets even just a. lil bit easier for you ...

i use to write quotes on my bathroom mirror like you can do this.

your stronger than u think

one day at a time

tomorrow is a new day etc etc

[Possummagic25]

Thanks for your reply Geoff. My thoughts are definitely my worst fears and are so far from being accurate that it frusterates me. But my psychologist has confirmed my fears/ thoughts and that alone has helped. Im lucky enough to have a very supportive husband and I share everything with him. The term anxiety is new to me, but my coping mechanisms are not. I have labelled as a long time sufferer, probably since my parents seperated when I was about 7. But I have naturally adapted and created coping mechanisms. So that makes it a easier, Im just mindfully adding some more to get me over the hill so to speak. As its all fresh to me, i am wanting to create my own support network, to alleviate some pressure from hubby. And also so I have somewhere to go during the day when im just doing the mum thing. I have more good days than bad. And its the bad days im wanting advice on. How to get thru, without getting overwhelmed. 😃 soph

[Possummagic25]

Quotes are a great idea! Im feeling confident that as the weather improves so will my mood. It has been a long grueling winter for me with constant illness with my boys. And the last 2 weeks have been super intense with myself falling really sick with sick kids and nieces to look after ( school holidays ) beautiful sunny days and great friends make me feel alot more confident in myself. And im thankful that I have more good days than bad. And a really great support network, now that I know whats going on. But in saying that sometimes the bad days can overpower the good. Seems to be a 2 day turn around for me. With my lowest point so far always co inciting with day one of my period. Do you find any correlation. I have had hormone inbalances before, that sent my haywire. So am kind of thinking that might b an issue as well. Thoughts?

[Scared91]

Hey yes the. Period thing seems to be a thing for me ....

this all started for me after having my daughter so mines a pregnancy hormone thing apparently .. I haven’t been tested for a hormonal imbalance as of yet 🤔🤔 how do u get tested for one ??

I didnt have my period period for like a whole year then they came back and I was all over the place ... and then this time I missed my period and then I started levelling out when i finally got it 🤔?? Is that a hormonal thing or not really ??