Too Many Thoughts and Feelings - Feeling Paralysed

[ClassicExample]

I was discharged from a psychiatric hospital a few weeks ago for major depressive disorder. When I was in the clean, structured and encouraging environment of the clinic I was able to track and monitor my thoughts and feelings. Now I'm back in 'the real world' I feel like the physical clutter, the number of people I engage with in a day, and the lack of structure, is pushing me back to a place where I struggled to function.

I can think of all the things that I could do to get me out of bed, but I have thousands of ideas and millions of thoughts related to them. They race through my head so quickly and I can't seem to slow down and hold on to one. If I had someone to come in and patiently give me direction i.e. "Do some breathing...now pull your feet over the side of the bed" etc. - I would slowly be able to do it. But when left to myself, I can't.

Does anyone else experience these racing thoughts?
Has others had difficulty transition from hospital to living at home? 

[Doolhof]

Hi ClassicExample,

Welcome to Beyond Blue.

I am wondering if you have support, professional, family or friends since leaving the psychiatric hospital?

On leaving the hospital, were you given advice/guidelines/problem solving skills to take home with you?

Can you begin to form your own structure at home? You have already mentioned what you need to, "Do some breathing...now pull your feet over the side of the bed" etc. Can you write up these instructions on a piece of paper and then read them to yourself either out loud or in your own head and follow the instructions.

You could make a simple plan for each day with structure implemented. Say Breakfast at 8.00 Lunch at 12.30 and dinner at 6.00 p.m. and then include the things you need to do during the day so you form your own structure.

I'm not sure if there is any information attached to Beyond Blue that you could use to help you in this. You could speak to someone professionally for guidelines on how to set something up for yourself.

Concentrating on your breathing should help you to focus more on what you are doing and help reduce the racing thoughts.

Maybe you could look up MINDFULNESS and see if any of those techniques help you.

Hope this has been of some assistance. Others may have different ideas for you as well.

Cheerio for now, from Mrs. Dools

[Jacko777]

Hi CE,

Mrs. Dools has some great ideas CE. I agree that if you write all these things down when your mind is busy, you can get it all out without thinking and then go over it later. From all these ideas you can pick one and do it.

Practicing mindfulness and meditating should help you greatly. Meditation is training your mind to focus, that's what you want right now. You could start off with a little bit each day, say 10 minutes morning and night. Yes at first it feels difficult, your mind is busy, but it is this practice of meditation that will bring you results.

Lately I have been trying to make a few small changes each day, push my self a little further, baby steps are better than no steps right? If I want to have different outcomes I have to make changes, I have to do something. Today I made a few more steps which gives me satisfaction and gives me motivation to take some more positive steps tomorrow.

Keep us posted CE, you will help your self and a lot of other people with this thread.

[HA1]

Hi Classic Example

Practicing mindfulness while listening to relaxing music (forests, oceans) also helps against racing thoughts (I have found).  Getting out of bed and going for a slow walk and focusing on a particular sound in my environment is something I have find good.

Transition from hospital to home was a bit scary. I was actually given the option of signing up straight away for another stint or going home in the care of my nominated carer.  Sad to say I had to think long and hard.  But in the end, decided to go home. The hospital keep calling me at home twice a day t for a couple of weeks to make sure I was OK and that I found comforting. I too missed the structure of the hospital environment - knowing that someone would bring me food and medic and make sure that I finished both.  Knowing that someone was continually peeking in to my room to make sure I was OK. Apart from that, it was a difficult transition also with all the additional noises and activities going on at home - which I did not have in the hospital.  

Hope this helps

K

[geoff]

dear CE, I can't add any more advicethan what my good friends have said because it's something for you to look at.

What I would like to say, and it happened to me as well, is that when we are in a hospital either public but more so a private one we feel safe, there're no phones ringing, we don't have to cook, have few visitors and just follow a daily routine, so there is no pressure, but the one thing they neglect is that there is no real coping plan, sure they will try and organise what you could do but if you live by yourself or with family/friends who won't help you, then this makes it so hard.

I realise that funds and lack of staff are a problem, but what I would suggest they do is teach you what you could do while you're in hospital just a thought.

Please let us know how you are getting on. Geoff.