Loud Thoughs?

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I have bad health anxiety. I’ll start by saying that. Do any of you ever have loud thoughts? Not like auditory hillucinations, but just feeling like your thoughts are really loud. Or like when a song gets stuck in your head and you hear it really loud. Does that make sense? I don’t know if this is just something that happens to everyone or if it’s an anxiety thing. Of course I feel panicked about it and worry that I have some sort of other mental health disorder. But that’s probably the anxiety talking. I just tend to notice this when I’m really stressed. My thoughts are loud and kind of fast. Anyone have any thoughts about that?

[BlueIris]

I do - it can be terrifying, can't it?

I try to deal with them by applying basic mindfulness techniques - if my thoughts are loud or racing, I let them do their thing and try to pay no mind to them. They're only thoughts, and they can't hurt me.

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But this isn’t a sign of schizophrenia or something? Is it typical of anxiety? It feels really unsettling.

[BlueIris]

It's very typical of anxiety, yes - you recognise the thoughts as intrusive (and as thoughts, rather than reality) which I don't think happens with schizophrenia.

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Oh that makes sense. I think my health anxiety makes me worry about my mental health too. I work at a nonprofit and a client had a psychotic break yesterday, and ever since, I’ve been thinking “What if I develop that?”

[BlueIris]

You won't. What you've been saying here demonstrates you're way too self-aware. It's not surprising you're feeling rattled at the moment, but you'll get through this and come out the other side.

[ankietyjoe]

But this isn’t a sign of schizophrenia or something?


Not even remotely.

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I just hate how my anxiety creeps in. I’ll be feeling ok and then it starts. My health anxiety has been ok lately. Now I’m just feeling the general symptoms of anxiety without an identifying trigger.

[ankietyjoe]

The trigger could have been a month ago, or it could be you and your reaction to what are essentially benign symptoms. It's just how anxiety works. Just accept it's here for now, don't dwell on it, don't look for more sinister reasons for the symptoms and let it pass.