Mind racing?

[basics]

Normally, my anxiety will get worse the longer I've been awake. For example, in the day I am generally okay and try to do most of the things I need to do then. It is late evening when I will usually start to feel my anxiety, especially the couple of hours before going to sleep. Is this normal for anyone else?

Last night trying to get to sleep my mind was racing, but not of thoughts about my anxiety, but just completely random thoughts where images would also pop up in my head constantly. I would be able to see the images clearly and then they would change to something else even though I wasnt trying to think of anything.

I've read up about anxiety and that your mind can race but I thought that would just be racing about the anxiety.

Is your mind racing about completely random things normal, especially with images popping up in my head as well.

Thanks for any help

[EmmaJane]

Hi Basics,

I understand what you are saying. My anxiety is getting under control now as im learning certain techniqiues. It does take time and one of the last things for me to calm down was mind. I was exactly like you, especially at night or quiet times.

I found that my mind was either racing with random thoughts or it was so calm, that I forget things alot and have memory blanks.

Now and again, I find my mind racing with thoughts, but I tend to use oils and listen to a guided meditation CD.

Hope this helps

Take care

Feel free to PM me, if you want to talk.

Emma xx

Keep focused, keep positive.

[zena]

Hi Basics.

My mind can race at all times.
You should try and relax a little b4 going to bed if this is where your anxiety levels are at the worst.

My trick at the moment is to have a small bottle of beer about 8.00pm and then half an hour b4 going to bed to have a cammoile tea. I tell you it's the best night sleep I have had for a while.

Your mind can race for no reason...it's because the brain has no time to relax..if your not panicing your thinking of other things. Sounds confusing.....totally agree.
Try not to worry it's normal.
Hope this helps

with good wishes

Zena

[seh1980]

hi Basics,

I have the same thing. My mind races, mostly at night, with both thoughts and images. I always watch tv in bed because I find that this helps distract me..

Sarah :D

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[florence]

Hi Basics

I relate to that too...


<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">especially the couple of hours before going to sleep. Is this normal for anyone else?</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

Especially after a long day at work, my anxiety seems to rise just before bed time, I get over tired and cannot settle.
I get these intrusive thoughts and images just like you, I don't think its abnormal tho.
Take care.
Florence.

**Don't believe everything you think .**

[chucklehound]

i get the racing head quite a bit and yes random thoughts do happen quite alot.What i found quite helpful was reading or listening to soft music with no wrds. let me know how u get on any way. pm if u want
:D

c.jackson

[nomorepanic]

Hi Basics

Just wanted to welcome you aboard the forum and hope you get some help here.

You could try some relaxation tapes at night to try and get your mind to calm down and stop the racing thoughts.

Nicola

"Nearly all happiness comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open"

[basics]

Thanks for all the responses.

I normally watch dvds before going to bed to take my mind off it. In fact I dont know what I'd do without them. I watch them on my computer and if I have to spend a night without being able to watch films / dvds etc then getting to sleep can be horrible.

Regarding the racing thoughts, I was just concerned because I always worry that my anxiety is more severe than just anxiety. I read a lot about people worrying about heart attacks but I never worry about this. My anxiety is completely focussed around the belief that I am going to continue to deteriorate into a more serious mental health problem, predominantly schizophrenia.

A couple of months ago I became obsessed that it was only a matter of time, reading symptoms etc. Now I try not to think about it, but still get horrible anxiety when I go out to pubs bars or anywhere far from home. The worry is always in the back of my mind that things will get worse, and I can feel quite hopeless because any treatment for anxiety isn't going to prevent it from happening.

Again, I'm not really sure what help or advice I am hoping for as the fact is there is never a guarantee it isnt going to happen and it is just anxiety.

Sorry for going on so much. Thanks for your advice so far.

[seh1980]

hi Basics,

I think we all have different fears regarding out health. Mine is the fear of having epilepsy. No matter how much I tell myself that I don't, I still get scared sometimes. The more you tell yourself that you have nothing to be scared of, the sooner you start to believe it. You have to remember that it's just the anxiety getting the better of you..

Sarah :D

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[Gareth]

Hi basics,

I totally empathise with your worries about the anxiety getting worse and developing into a worse mental problem - this has been something that I have worried about, especially at the start. I have had all sorts of worries about having "brain damage". I also took some recreational drugs when I was younger and have had terrible thoughts that these have come back to haunt me in some way and I am damaged forever. These thoughts just aren't true - it is the anxiety. Some of the symptoms are so bizarre that we search around for easy things to blame, and madness and heart attacks are two very common things that people blame.

I have been having bad anxiety for 3 months now and still worry about my health, but not as bad as at the start. What you have to do is deal with each thought of "going mad" as it comes. Acknowledge the thought, don't ignore it, but say to yourself "that's just the anxiety talking" and then distract yourself by putting on a movie or getting up and making yourself or drink or something.

Finally, let me just tell you that anxiety has nothing whatsoever to do with madness. Anxiety is something your mind has learnt, in order to deal with having not dealt with emotions/stresses in a useful way in the past. It will take time, but when you learn to deal with emotions/stress in a good way, things will start to get better.

I recommend the "Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" by Edmund Bourne, which has a good holistic approach to dealing with anxiety.

Do PM me if you need to.

cheers,
Gareth



*** I think, therefore I'm anxious ***

[sal]

Yeah like you i cope with the days but the nights were the hardest for me and lasted a life time. I am better at nights now but know just yow you feel. I cant give you much advice as all i did was cower and wait until the morning but as time passed i realised that they did pass and i got through them. Hope that happens for you and if you need to pm me i am here to help you as know how hard it is.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[BiffodBee]

abso-flippin-lutely, my racing thoughts and random visions and such were one of the worst parts. once it would start then i would begin to think "i am totally confused, i don't know what's going on" and that would just spiral me out of control into a full-on panic. That is where mantras, positive imaging and so on come in, you have to break that randomness before it gets to the point of taking you all the way into panic mode.
another good book is the anxiety/panic workbook, it's a big book, a lot of helpful info.

Dan

"life's a garden, Dig it?"

[stimpy]

When your mind races it can race about anything.
It doesn't have to be anxiety related.

When I have end of the day anxiousness, I have a radio next to the bed that helps me to keep my brain busy while I am waiting to nod off to sleep.





Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx
With hard work and determination and all the things you know.
The world is there for you to take. There's nowhere you can't go.


[:p]Scatty Eccentric & 'Poet Laureate to panic and anxiety'

[basics]

Does anyone start thinking they can hear things when they are trying to get to sleep as well. Along with the racing images, sometimes sounds come into it. Sounds can be just a banging noise or the sound of an engine getting louder or even someone talking. The sounds only happen when I have tried to completely relax my mind in an attempt to get to sleep. If I am watching dvds and not trying to get to sleep then it wont happen, but you know how when you try to go to sleep you have to go into a different state of mind. Anyway, hope that's explained it. :S Sounds like I'm going mad.

[florence]

You're not going mad..

I think I can relate to what you're saying... Can you "hear" those sounds when you just drift off, almost reaching deep sleep? That's my case anyway.
Florence.

**Don't believe everything you think .**

[rubber]

hi basics, this happens to me sometimes and it used to freak me out so i looked it up on the net, i found a few articles which said its a common thing that happens when your brain is settling down for sleep. i think the sounds and images become more exaggerated due to anxiety.

[kate H]

Hi there,

Yes I too get racing random thoughts. My anxiety is getting better slowly but I find when I go to bed no matter how tired I am my mind just goes into over drive about totaly random things and I get all sorts of things flashing through my mind.

This sounds silly but I try to concentrate on listening to my breathing, its quite relaxing and sometimes it does work, it gets u into a rythem and does help to get your mind away from your thoughts. Hope this helps.

x

.......Is your past barging in on your future? Make a better 2morrow 2day.......

[Dave@28]

Hi Basics

I'm new to having panic attacks (this is my first post) and anxiety as i only got diagnosed about three weeks ago and am still recovering and my symptoms were pretty much the same, i was convinced i was going schizophrenic because of my mind racing and having random thoughts, to a state where i'd almost be having an argument with myself. I think its just the overdrive state that your mind goes into and i no longer think i'm going insane luckily i'm at the stage where i can almost laugh off these thoughts as ridiculous.

I still have alot of difficulty sleeping as my anxiety increases towards the end of the day, especially when going to bed. What ive found works is having a bath, a cup of hot milk and honey and reading a book for maybe 40 mins before going to bed.

Also type in "sleep health" on google and it comes up with quite a few listings of hints and tips to sleep better

Hope this helps

Dave

[phil06]

I am a bit like this at the moment. My mind worries about one thing then finds something else I need to worry more about and it can race round my head for hours.

I've convinced myself I have that much wrong with me In suppose I'm wasting my time as alot of it can be caused by anxiety.

[Liverbird67]

Hiya All

Thanks so much for starting this post basics the you have described my symptoms exactly only I get them when I am waking up or beginning to wake up, which is probably very similar to what you have this terrifies me and I have thought of all the worst scenarios that this could be I used to work in a mental health unit and believe me I can imagine all sorts of diseases and scenes. Sometimes I feel that I will lose control there and then and become mad or lose my mind and forget who I am etc (this is a classic symptom of panic attack)

Hope this helps.

Debbie

[Cat80]

My mind is constantly racing which makes me really tired (but I can't sleep) and feel really sick which then sets me off worrying so in turn makes my anxiety worse. It's a never ending circle.