Problem with thoughts

[jude]

Hello everyone,
its a while since I posted, but Iv been keeping track of everyones posts and my pms. Thanks for all my e-mails.

The question I have for you all concerns thoughts and unreality.

I seem to get periods of strange thinking. Its very hard to explain, but it feels as though my thoughts arent happening in my head. They feel different to the way I used to think.
The more I try to work out what is happening, the worse it gets until I dont know what Im thinking!

I often feel as if my thoughts are floating somewhere above my head. The concept of how we think actually scares me.
Does this make any sense?

When Im distracted, this doesnt happen, but when I try to think normally it comes back.

How can you ever get over this anxiety thing when you keep thinking this way. Is it just part of unreality, depersonalisation?

Any help please?

Jude x

Be gentle with yourself....you just need some time to heal.

[nomorepanic]

Hi Jude

Good to see you back again.

Try these previous posts as they may help ..

Thoughts : Lets try to keep our thoughts in perspective (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=283)

More thoughts : Mind Games (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1789)

Thoughts: obsessive thoughts & anxiety (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3096)


Nicola

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

[seh1980]

hi Jude,

I have the exact same thing. It feels like my thoughts are coming from somewhere else and that I have no control over them. I think that positive thinking is the way forward. Telling yourself over and over again that all will be fine can really make you start to believe it..

Sarah :D

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[tonyd45]

HI jude
Im glad you sent this post as i have felt or thought these things too,i was told to monitor my thinking and be wary of negative thoughts that may proceed an anxiety state but i ended up thinking about thinking,its kinda similar to when you get that thing about breathing,when you are trying to breathe instaed of letting it happen naturally,suddenly it becomes labored and i felt like i was screwing up my whole thought processes,it was very scary,the only thing that helped was to try and switch off and think of nothing or distract myself by reading or doing something i had to concentrate on,this was just a phase and it did pass and i believe it was just part and parcel of the depression/anxiety i was feeling at the time.

Tony d

[rene]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Hello everyone,
its a while since I posted, but Iv been keeping track of everyones posts and my pms. Thanks for all my e-mails.

The question I have for you all concerns thoughts and unreality.

I seem to get periods of strange thinking. Its very hard to explain, but it feels as though my thoughts arent happening in my head. They feel different to the way I used to think.
The more I try to work out what is happening, the worse it gets until I dont know what Im thinking!

I often feel as if my thoughts are floating somewhere above my head. The concept of how we think actually scares me.
Does this make any sense?

When Im distracted, this doesnt happen, but when I try to think normally it comes back.

How can you ever get over this anxiety thing when you keep thinking this way. Is it just part of unreality, depersonalisation?

Any help please?

Jude x

Be gentle with yourself....you just need some time to heal.

<div align="right">Originally posted by jude - 03 July 2005 : 13:43:17</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

cathy

[rene]

Hi Jude,

I am suffering from the same bizarre thinking at the moment. It is as a result of several stressful events in my life recently. It can be really terrifying to feel trapped in your own head, frightened of your thoughts and yourself. I have been here before, 10 years ago and I got better so I know I will not be like this forever. Distraction works really well, if you were really going mad then you would have no insight. Your brain is trying to make sense of the strange feelings and thoughts, hence you are questioning the meaning of life etc. etc. Your brain will eventually become bored with this process so the more you distract yourself, the quicker your recovery will be. The thought that you will be like this forever is keeping you in this state so positive thinking!

Good Luck
Cath

cathy

[melanie]

Hi Jude
i too get strange thoughts sometimes or at least thats how i explain them its as though they just pop in out of nowhere or i dont want to think about a scary thought but cant stop myself making myself think about it if you know what i mean. hope that doesnt sound too odd but cant think of a better way to explain it!
mel xx

melanie

[Meg]

Jude

**but it feels as though my thoughts arent happening in my head. They feel different to the way I used to think.**

Its true - you are currently not thinking in your old habitual accustomed way and your process of deduction, instinct and thought flow are indeed different whilst anxious.
This is because currently you are questioning and testing the validity and raision d'etre of everything.

I found when I really thought I was going off my trolley that doing some basic instinctual stuff really helped .
eg I am a girl of the 70's so an old album that I hadn't heard for years would go on - (I still have lots) and it always comforted me to know that I was still word perfect for the entire album- although I can confirm anxiety and panic do not improve a bad singing voice !

Doing my 2- 12 times tables also helped, both from knowing I still had a memory that worked as well as when I faltered I could still work it out.

I came up with 5 or 6 of these exercises which I thought tested all parts of my brain - memory - short and long term, logic, numeracy, literacy, reasoning, imagination etc and once I'd completed a set I was reassured that all was still well and functioning upstairs despite feeling awful - it usually then subsided again.

Does that help at all ?


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[Sue K with 5]

Hi Jude,

I suffer from exactly the same problem, I sometimes scare the hell out myself, it can even get worse when I look in the mirror and what I see is not who I feel I am, I believe this is all part of the way in which anxiety effects us.

I used to describe it as an outer body experience, but I believe the correct term is depersonalisation

I believe mined stemed from a fear of death from years ago, which is still a heightened fear in my life, and that fear has led to obsure and weird patterns of thinking which frighten the living daylights out of me, especially worse when I have to go out.

If I find an answer I promise you will be the first person i will tell, but for now, try to ride them, I try to do deept breathing exercises when I get these feelings and this sometimes helps reduce the anxiwety I feel when I have them

Good Luck


Sue with 5


scknight

[jude]

Thank you for your replies.

Im sorry you all suffer or have suffered this, but it does help to know Im not the only one this happens to. Its very difficult to cope with sometimes!!

I will try those exercises Meg. I used to recite my name address etc, but found that it doesnt work anymore. Im reciting them but not really thinking about it...too easy I suppose...doesnt take enough concentration.

Yes distraction helps a lot. I just wish the thoughts didnt come back as soon as I stop what Im doing.

Thanks again

I wish you all well, everyone here is so kind.

Jude x

Be gentle with yourself....you just need some time to heal.

[bluebottle]

Get out of the house Jude as much as possible. When your out wear a Walkman on low so you can hear it but not so loud it is confusing. When your at home read, read for Britain! Oh, and keep the radio on all day on Radio 2 or 4.

It won't last, I promise.

--
Blue -
"Your truth is better for you than someone else's. Just get to know what it is, so you can finally own it, and speak it."