Anxious thoughts: Images or words?

[charlotte83]

I was just wondering if anyone else is like me. Most of the selp help books I have give examples of anxious thoughts as phrases, like "I'm going to panic I know it" and phrases to counteract that with such as "It is just anxiety, it will pass". I find it hard to help myself because most of my anxious thoughts occur as images in my mind, like I will picture myself standing in a shop panicking, like a visual moving image in my head.
I tend to think like this generally alot though I do think in words as well but I think very much in pictures and images more often.
I'm starting to wonder if I am a bit odd and am the only one that does this?

Posting a poll to see what comes up!

Also, does anyone else find that when they are highly anxious they can be quite agressive and snappy verbally towards people. I find that if I'm very stressed I can snap at people and keep telling them they don't have a clue what its like, I suppose I feel angry that they can feel normal and I can't :(

[june]

I can get a pain and think the WORST and mentally follow it through to ultimate horror:weep:

[NoPoet]

Very interesting topic. Since my anxiety got out of control a few weeks ago I have started having proper internal dialogue with myself. My anxious thoughts are now mostly coherent sentences rather than images or impressions.

[goingmadder]

My anxiety is purely negative thoughts ...like my brain talking to me and asking me questions which cause doubt which pose more questions which cause more doubt and eventualy ends in phrases like I am not worth, i am evil, i dont deserve him, he deserves better...

I was doing really well but suffering a set back triggered by some negativity on my partners side.. Not his fault at all but i think we both suffer from the safe thing so when he tubbles I try to be strong and pull him back up, after a few days i weaken and tumble down too.. Thats where i am at the moment..

So much doubt and confusion running riot in my head.

To sammy and anyone else with images, perhaps a way to counter the images is to introduce a new character, be it a person or animal or even an object. So when you see yourself standing in a shop having a PA, conciously remind yourself that its an image, its your own image and then imagine someone you love or trust walking on to the "set" of your image. Imagine them just standing there next to you perhaps with a hand on your shoulder or holdingyour hand, telling you everything is going to be ok, that you can change the image if you want to and you can take them with you to another place like the park and just keep imagining yourself walking away from the shop or wherever the PA is occuring in your image...

it might take some practice but worth a shot...

I hope everyone finds a way to be peaceful

love to all

[melody]

my anxious thoughts are words, but picturing or drawing images helps defeat the words. Those images are full of happy bright colours & free flowing movement