Please help with intrusive thoughts :(

[loops81]

Hi guys

My boyfriend will have been taking Cipralex 3 weeks this Saturday.

Since starting them his anxiety has got much worse which I understand is quite normal.

Our problem is he keeps having thoughts of hurting the people he loves?

Can anyone help? will this go? he is so upset :(

[jude uk]

Without knowing what he suffers from it is difficult to say. With most meds it does take time to work. It may be best for him to contact his doctor and relay his concerns.

[loops81]

He is suffering severe anxiety and depression x

[NoPoet]

Hi, if the thoughts have come on since taking the medication it's best to speak to the doctor. If these thoughts have been coming for a while, they are just another upsetting symptom of anxiety. Negative compulsive thoughts which horrify or distress us are one of the worst parts of anxiety but they are a known and very, very common issue. They're also caused by low self esteem in some people.

There is a great difference between thinking something and actually wanting or planning to do it. It sounds to me like he is thinking them (which is normal) but there is no way he would ever act on them. They wouldn't upset him like this. he sounds like a good bloke who is going through something frightening and confusing. Tell him that this is such a common part of the illness and millions of people go through it every day without ever hurting anyone.

In fact it's a positive sign that he can even discuss this with you. It might help him to talk to a counsellor who can listen to his fears and then help him put them to rest. Everything is going to be ok.

[elainey70]

Hi Loops,

It is a really distressing symptom of anxiety, it will go or at least he will become less afraid of the thoughts when he sees them for what they are, just thoughts. I think for me ,the thoughts started to becoming less frightening when my psych introduced the anti psychotic. I still get them but the difference is i'm not afraid of them. Reassure him, it will get better hang on in there. x

[Here2Help]

Hi, I suffered from a bout of intrusive thoughts. I found the following references very useful as they helped me to make sense of these thoughts. I hope they can help you to do the same.

References:
1. http://ocdzone.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/video-by-dr-phillipson-the-treatment-of-the-pure-obsessional-and-other-matters/
2. http://ocdzone.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/thinking-the-unthinkable/
3. http://ocdzone.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/rethinking-the-unthinkable/
4. http://ocdzone.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/when-seeing-is-not-believing-a-cognitive-therapeutic-differentiation-between-conceptualizing-and-managing-ocd-a-prelude-to-cognitive-behavioral-techniques-for-the-treatment-of-ocd/
5. 'The imp of the mind', Lee Baer (2001)
6. 'Overcoming obsessive thoughts', Christine Purdon & David A. Clark (2005)
7. http://www.theemotionmachine.com/how-to-disempower-intrusive-thoughts
8. http://www.anxietynomore.co.uk/anxiety_worrying_thoughts.html


Take care and best wishes.