silly ideas or obsession

[poppy]

hi,
I realise how strange this must sound but for years now i have had the same persistant thought that i am going to go mad or develop psychosis. Does anybody know if anxiety can lead to this? also i avoid things that trigger the thoughts and somebody told me that it could be an obsession, i dont have any rituals though. I have had anxiety for nearly 6 years and the thoughts for about 4. Finally i sometimes feel spacey and unreal i have been told that this is common in anxiety too but it just fuels the idea that i am going mad.
Does anybody else feel this way?
Does anyone have any advice?
Sorry to go on
thanks
Poppy

[Piglet]

Poppy,

It sounds like straightforward anxiety to me.

I have read in lots of places and Meg has already said this too, that anxiety does not lead to madness. They are completely different processes so you can get rid of that worry straightaway.

Take care

Love Piglet xx

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[Quirky]

Hi Poppy,

Piglet is right, you're not going mad or likely to go mad. Anxiety doesn't lead to madness. Anxiety and true mental illness (psychosis etc) are different things and not related. If you were going mad you wouldn't realise it yourself or be aware enough to ask if you were. If you are mad then so are most of us here! Feeling unreal and spacey is a common part of anxiety, I've had that in the past, it does pass. Thinking the same thoughts over and over can be part of OCD (according to my CBT therapist) but it's nothing to worry about. It's also natural to think these things over and over just due to anxiety. Once you understand what's happening more you'll stop having so many worrying thoughts.
Take care, hope this helps,

Lisa

[Jabz]

hi poppy,

i also have the unreal, spacey feeling on almost a 24/7 basis. it is a little disturbing, and frustrating at some points, but i just let it do its thing, its not like i cant do anything with it present.

[andrew]

hi poppy,

i think 'thinking that you are going mad' is a pretty common occurance with anxiety sufferers and has even got its own phobia name. i certainly remember truley believing that my brain wasnt working properly but now realise that it was just the anxiety totally scrambling my thoughts.

im not sure if it is an obsession although like anything you can get obsessional about it, ie. continually analysing all your thoughts for 'signs' or spending ages thinking and researching about it.

im pretty sure that ive read that anxiety isnt a mental illness and not likely to cause one. and search for derealisation / depersonalisation, it might explain the spacy feelings.

general advice, talk about your thoughts and feelings, try and stay positive - tell yourself your not going mad. keep yourself busy especially with things that interest you.

anyway you take care .. andrew

[Meg]

I'm new!
http:// http://www.nomorepanic.org.uk/lounge...?TOPIC_ID=1299
Madness
mentally ill?! worries
Its happening again !


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 ?