Developing control over your thoughts.

[Little Joe Gould]

I have a bad problem with my thoughts in my life; partly due to my bipolar illness. I get thoughts popping into my head that I don't want there and it happens constantly and it is tormenting sometimes. As the old saying goes, thoughts turn into words and words turn into actions, and if I was to speak of the things I think about or, God forbid, do them, I would go to jail. It feels as if an evil is brewing inside of me, but I don't want to give in, I want to fight with everything I'm worth. God judges a man's heart, and currently my heart feels wicked and dirty and I want to change. Any advice or book recommendations on developing better control over your thoughts, feelings, and emotions would be most appreciated.

 

[Rolling_Stone]

Trying to be happy assumes you are unhappy, and effort to be happy puts you in a feedback loop. Trying to control your thoughts is the same way. Paying attention to them makes them the master. Let them come, but that doesn't mean you have to pay attention to them. This will free your attention to focus somewhere else.

 

[Charity]

Are you sure that your medication is working? You may need to change or go to a larger doseage of your medication. How long have you been taking this particular medicine that your on now? Seriously your body may have built up an immunity to the med that you or on or the dose is no longer effective.

If you do have a doctor or psychiatrist they may be able to tell you a book that might help you. You might also try asking your pastor, some churches have a library or the pastor himself may have something that you could read. I believe you mentioned in another thread that you attend a Pentecostal church, keep up the prayer and Blessings to you.............

 

[koan]

What Charity said about checking your meds is a good idea.
When it comes to controlling thoughts, we can only control thoughts once they pop into our head.
When a thought arises, we have a choice on whether to allow this thought to consume us or ignore it.
There are several techniques for ignoring thoughts: Meditation; Chanting; and Mantra recitation. etc. After MUCH practice, ignoring undesirable thoughts becomes easier.
Another point to remember is, that thoughts are just that, thoughts. They come and they go.
When a thought pops up, try and remember that, even though it may last some time, eventually it will be replaced by another thought. Thoughts come and go.

 

[3.14]

there are a couple of effective ways to keep thoughts suppressed or controled but unfortunatly they damage the brain, meditation is the other end of the spectrum opening up your mind so much everything has equel say but this can backfire if someone twists your thoughts.

the best way to control your mind is to meditate then compleetly let your thoughs go and when you find an evil though suppress it or control it (this takes a while but it gives peace of mind)


ps. check meds dumping te same amount of chemicals into the body is never a long term solution only temporary lock

 

[ranjana]

i can only offer what works for me: when an unwelcome thought pops up, I just label it immediately. Its like talking yourself down. I just say "you are just a thought. You have no power. You are already gone." and then follow with an affirmation of what you are: "I am pure existence, pure awareness, conditionless, and free."
it has been of invaluable help to me to have a spiritual teacher, that helps you strengthen your clarity and strength. It is very hard to do this alone.

 

[Scarlett Wampus]

Hmm. I doubt I've experienced something comparable to bipolar so I'm not sure I should suggest anything. Nevertheless, you posted the thread in the Buddhist section so I can only think to post something Buddhist-y in response.

No one wants thoughts that torment them but everyone to a greater or lesser degree has such thoughts. There are all manner of things people do to stop bad thoughts but so much of what people do is like trying to stop a stream by pushing against it. Its so exhausting and even if you can block it for a while, it'll build up pressure and can threaten to burst through again.

Meditation, or just mindfulness in general, is not unlike reducing & directing the flow of thought through gentle means. Again, I don't know anything about practising meditation in the context of bipolar disorder but I imagine the mind feels very busy, very intense. As well as your meds you could try meditation also. It must seem very hard but instead of trying to control thought with brute force, relax. Relax and bring your mind to something simple like your breathing. Don't worry if it seems that's the last thing you can do, just try relaxing again and bringing the mind back to your object of meditation. That's pretty much what meditation is for the most part: relaxing and focusing the mind. The more you do this the less wily the stream tends to become. It works but it takes patience - likely especially so with bipolar.

 

[zenzero]

Friend L J G,
Friend ranjana surely has a good suggestion about psyching yourself.
Here let me say that THOUGHTs arise from the MIND. The mind has a natural tendency of keeping your mind occupied with thoughts and the whole objective of all religions are to STILL those thoughts.
How does one do that.
Firstly, the task should be to keep the MIND itself occupied with something so that it does not disturbs you and for that the best method suggested by Buddha is ANAPANSATI or Breath awareness. Be aware of your breathing going in and out and in between at all times. This will keep not only the mind occupied but get your energies to centre. to have contrl over your breathing which means control over thoughts and actions and that takes care of the effcets of actions automatically.
Love & rgds

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Developing control over your thoughts.

I have a bad problem with my thoughts in my life; partly due to my bipolar illness. I get thoughts popping into my head that I don't want there and it happens constantly and it is tormenting sometimes. As the old saying goes, thoughts turn into words and words turn into actions, and if I was to speak of the things I think about or, God forbid, do them, I would go to jail. It feels as if an evil is brewing inside of me, but I don't want to give in, I want to fight with everything I'm worth. God judges a man's heart, and currently my heart feels wicked and dirty and I want to change. Any advice or book recommendations on developing better control over your thoughts, feelings, and emotions would be most appreciated.

Little Joe Gould, it is my understanding that your experience is a transitional state of consciousness in the unfolding of deeper levels of being.
It is not something that 'you' can control (ie. the thoughts), since it is a psychic anomaly that will only ever eventually disappear as the 'higher' faculty of intuition develops. These 'impulses', forbidden 'urges/desires' etc., are welling up from the sub-consciousness, and are a 'spiritual' test.

You may be aware that within the Jesuit order, some carried sharp instruments in their pockets with which to inflict pain to themselves to try and control their body impulses. Other orders used self flagellation. Have you read about the torment of (St.) Anthony of Egypt?
If only Anthony and later disciples had access to the knowledge of India concerning Kundalini, they would have averted at least some of the misunderstanding as to what was behind the torment.

You may have read about the dangers of developing psychic powers, and it is well grounded, but through enduring meditation practice, the unenlightened state will eventually give way to a realization that is beyond dualist concepts such as male and female, tormented and tormentor, a psychic and psychic phenomena, etc..

In the mean time, it will be a difficult time, for as Jesus taught, "Enter though the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and easy is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and difficult is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

 

[Aupmanyav]

A simple method, thoughts arise when you give them time to arise. Engage yourself in something else requiring action and thinking, anything would do, gardening, carpentry, sewing, etc.; how about picking up a few more forums and posting in them? Or my favourite, sit-ups and push-ups . I would not suggest flagellation and I do not think it would work. Just remember, an empty mind is a devil's worshop.

 

[UnityNow101]

To a certain extent, we are ALL controlled by the thoughts which arise and subside from time to time within our mind. To undo this control is surely no easy task. I meditate to still the mind, yet still have rampant thoughts which come and go as the wind blows to and fro. We must not become attached to the thoughts which spring forth from our innermost being, as Ranjana said, and must understand that they are just that, thoughts which have no power of their own. Understand that thoughts usually arise out of a tumultuous state of mind that is not at rest with something, either of the past or of the future, hardly ever of the now. Thought is always in relation to the past, which looks upon the now, judges that past and also the future. You can either control your mind, or it can control you...

 

[zenzero]

Friend Unitynow101,

hardly ever of the now.

Thoughts are NEVER of the NOW.
So one needs to STILL the MIND to be HERE-NOW.
Meditation is only about that.
Love & rgds

 

[Ozzie]

I have a bad problem with my thoughts in my life; partly due to my bipolar illness. I get thoughts popping into my head that I don't want there and it happens constantly and it is tormenting sometimes. As the old saying goes, thoughts turn into words and words turn into actions, and if I was to speak of the things I think about or, God forbid, do them, I would go to jail. It feels as if an evil is brewing inside of me, but I don't want to give in, I want to fight with everything I'm worth. God judges a man's heart, and currently my heart feels wicked and dirty and I want to change. Any advice or book recommendations on developing better control over your thoughts, feelings, and emotions would be most appreciated.

If you try to develop control you will be running in the wrong direction bro'. You need to let both the thoughts and the control flow, then you will see what it is to be free of the torment of believing in belonging to your construct of mind.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Learn to not take your mind seriously. In time, you may learn to not only disregard what it has to say, but laugh at its ridiculous banter.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,
In reality,
None can control thoughts.
All that can be done is be aware/conscious/aware of these thoughts and like light dispels darkness so does awareness/consciousness/watcfulness dispels thoughts from arising.
Love & rgds

 

[koan]

Learn to not take your mind seriously. In time, you may learn to not only disregard what it has to say, but laugh at its ridiculous banter.

Who is it laughing?

 

[Women_Of_Reason]

I have a bad problem with my thoughts in my life; partly due to my bipolar illness. I get thoughts popping into my head that I don't want there and it happens constantly and it is tormenting sometimes. As the old saying goes, thoughts turn into words and words turn into actions, and if I was to speak of the things I think about or, God forbid, do them, I would go to jail. It feels as if an evil is brewing inside of me, but I don't want to give in, I want to fight with everything I'm worth. God judges a man's heart, and currently my heart feels wicked and dirty and I want to change. Any advice or book recommendations on developing better control over your thoughts, feelings, and emotions would be most appreciated.

Is your condition taken care of professionally?

 

[zenzero]

Friend Women Of Reason,

Is your condition taken care of professionally

Kindly do inform the type of professionals who offer services for Little Joe Gould's problem.

Love & rgds

 

[Women_Of_Reason]

Friend Women Of Reason,



Kindly do inform the type of professionals who offer services for Little Joe Gould's problem.

Love & rgds

Go ahead and try to answer that one yourself: Bipolar disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[zenzero]

Friend women of Reason,
Thanks for that info.
Never realized that these things are so complicated.
Thank you once again.
LOve & rgds