Managing Your Thoughts

[The Sum of Awe]

In the past I made numerous threads about this already.


I have mildly disturbing thoughts. Mainly they're about death, something painful (falling down stairs, head hitting cement, breaking my bones...,)

and the less disturbing but annoying ones are just words that i have to repeat in my head, or it just doesn't feel right. usually "black" and "outside".

It feels like they aren't my thoughts they just come out of nowhere as if somebody is putting them in my mind.

To get rid of them temporarily I shut my eyes tight and repeat to myself "shut up" over and over again until they're gone. But they come back always.

Thing of it is I feel real awkward with shrinks, they take their time like they're supposed to but I don't have enough patience for them. Besides, I wouldn't be sure what to say. Just go up and ask "can i set up appointments with a counselor"? It wouldn't be too bad but it'd be really awkward for me. I don't like to show my emotions around people outside of the internet

Is there a way to manage your thoughts? Maybe I was thinking some sort of meditation? I'm pretty layman about that practice. Could I even get it to work if my mind is noisey like it is?


Thanks for reading/answering

 

[dave_]

In the past I made numerous threads about this already.


I have mildly disturbing thoughts. Mainly they're about death, something painful (falling down stairs, head hitting cement, breaking my bones...,)

and the less disturbing but annoying ones are just words that i have to repeat in my head, or it just doesn't feel right. usually "black" and "outside".

It feels like they aren't my thoughts they just come out of nowhere as if somebody is putting them in my mind.

To get rid of them temporarily I shut my eyes tight and repeat to myself "shut up" over and over again until they're gone. But they come back always.

Thing of it is I feel real awkward with shrinks, they take their time like they're supposed to but I don't have enough patience for them. Besides, I wouldn't be sure what to say. Just go up and ask "can i set up appointments with a counselor"? It wouldn't be too bad but it'd be really awkward for me. I don't like to show my emotions around people outside of the internet

Is there a way to manage your thoughts? Maybe I was thinking some sort of meditation? I'm pretty layman about that practice. Could I even get it to work if my mind is noisey like it is?


Thanks for reading/answering

What you describe seems like obsessive compulsive disorder.It's treated with antidepressants.If you need a quick fix you can take ADs.I was taking one but it made me feel like i am soulless so i quit it.You can also try to analyse your thoughts or you can meditate which i think is also some kind of psychoanalysis.

Tell your shrink about the way you feel about them.I mean being impatient with them.Maybe you don't think they can help you.I've been to many of them and the only way they can help is if you are open to them.

 

[dave_]

Your thoughts seem to be about death.Somehow we have to accept pain and death.I am also looking for a way for it.Buddhism is very helpful for that.Not just meditation.Read general topics , sutras or basic books.I was very into buddhism but i don't want to give up my desires to decrease my suffering.I am looking for other ways.If i can't find one i will devote myself to buddhism.

 

[Nietzsche]

What you describe seems like obsessive compulsive disorder.It's treated with antidepressants.If you need a quick fix you can take ADs.I was taking one but it made me feel like i am soulless so i quit it.

On the flip-side I'm on an SSRI-AD(Sertraline HCL) and it's how I function. Psychiatric meds can be either really effective or just terrible.

I have mildly disturbing thoughts. Mainly they're about death, something painful (falling down stairs, head hitting cement, breaking my bones...,)

and the less disturbing but annoying ones are just words that i have to repeat in my head, or it just doesn't feel right. usually "black" and "outside".

Errr...what exactly makes any of those unpleasant?

 

[Laika]

I've had violent thoughts (suicidal and a lot of anger problems) and it can be really discomforting. I understand why you don't want to see a counselor because you probably feel it is wrong to think/feel this way in the first place, and I found the same that talking to people online feels 'safer' than talking to someone face to face. anonymity means you can have more disclosure.

I think the best thing you can do is to learn to respect them as they are trying to tell you that something is wrong. there is nothing wrong with you, but that they are a response to something that is 'out of balance' and is putting you on edge. it is a compulsion and is therefore linked to anxiety over expressing your true emotions, so wanting it to go away will make it worse. Accepting them is the best place to begin, as hard as that may be. The thing to remember is they are just thoughts; they aren't real. so long as you know that you aren't going to hurt yourself or others, you should forgive yourself for feeling this way. In my case, it comes down to the fact that my parents are somewhat abusive, emotionally distant and have really bad boundaries. Consequently I stored up anger issues because they just expected me to 'take it' because they never saw anything wrong in their behavior. the 'violent thoughts' really was my feeling angry and turning it onto myself. because I felt angry, and had been made to feel ashamed and afraid of my anger, I didn't want to open up about it and so didn't want to see a therapist. I've started to learn to express my anger and my emotions in more healthy ways so its more spontaneous. doing so has meant the violent thoughts have become much rarer. this has taken a long time mind you.

the only time I've visited a therapist was when I doubted my own judgement and felt I couldn't handle what was going on- but honestly, it was rough and I would have preferred the company of good friends to a therapist any day.

 

[dave_]

On the flip-side I'm on an SSRI-AD(Sertraline HCL) and it's how I function. Psychiatric meds can be either really effective or just terrible.

I was taking Paroxetine.I had opened a thread here about it.Looking back now it really worked.Now i can get up early , study long times.It was a life saver.Soon i have to start a job , if things got hard paxil is my plan B.

 

[dave_]

Perhaps it was all me paxil making me soulless.

 

[Tumah]

In the past I made numerous threads about this already.


I have mildly disturbing thoughts. Mainly they're about death, something painful (falling down stairs, head hitting cement, breaking my bones...,)

and the less disturbing but annoying ones are just words that i have to repeat in my head, or it just doesn't feel right. usually "black" and "outside".

It feels like they aren't my thoughts they just come out of nowhere as if somebody is putting them in my mind.

To get rid of them temporarily I shut my eyes tight and repeat to myself "shut up" over and over again until they're gone. But they come back always.

Thing of it is I feel real awkward with shrinks, they take their time like they're supposed to but I don't have enough patience for them. Besides, I wouldn't be sure what to say. Just go up and ask "can i set up appointments with a counselor"? It wouldn't be too bad but it'd be really awkward for me. I don't like to show my emotions around people outside of the internet

Is there a way to manage your thoughts? Maybe I was thinking some sort of meditation? I'm pretty layman about that practice. Could I even get it to work if my mind is noisey like it is?


Thanks for reading/answering

We are the ones who empower our thoughts. If we give note to them, then this reinforces them and we think them again. Sometimes, we might have a fleeting yet disturbing thought. Normally, we would ignore it and eventually forget it. But in the case where it is disturbing to us, we might pay it undue attention and this reinforces the thought to occur again (perhaps under similar circumstances). Learning to let fleeting thoughts fly by, with the understanding that its ok to have them and they are powerless so long as we don't empower them, might help you in this.

 

[Typist]

Is there a way to manage your thoughts? Maybe I was thinking some sort of meditation? I'm pretty layman about that practice. Could I even get it to work if my mind is noisey like it is?

Great thread Sum of Awe, well done.

While you are understandably concerned with your own situation, this is an issue which effects us all to one degree or another, thus, great thread topic.

To answer your question, yes, there are simple exercises which if pursued with some patience and diligence can help manage our thoughts. Not perfectly, but much better than doing nothing.

Here's an analogy, doing situps. Situps are a very simple exercise, but success with them depends on doing them pretty regularly over a period of time. Success does not come in a few days, but it does come if one is patient and sticks with it. Managing thoughts works much the same way.

The bottom line question for all of us is, how much do we want a flatter stomach, or a quieter mind? If we truly want it, and are willing to pay the price tag, we can probably have it. If we don't truly want it, probably not.

If you want to discuss simple exercises we can do so here, and you will find many other places on the net to learn such things.

If counselors and simple exercises just won't work for you, there's an over the counter herb called Kava Kava, but it's not legal everywhere, as there are some health concerns.

Can Kava Cure Anxiety?

As is often the case, it's usually better to avoid drugs if possible. On the other hand, if a busy mind is causing us more problems than the drug would, perhaps it can be considered. As usual, it would be wise to discuss this with a doctor if you can.

 

[DawudTalut]

In the past I made numerous threads about this already.


I have mildly disturbing thoughts. Mainly they're about death, something painful (falling down stairs, head hitting cement, breaking my bones...,)

and the less disturbing but annoying ones are just words that i have to repeat in my head, or it just doesn't feel right. usually "black" and "outside".

It feels like they aren't my thoughts they just come out of nowhere as if somebody is putting them in my mind.

To get rid of them temporarily I shut my eyes tight and repeat to myself "shut up" over and over again until they're gone. But they come back always.

Thing of it is I feel real awkward with shrinks, they take their time like they're supposed to but I don't have enough patience for them. Besides, I wouldn't be sure what to say. Just go up and ask "can i set up appointments with a counselor"? It wouldn't be too bad but it'd be really awkward for me. I don't like to show my emotions around people outside of the internet

Is there a way to manage your thoughts? Maybe I was thinking some sort of meditation? I'm pretty layman about that practice. Could I even get it to work if my mind is noisey like it is?


Thanks for reading/answering

Peace be on you.
Maybe useful
"Images of death or other horrifying events"
Homeopathic Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Anxiety & Homeopathy. - Dr. Sayeed Ahmad


Curing Your Anxiety or Depersonalization—How to Defeat Your Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts

 

[The Sum of Awe]

On the flip-side I'm on an SSRI-AD(Sertraline HCL) and it's how I function. Psychiatric meds can be either really effective or just terrible.


Errr...what exactly makes any of those unpleasant?

As for the mortal thoughts, it's not that I'm afraid to do. Instead I face the reality: Die before a loved one dies and break their heart, or outlive loved ones and myself suffer unbearably. The bad thing about dying isn't nonexistence, it's losing the most important people of your life.

I am supposed to keep the family name going but I have trainwrecked my future to the point of no return.

Pain is self explanatory. And the words are only unpleasant because they happens so often. Even if I'm concentrating on something else, they somehow come along and distract me. You'd think that concentration of other things would prevent them.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Is there a way to manage your thoughts? Maybe I was thinking some sort of meditation? I'm pretty layman about that practice. Could I even get it to work if my mind is noisey like it is?

A meditation like this might be worth considering: Introduction to lovingkindness meditation | Wildmind Buddhist Meditation

But I'd also recommend getting a professional view.

 

[Baladas]

I have struggled with severe anger, depression and anxiety for years.

The most effective treatment I have found has been a combination of medication and meditation.
In my case at least, I would be lost without the medication.
Without it, I can rarely silence my thoughts enough to reach a deep meditative state. I have done it before, but only with tremendous concentration.

There is no shame in seeking out help for one's ailments. Whether they are physical or mental.
It took me too long to realize that, and I lost a lot that I didn't have to.

Best of wishes to to you.

 

[psychoslice]

I have schizophrenia, and have also had simular experiences as you, it maybe a good thing to see your doctor first, there are wonderful medication out there that may help you as it did for me ?.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

There is no shame in seeking out help for one's ailments. Whether they are physical or mental.

Indeed. Things have improved but there is still sadly a stigma attached to mental illness.

 

[psychoslice]

Indeed. Things have improved but there is still sadly a stigma attached to mental illness.

So true, if I had a heart condition instead of a mental condition, people would feel more for me, not that I want them too, but just saying.

 

[JFish123]

In the past I made numerous threads about this already.


I have mildly disturbing thoughts. Mainly they're about death, something painful (falling down stairs, head hitting cement, breaking my bones...,)

and the less disturbing but annoying ones are just words that i have to repeat in my head, or it just doesn't feel right. usually "black" and "outside".

It feels like they aren't my thoughts they just come out of nowhere as if somebody is putting them in my mind.

To get rid of them temporarily I shut my eyes tight and repeat to myself "shut up" over and over again until they're gone. But they come back always.

Thing of it is I feel real awkward with shrinks, they take their time like they're supposed to but I don't have enough patience for them. Besides, I wouldn't be sure what to say. Just go up and ask "can i set up appointments with a counselor"? It wouldn't be too bad but it'd be really awkward for me. I don't like to show my emotions around people outside of the internet

Is there a way to manage your thoughts? Maybe I was thinking some sort of meditation? I'm pretty layman about that practice. Could I even get it to work if my mind is noisey like it is?


Thanks for reading/answering

Your not alone my friend. I and countless others have faced this very thing, even far worse then you. So you are not alone. I don't know of what faith you are, however as a Christian I can tell you those thoughts are not yours. Those controlling thoughts telling you to do this or say that or bad things will happen are of the devil. It's not uncommon. And you CAN overcome them.

This is a sermon titled " Conquering the Mind" by Repenting Heart Channel on youtube. They have a lot more videos you can choose from that will help set your mind at ease.
Also this book helped a lot

You can probably find it on amazon.com or check a local library
Jesus Christ came to deliver you and set you free, which includes your mind. A personal relationship with God through Jesus will start the process of cleansing your mind from those thoughts as it did with all of us. It may take time but God will do it with you and for you my friend. The Good News is you WILL be Set Free because as it is written...
"Therefore, if The Son (Jesus) makes you Free, You shall be Free Indeed."
- John 8:36
The best thing is to put Your name in those verses. So say...
"Therefore, if Jesus makes (say our name) Free, (say your name) will be Free Indeed."
This video will tell you about Jesus some more if you don't already know

Becoming a born again Christian and to have that relationship with God, you have to pray a prayer of repentance, confessing to God that you have sinned against Him, that you will turn away from your sinful life and follow Him, trusting in His son Jesus and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior who died for your sins. Amen. Do this believing in your heart (God knows) and you will be saved. Continue to grow after being saved by reading His word, the bible, (I'd start with The Gospel of John) and praying. And find a church to attend with other believers to grow as well. Remember, God is a God of Peace. And He will set you Free by trusting in Him. I'll be praying for you as well my Friend