Intrusive thoughts how to take the power back?

[anitagreen]

Hi wondering for people that deal with intrusive thoughts, or stuck thoughts that you fear how do you let that go? And stop worrying about it. My fear is horrible and it's been going on about 9 months now and some days it doesn't bother me but other days it'll pop back in and just irritate the life out of me my chest is so tight with anxiety now I can't stand it.

Thoughts are not real. They only become real when they are believed. You will also notice that thoughts don't hang around. The thought you had 2 weeks ago at 8.00 am in the morning on a Tuesday has gone. Ask your self where is that thought now?
Don't keep hold of thought and the thoughts will move on....

@noego that's really good advice I think this thought bothers me so much as it's constantly on my mind and I'm always searching to see if I believe in it etc.

The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are in your own thoughts.
Be mindful of the bullying mind and just replace it with something else. An inspired piece of writing, an inspired piece of music, a walk in nature, a smile of knowingness that it cannot harm you. It will pass.

I hope it does, it's just been going on for so long now I'm constantly having it pop into my head it's so hard to seperate this thought from all other thoughts as it feels scarily normal now to think about it as it's been going on so long x

I meditate so my mind doesn't complicate my life

The goal of meditation is not to control your thoughts. The goal of meditation is to stop the thoughts controlling you.

Label it (as rudely as you like) and when it pops up say to yourself oh look it's that X thought again - wave at it and decide to do something else, not do unhelpful thinking. Noticing and labelling are the first steps.

I take the anti psychotic Aripiprazole 25mg for Psychosis symptoms & as an added bonus my intrusive thoughts have mostly gone!

I did feel that they weren't my own thoughts & were coming from somewhere else as they were very distressing.
I had the same horrible thoughts from age 15 to age 40. Shocking that I put up with it for so long. Last year I finally told someone- my psychiatrist- and he was very non judgmental & helpful.

But definitely the meds have helped.

It's just so irritating it all started when I read this article I've posted so many times on mumsnet for help to get over but it drags me down so much it really does annoy the life out of me because I spend so much time worrying about it, and I just don't know how to stop worrying about it.

I think maybe see a gp about it, sometimes once you discuss thoughts in real life they become less bad

@anitagreen

Have a look at this video OP.

Depends on severity and I'm going to sound nutty but I've found it helpful trying to change the ending of the thought to something slapstick / ridiculously over the top funny. So if I'm worried about the dog jumping into a swimming pool (ridiculous example but trying to think of something that's not going to trigger you) then I'll allow myself to go with the thought not fight it but imagine him doing synchronised swimming. I'm not saying I find it or anything else I conjure up actually funny, its more making the situation ridiculous, anyway in the past its taken some of the pain out of the thoughts.

I suffered from intrusive thoughts for about 2 years solidly. It seriously almost drove me to the brink of suicide it was that distressing.

I started exercising to get out of my head for an hour which also helped me sleep (I could barely sleep where my thoughts were that disturbing). I found the exercise and resulting sleep gave me the strength to start challenging the thought.

I started to imagine myself internally shouting NOPE! As soon as the thought came. And then I'd imagine myself screwing it up like a bit of paper and throwing it in the bin.

I don't know the nature of your thoughts but I absolutely know that you can one day move on from them. You just need to practice. Our brains build pathways all the time, you're stuck in this thought at the moment, but you truly can train your brain to start skipping over this thought until it no longer has a hold on you or an emotional reaction from you. Stop feeding it. Don't let the thought play out. Grab it and stop it in it's tracks and force yourself to think of something else. Perhaps the words from a song or doing the alphabet backwards.

for you as it's a dark place to be but I promise you this is not forever if you start practising what I've said above

I should add that I can't remember the last time I had an intrusive thought now. Being so in control of my thoughts has been truly liberating as I use all the techniques I used back then, to curb even slightly negative thinking now. I honestly feel 16 again, so free and happy.

I acknowledge the thought before sending it on it's way, it's really helped with my catastrophising x

I had CBT which really helped me and I really recommend 'At last a life'-Paul David. It has helped me so much.

Have you fact checked it? I argue back in my head and then find facts, to logic them back.
Exercise. Really good.
Going to films.
Allowing it not fighting it, but getting on with stuff, like housework with music.
Although for me it’s anxious thoughts, not sure whether these are classed as intrusive.

@truefriends that is a wonderful story, that you went from feeling so bad to feeling so free.

The immediate reaction of people to intrusive thoughts is to fight them. By fighting them, the fighting creates conflict. Conflict within the mind.
To accept thoughts as just thoughts and accept that they are not real and come and go is a reality check.

Imagine if you lived next to a railway. After a while the speeding trains going by would be unnoticeable.
The trains are your thoughts. As you get used to them just coming and going without the conflict they are just there on the periphery. Not really causing any disturbance.