Rumination and intrusive thoughts

[feathermucker]

Does anyone else suffer from this, where you'll be just getting on with your day and thoughts of things that have happened occur that it's hard to move on from?

Very much so.
I find for example I'm ok pottering along maybe see some glass in the floor- then bang "you should slice your neck" "you're so stupid for not..." etc etc

Sorry to hear you're struggling
Do you have support?

Oh, I didn't mean in that particular way, that must be very distressing and I'm sorry to hear you're going through that.

I meant in the way that past conversations and situations that haven't gone well pop into my mind and I go over and over them. And analysing people's reactions.

I have the support of some very good people.

Sorry I've misunderstood didn't mean to derail or anything. Take care x

You haven't at all, please don't think that. It doesn't make your worries any less valid or important xxx

I've found a book called Managing your Mind really helpful. It's written by Gillian Butler and Tony Hope. It's a big thick book but is divided into sections so you can find the books which are relevant to you. It was recommended to me years ago, by my GP, who said he used it himself.

Find the bits that are relevant.....not books! 😐

Yes! I do this a lot. I have a few major regrets in my life (marrying exDH mainly) and sometimes I'll be pottering a long when a wave of sadness and "what might have been"s will wash over me.

I've started CBT and they talk about setting a specific time slot aside for worrying every day. So I've started using that technique for my unhappy thoughts. I literally tell myself, "I'm not thinking about that now! I'll think about that later." (Like Scarlet O Hara, lol.) It's helping.

Sorry you're going through this too. I used to call them "roundy-roundy thoughts" as they just play on a loop and take over your mind. I think intrusive thoughts can be a sign of depression.

@PurpleFrames - I get that sort of thing too! Won't go into it as I don't want to derrail but wanted to say that you're not alone.

Yes all the time. Had therapy and learnt to counter them. So every time one of these thoughts pop up I don't ignore it or engage but instead self sooth. Tell myself it's over it's finished ect. Sometimes works sometimes doesn't. When it happens more often i try and pull myself and think about what's currently going on in my life to trigger these memories. It's usually something.

Thus is great, thank you everyone!

It's nothing major in terms of what things worry people in general, but it's incredibly hard to live with.

Feel free to talk about anything, its not derailing the thread at all

Does it affect people's friendships? Mine's mainly centred around friends.

Thanks for saying @Olliephaunt4eyes how does it affect you?

@Moominfan what sort of things do you find to be your triggers?

I get really horrible intrusive thoughts about how I've failed and how bad I am, and often very specific ways I should kill myself. When I'm in a bad episode anything can set it off - I forget to take my shoes off in someone's house and they tell me to, and I'll start getting these messages telling me to burn myself alive to purge the world of me. Sometimes I'm reacting to rules no one else even knows about.

It's not a lot of fun.

I get the same thing @Olliephaunt4eyes. I never seem to stop internally blaming myself for every little thing. I've sat all morning thinking how much of a shit person I am and then get intrusive thoughts of very specific suicide methods. It's a really awful and inescapable situation that I find myself in almost every day. Why is the solution (in my mind) to every little slight always suicide? It's hard to bear.

Just when life's not going to well. Relationship problems with other people. Tired, stressed depressed ect. It's a pit to fall into. I feel shit/like a failure cause something didn't go well at work then here comes lots of memories that confirm those thoughts. It's a form of self harm. Instead of indulging all these thoughts I self sooth. Just tell myself it's over it's done. Nothing new can be found there.

Can I just say that when I get this, I picture the scene from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone where he flies to safety on his broom through a big heavy wooden door and it's slams behind him as hundreds of flying keys that were chasing him hit the door and are stopped. Slam the huge door on those thoughts

@Moominfan @Olliephaunt4eyes @PurpleFrames

I also experience those thoughts and difficulties. I do almost everything that I can to reduce them, but they still come.

I have improved because I used to hurt myself quite a lot while having those thoughts. The embarrassment of people seeing the bruises and marks keeps it in check.

I work very hard to maintain a facade that I am doing really well - but most of the time it is pretence.

I do what the thoughts/voices say, almost always. I find it very hard not too.

It's unreal to see you writing so clearly how my head works...!

Every single day !! It's ocd

Yes! Me, and I play conversations over and over in my head and panic I’ve offended someone, or I made myself look stupid. Even if I didn’t! It’s exhausting.

And I think it does affect my friendships. I’m starting to close off in case I say something stupid. Which is ridiculous.

Everyday and it's getting really bad. I obsess about a song , video or picture and can't get them out of my mind. Even what my children talk about with their friends, I get anxious that they are making a fool of themselves and play their conversations over and over in my mind. It gets really bad just before my period. Sometimes I totally zoom out , even when I'm driving and find myself not knowing where I was going.

Yes, it's exhausting

It gets really bad just before my period.

^^ this I don't make any life choices during that time. I'm an absolute mess then here comes my period.

Yes terribly. As a PP said, it’s OCD. I get intrusive thoughts and ruminate over things that happened 20 years or more ago. It’s very tiresome. I get awful health anxiety sometimes too.

50mg sertraline pretty much knocks it on the head.

Just following this thread. I feel a lot of what others have said, and I'm thinking of making an appointment at the GP either for medication and counselling or just counselling.