What exactly is this?! 🧠

[ElizabethLittle]

Hiya,

I’m wondering if anyone can help. I’m 37 (nearly 38) and started sertraline for the third time nearly a year ago. In the past, it’s worked a treat but it hasn’t worked as well this time and I’m suffering from an anxiety symptom I’ve never had before. Rather than be physical, it feels more like my brain is slowly frying with the same looping thought and getting stuck in my head. The thought is literally worrying about the fact I’m stuck in my head (feeling anxious) but then because I’m worrying about the fact I am stuck in my head worrying, I can’t get out the loop. On the outside I’m perfectly fine and no one would know but internally it’s very different.

It sounds pretty benign but it’s really impacting my quality of life because I am stuck in my head so much, and it feels super intrusive even though the thought really isn’t anything at all. Even writing this down sounds quite mental 😂😂 I’m much better in the week with work but weekends I find quite hard, which is sad as it’s my time with my daughter and husband.

I’ve no idea what you would classify this as and how you’d move on from it? I don’t really have the physical side of anxiety anymore but this is incredibly annoying to live with! I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow to see if there’s anything hormonal happening that can be making it worse because it definitely peaks at certain times.

Any advice would be really welcome!

@headpillowhit I’ve considered it a few times but, honestly, just getting on 50mg is dreadful so I really don’t want to go up and face all the side effects again. Problem is, anxiety doesn’t really stop me doing anything at all, and sometimes I feel pretty great so I would love to try and learn to manage it myself but it’s almost become a weird habit? I’ve had therapy, had EMDR but this feels like a different type of breed of anxiety I’ve not had before… if dosing up was just a case of taking more and no side effects, I’d be doing it but I don’t know if it’s worth it with all the crappiness it brings!

I had this and my therapist thought it was a form of OCD

Sounds like an intrusive thought which you're then ruminating on. CBT can help you learn to deal with rumination. Maybe sertraline isn't the right medication for you though so see a doctor.

@howdydude yeah I’ve wondered a lot if it’s just an OCD thought! When I’m busy, at work, I won’t really have it at all, it almost has become a habit at certain times of the week! How did you overcome it?

Sounds like intrusive thoughts. There's a type of OCD called pure OCD which is only intrusive thoughts, no other symptoms. You could look this up and see if it resonates.

When this happens and I can’t stop my mind whirring I close my eyes and ask myself what is my next thought going to be - sounds odd but it seems to reset the whirring

@cupcaske123 thanks! I’ve heard of this before but they always list quite extreme thoughts, whereas mine is so benign. It’s also interesting I don’t have them in the week really when I’m busy at work and socialising. It almost seems to come on out of habit when it’s quieter days/my brain is threat seeking. Not sure if OCD would mean it would happen all the time? So, therefore is it just intense rumination?!

Either way, I guess the answer is just allowing the thoughts and trying to not to ruminate on it and not perceive it as a threat?

My therapist said just to be aware that's what it was so that when having cbt or whatever therapy you can recognise it. She also mentioned that some sari's are more effective for OCD. I'm on sertraline. Unfortunately I never was able to go back to her (v long story but covid related!) and haven't explored it again. I take sertraline but I should really speak to someone again to see if there's a better medication for the intrusive thoughts/pure OCD!

I do remember her telling me that OCD tends to be much harder to treat than generalised anxiety 😣😣

Things that might help are CBT, journalling, meditation, mindfulness, yoga and aerobic exercise. There's lots of info online.

I actually find a magnesium supplement helps with the intrusive OCD thoughts

Have a look at perimenopause symptoms, OP. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that you'd be starting now. I had anxiety in my 20s and 30s but peri anxiety is a different thing, it feels different to me.

Have a look at this video;

Yes, same! It’s hard to explain but this feels a different type of anxiety. I’ve got a women’s health appointment today - I’ve heard the merina coil can help. I’d love to go back on the pill to see if that helps but I had the occasional migraine on it so not allowed back on. Urgh!

Keep a close eye on yourself, things definitely started to go downhill for me in my mid to late 30s but it wasn't till I started hrt for other things age 45 that I realised my dry and sensitive skin was a symptom, as was my evening back ache, sensitive teeth and funny leg cramps as those things just went away. I had more classic symptoms too but they came later. The balance me menopause site is good. Heavier periods is another and any kind of increase in the amount you need to go to the loo, or more frequent utis or thrush. Basically anything you didn't get in your 20s. I was putting loads of stuff just down to age and every so often now I hit a lovely balance with hrt where I feel really well like I did in my 20s, it's amazing.

I found CBT and hypnotherapy both helped massively with this. Also meditation.

One technique I learned was to become aware of the thoughts and literally say out loud. 'I don't need to think about this' and send the thought away. And then repeat when it reappear a few minutes later.