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Anyone ever recovered from trouble with overthinking and intrusive ruminating?


[Li...]

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I'm not sure how to explain this one, but.. I notice I get stuck in patterns of "thinking about thinking," almost like a severe over-awareness of thoughts and intrusive worry/stress over it. I find myself having a difficult time forcefully thought stopping the worry and rumination. The only thing I've found that works is distraction and just kind of letting it run it's course, but it's really easy to get stuck in the stressful rumination and negative thought patterns. Before all of this crazy psych med induced anxiety and withdrawal, I was pretty easily able to just allow myself to ignore my stressful thoughts and move on.. But now they are so intense, I just get stuck in anxious thought loops and I'm unable to push them away or take direct control of my mind. Is this normal and is this something you recover from?
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Hello! I too had terrible looping/intrusive thoughts at times during my taper. Sometimes I just knew my thoughts were so loud that others could hear them. I am happy to report that it has gotten much better for me the last couple of months. I hope it eases up soon. 😊
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For me I always get stuck in an anxiety loop and it’s so terrible. What I do is completely ignore and distract with every drop of my will power. I watch videos on how benzos affect your brain so I can get into a new loop like “I’m going to be healed in no time” or “this isn’t me talking this is my anxiety talking”. If tolerated try watching YouTube documentaries something that you can fully put your attention into and have you thinking about that. It’s all about thought patterns.
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I don't try to ignore them anymore.  I let them come and go.  I focus on other things I want to improve about myself and this kind of crowds them out in a way and they become less noticeable or not so bothersome or worrisome.  I don't think I can do anything directly to stop them.  In fact, I try to be as "mindful" as I can of them now and all thoughts that come into my head.  I've learned that this is a good approach through meditation with others and CBT but honestly, the most helpful thing for me has been exercise.  It has given me new focus and a lot of great physical health benefits and the other very difficult things are starting to fall away now too.
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It's comforting to hear that this seems to be a normal part of the withdrawal for some. I don't know how much longer I can take this though. I can't get out of my head and I can't think or process correctly. Everything is lined with this awful confusion and I just can't stop feeling emotionally charged stress response with every thought. It feels like my brain is broken.
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When it was difficult for me, I found that talking to someone helped.  About anything - just something outside of my own head.  I had a habit of getting really into some TV shows and I would try to do that as a distraction.  It was a whole process but it worked and got me through.  Also posting here helped me.  Sometimes I would just walk around somewhere and walk past people, look at what they're doing and kind of ground myself in reality that way.  Take a shower even.  Do some self-grooming if it's not an obsessive thing.  Tapping when it got really bad or rocking myself sometimes.  Otherwise, I just had to grin and bear a lot of it.  What I would do was never enough.  Hope you start thinking more groundedly soon.  All the best.
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When it was difficult for me, I found that talking to someone helped.  About anything - just something outside of my own head.  I had a habit of getting really into some TV shows and I would try to do that as a distraction.  It was a whole process but it worked and got me through.  Also posting here helped me.  Sometimes I would just walk around somewhere and walk past people, look at what they're doing and kind of ground myself in reality that way.  Take a shower even.  Do some self-grooming if it's not an obsessive thing.  Tapping when it got really bad or rocking myself sometimes.  Otherwise, I just had to grin and bear a lot of it.  What I would do was never enough.  Hope you start thinking more groundedly soon.  All the best.

 

Has it gone away for you??

 

I deal with this also.  it's why I logged on just now - to post about this same thing.  It IS comforting (in a sad way) that so many others are dealing with this/these symptom(s), but it's also scary when I realize I'm only 9 months off  and some people are SO much farther off than me so I could be like this for a long time.

 

 

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[44...]

This is incredibly common during withdrawal, guys. I struggle with it literally all the time. But all those who've recovered say it goes away completely - awful as it is, it's a matter of waiting it out while distracting as much as possible.

 

Many buddies say they find this thread about intrusive thoughts helpful: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=118097.0 Know that it's normal in withdrawal, but it will definitely fade away completely in time.

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:)Hi Liveaboveit, I see you've gotten a lot of good replies on this.  I'm not sure if you're having these mind intrusions while performing (or trying to perform) other tasks, or when you're at rest.  Mostly, what the others have said is helpful.  Distract yourself.  Watch tv: on this, Laughter really is the Best Medicine :D.  Recently learned of a comedian, Sebastian Maniscalco..hysterical stand-up, not "blue" has several DVD's; clips are on youtube, talk on the phone, come here to benzobuddies, but also do try not to obsess over this; maybe set a timer (it is hard, b/c this is what you're life and very existence is revolving around).  If you can concentrate, read a good book on whatever subject you find enjoyable.  If this is occurring when you lie in bed trying to get some sleep-I frequently have the "Story of my Life" playing in my head as though a biographer is beside me, taking notes!  Who cares??! ::)  I put on music that I like, even if it's music I used to love to crank up the volume on...I just put it on a low volume.  I find this just as relaxing (and more enjoyable) than listening to "new age/spa" music.  I keep CD/alarm-clock radio beside me on night table and set it for 90 minutes.  I'm never still awake at the end.  Hope any of the replies you've received here are at least somewhat helpful :thumbsup:
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This was my main symptom during my Lexapro withdrawal, I was very frightening. But I call tell you 3 things that might help:

-its completely commun and normal part of the process

-it goes away completely with time

-and for me it was the last symptom before I was fully healed, so you might just be about to feel much better

Hang in there :*

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[cf...]
I have had these intrusive racing thoughts that drove me crazy. It is better but now I had these slow motion thinking instead. It will be better. I had these for a few months. But I have GAD and ADHD too so my mind is always buzy with crazy thoughts. For a long time I had severe ocd thoughts about me going insane and hurt my husband or myself...they are gone now. It will pass. And yes distraction helps  :angel:
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I'm dealing with this right now. It picked up right as the acute withdrawal began to ease up, and now it's one of the few things that reminds me I'm not out of the woods yet. It's pretty comforting (if sad) to read that it's common - and it gives me hope that this, too, shall pass.

 

Gwinna

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I feel like I would feel alright if I didn't have this anxiety.. If I didn't have these thoughts that infiltrate my head, I would feel mostly normal. You'd think I should feel happy about that, but the crazy intrusive thoughts and ruminations really control my life. I wish I could discover a way to control my thoughts or just get away from them with distraction.
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