INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS
Do you have them?
I have.
[NOTE: I thought this might be a good subject to raise. I have met several who have disturbing intrusive thoughts. Fortunately there are therapies available. Help can be found. Read the last section (written by a therapist) for some examples.]
For a few months, years ago, I imagined that they were indications of a mental illness. They could be. In my case they weren’t. They are a common problem for those going through stress. When the stress reduces, so do the weird thoughts. Should I mention that some of my better writing have their beginning in intrusive thoughts? I remember my dreams (at least for a while) when I awake. Strangely or not, sometimes I can direct my dreams WHILE dreaming. I often can turn a scary dream into one with an interestingly sane twist. It is, however, difficult to rest well while doing so.
I’m not going to tell you about my dreams or thoughts. They were … troubling … but they were not about causing violence toward anyone, even myself. I still have some, mostly strange dreams which degrade my rest. On those days I awake tired.
Sometimes the thought reoccurs and makes even less sense as each mental event happens. I have written about such in my short story called “Fool of Dreams.” You can read the first chapter of that story HERE. His dreams led him to search himself. He found they were pushing him to change something. It turned out to be a pretty good story about finding oneself and included a love story of sorts.
Going back to when I was under undue stress, I sought the help of a doctor. He placed me on a medicine which now goes by a different name. I have spoken to others who have taken it and they did not experience what I did. It increased my anxiety. My thoughts which had been somewhat circular were then intensely circular. I could not go to sleep until I wrote down my entire thought progression, then I could tell my brain that I did not need to think about that issue anymore. Thankfully I wasn’t on that medication very long. Also, I found that when the stress factors were reduced my problem decreased as well.
WHAT TO DO?
Well, if you are having troubling intrusive thoughts you could see a therapist. Some therapists use a Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) model. If you change your relationship with your thoughts you change the dynamics of the issue. That’s nice.
However, sometimes its just one thought and you might be able to solve your thinking patterns by merely using a relaxation technique, or using Melatonin to allow better sleep. Deeper rest reduces fatigue and gives power back to your life.
Of course, if the thoughts are about harming yourself or others you really should seek help.
I know people who suddenly feel “normal” soon after they begin medication. That would be a great feeling, right? They remember how they felt as young teens, but something changed around the time they became adults (like a switch was thrown). The medication gave them back the peace they once had. Their brains obeyed again.
AND NOW A WORD FROM AN EXPERT … (the following is by a Marriage and Family Therapist and written specifically for this post)
Intrusive thoughts of past embarrassing situations, present stressors, or fears about some future event plague many people. For example, something you did or said that you regret evokes a sense of self-humiliating foolishness, even though others in that situation probably did not feel it out of place or offensive. Current stressors such as making a major decision can also bring unwanted thoughts, especially when the stakes are high. Finally, fear of a worst-case-scenario like blowing an interview for that job you’ve always wanted, or of illness, aging, or loss. However, reducing the effects of such mental self-defeating behaviors can be learned.
One tactic involves stopping it in its tracks, as you would any type of intruder. Some people find it helpful to mentally or verbally command the thought to STOP, even giving a loud clap to increase the likelihood of breaking the pattern. [See the 6-minute “Bob Newhart Stop It” video online for a lighthearted model of this concept.]
Another strategy is to focus in this place, at this moment. This means diverting your thoughts to physical awareness. What do you see (a passing car, the dog chewing a toy), hear (rain on the roof, the washer/dryer running), taste (the soda you drank or peanut butter you ate), feel (tight shoes, soft blanket), and smell (cookies baking, candle burning). This takes but a few moments and can also interrupt the thought pattern.
A third remedy for intrusive, troublesome thoughts involves expression of correlating emotions through writing, drawing, painting, or dance, especially since there is no wrong way to do them. Personal, subjective expression can be a powerful and healing tool.
Finally, healthy sleep hygiene can stave off low moods, poor decision-making, impaired cognition, impulsivity, damaging responses to situations or other people, as well as intrusive thoughts. (Oh – and don’t eat crackers in bed! Doing so could result in collywobbles or nightmares of head-to-toe wool pressing against your skin.)
Certainly not all remedies for intrusive thoughts are included here, but these can get you started.
[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere.
ALSO, Don is always open to offer his thoughts on various topics. If you have a specific request, you can let him know in a comment; he reads – and replies to – them all. ~ Sherry]
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