What should you do when your thoughts won’t stop racing? How should one react when our minds are filled with speeding negative thoughts that make us anxious and fearful? There are a couple of things you can do, but perhaps the most effective thing is to tell your mind to just stop it.
Known as the “Stop Technique,” it is simply you yelling the word stop to yourself. Of course because this might make you look like you’re crazy in public you could also do this silently. Also, you may have to say stop! to yourself many times. It’s a very short mantra meant to affect change quickly.
There are variations of this technique but telling yourself to “stop it” is the root of them all. When I heard about this I was skeptical but it does work somewhat. I imagine that for it to work very effectively you’d have to practice it a bit, but it seems promising.
This technique is a kind of cognitive behavioral therapy used by psychologist to affect the negative thinking of their patients. So it’s not some crack pot thing I’m introducing here. The stop technique is not of course the only thing you can do to stop racing thoughts.
Racing thoughts can also be dropped kicked by simply and vigorously engaging your mind. When your mind is fully engaged it’s just harder for those thoughts to come to the surface and dominate your mood. Here is a short list of other things you can do to stop racing thoughts in their tracks.
1. Talk to someone or better yet to several people. Getting into conversation is perhaps the best distraction in the world. It takes a lot of brain power to carry on a good conversation and this could pull your attention to a single thing and away from the barrage of thoughts that have been tormenting you.
2. Read a book. This simple technique is useful because it tends to occupy your inner voice. So if your reading and following the story it’s much more difficult to slip back into other thoughts at the same time.
3. Writing. Whether it’s a journal, blog, or creative writing the act of writing will engage your mind and reduce the power of racing thoughts.
4. Physical activity. Things like running, swimming, basketball, weight lifting, etc engage your body which will eventually engage your mind. As your body becomes fatigued your mind will become more consumed by that than anything else.
Having racing thoughts can be disturbing and frightening because it creates a sense of being out of control. But having racing thoughts does not mean you’re out of control or crazy. It does mean that you are anxious and that your stress levels are elevated. Anxiety and racing thoughts just go hand and hand but it is manageable.
I sure hope it can be that easy. My racing thoughts, social phobia, and panic attacks are constant and so bad I’m basically trapped inside a room 24/7. I’m 29 and can’t work or even go in the grocery store. I stay up for 24-36 hours at a time and can’t ever sleep normally. I’ve been on 20+ medications in the past 15 years with 5-6 different diagnoses (GAD, OCD, bi-polar, depression, add, etc), but no one seems to know.
I just want to be off of all medications and strengthen my mind like people have been doing naturally for thousands of years before the pharmaceutical industry began. Things aren’t looking so hopeful though.
They are hopeful Will, but only you can find that hope. It starts with you making the decision to not live life anxiously anymore. It takes courage I know but the more you practice that way of thinking no matter how you may feel now, it will improve dramatically as you do it more and more.
I’ve done it without medication, and yes every once in awhile I will get extra stressed out and feel like panic is coming back but it’s more like an “echo” of panic than anything else. Since the day I decided I would no longer accept living anxiously it’s been getting better and better every day 😀
I was housebound with agoraphobia for months and dealt with Panic Disorder twice in my life; once when I was 11 and again at 24. I’m now nearly 26 and things are getting back to normal again. I go out with friends, I’m back in College and doing better than ever before, I try to get out of the house everyday, I grocery shop by myself now, I drive by myself now, heck my gf even dumped me and kicked me out of my house 2 months ago and I didn’t have a single attack.
I hope you get this message because hope and love are always there waiting for you bud. It’s hard to believe when you feel this way but I promise you it’s always there… we just need to re-train our brains to default with more positive thought processes.
For sleep, what worked for me is chamomile tea and valerian root tincture in a little bit of hot water… I would try and fight to stay awake on that stuff lol. It’s all natural so you need to make sure you don’t have any allergies to flowers (chamomile). Passionflower tincture also worked amazingly! You can buy them at health food stores. I also noticed eating more raw foods and reducing processed junk from my diet helped tremendously with anxiety. Food can alter our body more than you would believe so we need to feed it with nutrients and more natural things.
There’s tons of help dude I hope you seek it out… if anyone reads this it has helped me tremendously to look into Law of Attraction and Buddhism. I was completely closed-minded in the past and only believed in Science…until now 😀
im on the same page as you Will i just wish this stuff would go away everyday i feel like its my last man and i go to the doctor and they say nothing is wrong with me. i dont know what to do here . matt your insight is giving me hope i really am goin to look it the the laws of attraction and buddhisn but the problem is i have no idea what im looking for i just need this racing thoughts on and off sleep scheduele and scared to do anything to go away im on so many meds and there are helping once and a while but i need more than the meds and best case scenario no meds and back to normal ( which i dont even know how that feels anymore its been over 15 yrs of this) im 29 yrs old and i cant even enjoy my loving understanding wife 2 yr old amazing daughter and another baby on the way … these should be good thing but im just nervouse 99.9 percent of the time i feel a panic attack coming which i have been able to prevent the last few times but just knowing thats its coming is enough to scare me to stop doin anything and everything i would litterally cut off a finger or 2 just to live normal i cant go have fun with friends i cant work i cant sleep eat nothing normal i wish some1 who got through what i got through would just help me out i dunno what to do just goin on and on about the same stuff but thats what my life has become repetitive fear over mostly nothing. ok finances who doesnt stress about that everyone does and if your wealthy then theres something else to stress over what to do with the whole ocd agoraphobia panic disorder depression anxiety i have no clue but im making a change right now i have to fix it because the only thing in my eyes that is worse than this is dying and i dont wanna die and daily i question if im goin to just from this anxiety please if anyone has helpfull insight post for me please
thank you
Hey Nick, you’re not alone!!! I have felt that way many time with anxiety… too scared to want to die but not wanting to live anymore in constant fear. I highly recommend you look into the Linden Method and Abe-Hicks…it has helped me so much!
The problem I have found with panic disorder is that I will have racing thoughts about a million things and it feels like I’m too smart for my own good lol. I feel like if I could focus on just one thought amazing things would happen. It’s like I’m full of an insane amount of creative energy but I have nothing to direct it at so I use it to worry about illnesses that I could potentially have or get.
The doctors will tell you that you’re broken but that’s not true… the only reason you have panic and anxiety is because you (and I) took a negative idea (like illness and death) and thought about it long enough (feeling bad the whole time) that our brain and nervous system re-wired itself to be anxious and therefore brain chemistry was changed… but they will tell you that your brain chemistry is unbalanced and that’s that (true but you’re not broken!).
Basically you need to reset the anxiety levels in your brain by first learning relaxation techniques and then diverting your attention by choosing a hobby that you can focus a lot of attention on. In other words, you have to change your obsessions from inward (body) to outward such as learning to play guitar for example…something that takes up a lot of mental capacity. Generally people with anxiety have highly active imaginations…we are creative and need an outlet and when we can’t find one…….we internalize that energy and become creative in our imagination about what could be wrong with our bodies or if we are about to die.
I really hope some of this helps you because it really helped me and now I’m able to get out of the house and be on my own most of the time. Another author that really helped me was Dr.Wayne Dyer (Power of Intentions and Excuses Begone). The only way to get rid of anxiety is to acknowledge and accept that you created it…once you test this theory it becomes very apparent that you do control it even when it feels like you don’t at all. As awful as the feelings and sensations are they are just a response to the negative thoughts…it’s your body’s way of telling you to stop thinking the way you are…we just get caught up in the cycle of fearing that message.
The number one best thing you can do is learn as much as possible about the condition…like the fact that you’re not mentally ill and it is in fact reversible. The next best thing to do that really really REALLY worked for me was eliminating most of the processed foods and sugar from my diet (except for fruit) and drinking tons of water throughout the day. If you eat a lot of sugar it really does make the anxiety worse trust me… your blood sugar levels will be all over the place and will make you feel weak, tired, and nauseous.
Goodluck man, if you have more questions feel free to ask… your replies make it to my email inbox 🙂
Thank you both for posting. I have been battling anxiety on & off for 10yrs now & just had another “relapse” and your words have re-inspired me. Both of my sisters suffer too so I will share this with them. Matt you should write a book!
I was drawn to this page looking for relief from racing thoughts, and was surprised to see the comments turn to Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia. As a man who also suffered from this very thing and having spent plenty of time, energy and money on the couch, well to say the least I was upset that nothing was happening.. In the early eighties Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia became part of the public consciousness and I was able to find a sort of mail order therapy through an organization called CHAANGE (with two A’s)and ordered a sreies of tapes. I followed there instructions and after about eight weeks began to notice a difference. What I can say for sure is that after finishing, at least I was no longer functioning at 20%. It was a long slow recovery, and as I began this dialoge by saying that I was looking for relief, I am still recovering. I don’t know if CHAANGE is still in existence, and if not, I have noticed that there are other programs available that seem to be the same. Your not a coward, and if you keep on keeping on you will find some relief. There seems to be some pretty good advice on this page as well. Wishing you the best.
Thanks guys that does give hope it can get better. I’ll be spending the day or 2 in the hospital so this is going to be a real tough one. Had a mild stroke 3 days ago but was too afraid to tell anyone> And Man it sucks typing with 1 finger!!
Hey! One book I highly recommend is The Ultramind solution by Dr. Mark Hyman. Look for it at the library. It goes into different biochemical aspects of psychology not recognized by any major institutions. His website looks gimmicky, even the phrase itself does. However, if you look as some of the many points he makes in the book and look for published peer review articles confirming it you will see there is data which supports it. Anyways, the reason I am here is not because of negative thoughts but thoughts in general. Also, his book, although very complex, still probably oversimplifies the situation. Because there is no way to write a single book explaining details that are not well understood yet. Good luck.
By the way, the book has helped me tremendously but is obviously not a cure-all as I once thought it was. I now eat better and have more energy, just still have sleep problems. I also am not thinking of death constantly and hating my life as well, although occasionally these thoughts appear, they are no where near the level they were before. There is not much else I can really say though.
im back again 1 thing i would like to ask is how are you doin Will and what was the reason for your stroke??? and matt and mark im writing down all these books that you say to get but i have a book called “from panic to power” and i heard it was really good but i have trouble reading because my mind drifts as im reading i dont know if you guys have any help for that but i just cant stay on 1 thing in my mind at a time il be reading and half way down the page il be like what did i just read because of all the racing thoughts … anyways you guys are a big help just knowing its mental and not physical even thouugh it feels so physical at times and knowing that its not common but not that uncommon either its good to know im n ot the only 1 goin through it even though i dont wish it on my worst enemy it still helps knowing im not the only 1
and also matt where would i find a diet thats good for anxiety i had no idea that the food i eat helps or harms my disorder i would love to know what to eat cuz with the meds im on im geting fat as well lol but i wish that was my biggest problem
Hey Nick,
The best diet for ANYONE is the Paleo diet… there are many variations of it but stick with just eating as much natural whole foods as possible and don’t worry so much about the ratios of fats, carbs, and proteins… you’ll be getting plenty of proper nutrition just by eliminating processed junk 😀
A paleo diet is virtually lean meats, fruits, veggies, and a little bit of nuts and seeds… I know it sounds bland and boring but it really works well because it regulates your blood sugar levels and reduces stress hormones such as cortisol (which is known to make ppl gain weight). I stuck with it for a few months as best as I could and it made a world of difference… I slept better, my mind stopped racing, and I could focus more positively/clearly and handle stressful situations with much more confidence. This type of diet combined with exercise will regulate your hormones and you will end up feeling more balanced and confident.
If you check out Paleo… just be sure to stay clear of the maniacs (lol)… the ones who say carbs are bad… carbs are definitely good! But we need to eat proper carbohydrate foods from natural whole sources such as fruit and veggies. I would also stay clear from juice for a bit… since it has no fiber in it, it will hit your bloodstream right away and cause an insulin spike (which is what candy and white flour do) and it produces a “stress” response in your body (clearly not good for those of us with higher levels of anxiety to begin with ;)) That insulin spike from junk food is the reason we crash after eating because your body will now try to compensate for that immediate spike of energy and a flood of stress hormones will kick in to try and rebalance itself.
Hope this helps and makes sense… I would suggest reading a book called “Body By Science” by Dr. Doug McGuff M.D. (Emergency Physician). He writes about the importance of proper exercise and a more natural hunter/gatherer diet and how it effects our mental state and general well-being/ hormonal balance. It’s an excellent book and I have lost 60 lbs of fat and gained muscle just by doing what he said. 😀
Goodluck 😉
P.S. I was just recently officially demoted on my medical chart to being cleared of Panic Disorder (without the use of drugs) The only thing left for me to do now is re-train myself to think more positively… but all anxiety is gone and has been for several months 😀 I know all of you reading can do it too!
Matt,i belive yoga will be helpful in this regard… it will make one calm. it gives one positive & energetic outlook towards life and a great stress buster. it has helped me a lot to calm my nerves. various studies have revealed this fact. specially one can do ” kapal bhati, anulom wilom, bhramari pranayam, surya namaskar among others”. Name sounds difficult but IT Will be helpful. one can search for it on youtube & torrentz…let me know if any one wants help in this regard…
IT STARTED ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. I WAS PREPARING FOR SEMESTER PAPERS, DUE TO EXAM, SITUATION WAS ALREADY STRESSED.THEN I HAD SEVERE ARGUMENTS WITH MY ROOM MATE FROM TIME TO TIME WHO IS A WEIRED GUY.I TRIED TO REMAIN COOL BUT HE USED TO MAKE WEIRED COMMENTS & SUCH STUFFS. ALTHOUH THER ARE OTHER PEOPLE, WHO CAN NEGLECT OR AVOID THESE THINGS. THEY DON’T HAVE PROBLEM WITH IT. BUT I USED TO GET ANXIOUS, I WAS THINKIG ABOUT THESE THINGS ALL TIME(RACING TTHOUGHT), I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONCERAATE ON MY EXAM. EVEN EMOTIONAL BRAKE DOWN TOOK PLACE I FELT LIKE CRYING, WITHOUT ANY REASON, SOME TIME. THEN I CAME BACK TO MY FAMILY DURING SEMESTER BREAK…BUT STILL I WAS THINKING ABOUT HIM & THINGS LIKE HOW WOULD I FACE HIM & HOW WOULD I REPLY HIM. THINKING OF THESE THINGS MADE ME ANXIOUS, FEARFUL & EMOTIONALLY WEEK MISERABLE.I KNOW AVOIDING CAN BE A SOLUTION. BUT I WANT TO FACE IT, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A SMALL PROBLEM & ESCAPING IT IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY. WEIRED THING IS THAT IT IS INSIGNIFICANT PROBLEM, & I M NOT ABLE TO KEEP MY HEAD FROM IT. SHOULD I CONSULT A DOCTOR OR SOMETHING ??? PLZ TELL ME
I was on 6 meds and miserable. Stopped all. It is now 7 months later. I am on a whole foods/ plant based diet, but racing thoughts and unrelenting sadness still come back fast and hard, like a punch to the face. Have an appt. w/ new Dr. on 14th (I am bipolar) and will give lithium a try. I have been told I need to be on an anti anxiety or I will stroke out. I was finally able to curb my drinking so maybe it woudn’t be as bad as a year ago (?) anybody???
I too have had a life of anxiety & racing thoughts, self medicated with alcohol for many years. Am not good in conflict but always confronting things that really did not need to be dealt with! Big swings in career as I always believed i was getting anxious due to the job I was doing. Was prescribed 20mg Citalopram, stuck with that for a while but then realised it was just a cover up & wanted to deal with the actual demons. Stopped the meds about a year ago, keeping off the booze (mainly). Struggling to engage with the world tho, racing thoughts and fear of “getting it wrong” seem to stop me doing stuff. Interested in comments above about diet, thanks Matt! On the sleeping front I use a sort of a spin on transendental(spelling?) meditation. Think of a regular calming movement (I use waves lapping in & out on a beach) you tie your breathing into the motion of your chosen movement, like my waves. keep you movement simple but calm/nice (clock pendulum, table tennis players etc). Bit like counting sheep (if you know that one) but you do not end up with a massive number building up. This process forces your brain to only thing about one simple thing and you get to breath properly & hey off to sleep. Worth a try maybe, works for me.
Oh & Gaurav, very familiar with your need to confront & resolve things, trouble is it is usually a waste of time as the other person thinks differently to you or me and they can also become nasty bullies towards anxious people (without even knowing it!!!) so my suggestion is just accept that people think differently to “us” and they are dealing with their issues in their way, you could however say to the person that what they say upsets you.. Take care guys, think that seems to be the obvious solution I hear repeatedly, difficult for me as a people pleaser tho. Got to now decide what to eat for my dinner, that does me every day!!! that will be the perfectionist playing games on me!!
im back guys and good news and bad news good news is i found something that was workin for a bit its a website i visited not to long ago and took a stress testobviously i tested through the roof its called calm clinic and theres a thing on there called the triad technique you have to pay for it all the steps and excercises but its worth checking out just giving u guys a heads up … bad news is im still racing some days and good other days problem is this week was a bad 1 but before this week when i was dooin the excercises on the cpu i was feeling better but when i felt better i started goin outside doin everyday activities and kinda strayed off of my program now im bak stuck in the house light headed nervouse panicky and stressed out goin back to square 1 trying this stuff again wish me luk and also do any of you get dizzy when you walkk im just in a cloud all day long its so bad man
thanks for listening
this is very intreasting iv had problems most of my life and its bloody allfull not wish it on anyone its hard to carry on some days with how powerfull it is faults that everone is agaisted me talking about me thinking what others are thinking its bloody allfull some days its so over powering i cant stop it befor it gets to powerfull i would not wish this on any one its drove people away friends away just allfull
Stumbled here with a racing thoughts search.. You guys/gals seem to have done or are still dealing with demons I am all too familiar with. I found the posts helpful and touching. I will research the suggestions and try to apply the positive. Really just wanted to thank you all for sharing and caring. Good luck to those who suffer and cudos to those who are winning the battle.
I think that anxiety is brought about by unresolved stress. A great way to relieve stress is to use music therapy. Music therapy is a drug free method. A course that explains the benefit of music and sound therapy is Soothing Stress Relief Sounds Course.
Anxiety and stress can have other meanings. I suffered for years because I had over controlling parents. i was brought up a catholic and that caused me huge difficulties with guilt. Being a surfer and having travelled to many places in the world I was also into guitar and just about everything else that was exciting. I was never allowed to do everything I wanted but i got a lot done. I have had massive experiences sober and fried. I love all good things but i always suffered from anxiety. I believe since I reached my full potential I have suffered less. You must be afraid to grow. I remember a surgeon saying that to be afraid is good . If you are not afraid then you cannot focus. It needs to be controlled. I hope this helps you all. I still like looking at metal videos of Ozzy Osbourne to make me happy and big days at Pipeline in Hawaii. I am remembering when I was young and growing It was hard then too. I used to be nervous about speaking in public because I was shy. I dont have the same fear. I now fear dying though i got a glimpse of that once so I am not as afraid anymore
Recovery International meetings are one of the best things you can do for anxiety. It is cognitive beh. method in an older format. They have a web site. Just google Recovery International for meetings and method information.
Hi, im 23 and ive been suffering from abnormal anxiety for several years now. I just want you to know that you’re doing a great job. You’re voice and intonation alone is very relaxing. Hope you continue what you’re doing. Take care. -Jon from the Philippines.
I have no problem in sleeping. I sleep on time, But thought keeps running on my mind whole night. When i get up i feel very tired and lazy keeps yawning whole day Pls help…….
Hi my name is manuel I been where you guys are racing thoughts feeling unreal, negative thoughts that are uncontrollable. Going all day like ur dreaming and I just relapes 3 weeks ago and there it was again im going on a trip in. Eek and just want to enjoy it. After feeling anxiety for three days I went straight to the doc. I didn’t wait
these time around I went throught it on time for about a 1 and a half years straight all by myself and don’t remember when it went away. U just have to keep goin with life don’t let the feeling of anxiety bring you down keep going with life and yes its not easy but can be done. It actually got so bad for me in 2009 I had to admit myself into a hospital because I thought I was goin to loose control and hurt my self or love ones. And that a big no no. On this time around I seekd for help asap and what has work for me is respirdone and lorazapam. It will not go away over night it takes courage and being strong. You can do it!
I can’t stand it, its horrible. It’s not usually an everyday thing but it still scares me. I get thoughts of suicide, my mind telling me to break up with my boyfriend and it just really irritates me. I cry alot because i just want all of it to go away. i was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when i was 17 years old. I’m 22 years old now, and still going through it. i feel like i can’t even live my life. i just wish one day i would wake up and it will all be gone.
Try these, choose your pick; there’s no harm trying :
1. Be mindful of the racing thoughts, hold the remote in your hand, channel them, bundle them, veering off away from you and rocket them into the blackhole.
2. If they return, let them be uplifting, inspirational, affirming, soothing thoughts – have the quotes from your favorite authors, the Bible; project them on the wall of your mind as though they are being written, one quote at a time, listening to it as though spoken to the soul, reflecting and absorbing it in mind, heart and soul. You do not have to accept the next quote until you have realized the first quote or you may not display the next one at all, there is no compulsion.
3. Taking hold of any sound or syllable you like, it could be the name of a person, place, idea, object, name of God, reciting the Rosary, murmuring the names of God on the beads.
4. Relax your muscles, breathe rhythmically, drink plenty of water, listen to soft soothing music, have a bubble bath and surround yourself with people who encourage you.
5. Have a hobby and smell the flowers and have a choclate or two sometimes.
6. Practise meditation
I’m hoping some or atleast one of these activities help me. I’ve had bipolar, anxiety/ panic attacks and these racing thoughts since I was a teenager. they get so bad to the point I loose track of time and it’s like I’m literally reliving moments, good and bad. No matter what I do, I’ll slip into one, and will continue to have them in whatever I’m doing. I’m definitely going to try some of these activities. I’m also glad to see that I’m not alone.
this is the 1st time i visited this web. i’m really happy that i’m not alone. i thought i’m the only one who’s suffering from this. because i haven’t seen anyone in person with the same condition. Sometimes when i’m walking outside my home, then this racing thoughts comes in, i sort of like collapsing or losing consciousness. afraid of losing consciousness in public suddenly falling down on the street and someone will rob you of your wallet, celphone, and other valuable stuff. when in the office, i sort of can’t focus on someone talking to me. i tend to look elsewhere while he or she is speaking.
I had nerve surgery on my foot 7 weeks ago and the recovery is very slow. I am currently depressed, can’t sleep at night due to racing mind. Ambian seems to work once every other day for the past 4 days. I’m a single father of two boy and I need help bad!
my name davon i have been going thew alot of what you guys has been saying every since i stop drinking and smoking newports and gettin high i have not been my self i keep having racing thoughts that sometthing going to happen to me i went to the hosp also they told me every things is fine i also have the shakes my body be feel tight mouth be runing feeling like i have to throw up but nothing comes up im thinking im having withdrawals but just dont know i drink green tea raw nothing in it i go for long walks take nice hot showers cant sleep at night be up all night long at times i dont be talking but i hear my self talking in my head and my thoughts at times scare me to the point i be like no no i dont wanna drink or get high just lone me alone dont know whats wrong with me i dont go out much i stay in the house trying to finger out whats wrong with me my head always hurting i just keep saying stop just stop please i just wanna relax at times i hear my self laughing screaming n crying but i dont be doing nothing of the above im hoppin what i read today really helps me go threw this if anyone have any advice for me please feel free to share them with me i really could use all the help i could get at this [point and time
Hello everyone my name is skyler and im 16 years old, the problems started in july,when i started looking into scary stories the stories i read into were slenderman, nightstocker, and smile.jpg they really terrified me, even though i knew that they were all fake and made up they put me in a dark feeling mood that i couldnt shake off, like i usually did whenever i got something on my mind, but after about a week the moody and dark feelings went away, and i was ok again for about 3 or 4 weekss, but then one day i ran into another scary story/picture, it was the exorcist and it freaked my out so bad, after that day i became really paranoid, and sad, i couldnt shake these scary stories/bad thoughts off my mind, later on i gained extreme stomach pain,loss of apetite, paranoia, ect. but as the weeks went buy i began to feel better physically, but mentally i wa still messed up, after i started seeing a therapist and started being open bout all this to my family, i started to feel good again, but then i ran into a screamer online and it messed me up again.. so i was back at step 1, as the days whent on i starrted to heal myself, and felt good, but then one day i whent to my friends house and they played this scary game called sonic.exe and that scared me, and dropped me down a peg, now i know what your thinking, JUST STAY AWAY FROM HORROR STUFF, its really hard to do, but i can and from now on will never go near anything horror again, i just cant handle it, but thats not all, ive been having racing thoughts just never ending thinking, and when i try to stop thinking i get headaches and feel like i cant keep a straight mind, and even though ive gotten alot of support and been told by many people that all the scary things ive read are not real, they still appear in my thoughts daily, sometimes im just like “PFFT WHATEVER” and other days im like ” AHHHH” i just dont know what to do, ive been seeing a therapist, and ive been doing yoga,meditation, and deep breathing exercises, and sometimes they work, but other times im just scared of my own thoughts, because i hate having nonstop thoughts, but when i keep a clear mind, its like my brain refuses it and pushes random crap & jibber into it, ive been told that only i can help myself, but sometiems when i start to feel good, the memory of how long ive been feeling like this “3 and a half months” comes to mind and i start to feel like crap again, i feel like i can never return to my normal self again, becaue ive already been like this for 3 and a half months, and that once im like this, heres no going back, but i refuse to let that happen, and am trying my best to heal myself, but its not working, whats wrong with me? and what else can i do?
Hi, I just found this site.
I read Will’s post and it is exactly what I am dealing with (being told I have several different things) but no fix. The past few days I feel like my brain is racing so fast and wont slow down until i finally manage to fall asleep.
What should i do, it’s starting to drive me nuts.
hi joanna i just found this site too. im 44 now and ive had bad anxiety ever since i can remember. most of my adult life ive dealt with it with drugs and booze. smokin dope made it espically bad so i quit the substance abuse and that has helped me alot. it has taken me my whole life to finally deal with this exercising eating right and also taking time for some deep relaxing. i feel so much better than i did. it is a very slow process though and has alot of ups and downs u will have to be patient and keep reminding yourself you are a work in progress i do not feel i am compleatly healed and i dont think i will ever be but working at making myself better is to me a lifestyle and after a while it has actually become enjoyable of course everybodys different. i cant believe i am actually writing this its something there is no way i would have done a couple years ago maybe theres hope for me yet. exercise eating right and deep relaxation those are the keys but you have to commit it cant be just halfass its gotta be full. i sure hope this helps it helps me just to write it bye.
Sounds like me …
Hey Kate
Dont worry, it will go away. Just calm down and make your bucket list and keep doing what you want to do. One fine day, everything going to end, not a big deal. Set your goals, set which are your goal, which you want to do. And work upon. Laugh out loud. Talk to your loved ones, tell them how you feel. Speak to someone you trust and get encouraged. Engage yourself. Find the things which makes you happy, read,write, movies, outdoor games. Be happy, life is really not that complicated.
This website is a wonderful tool, for another one check out my blog https://anxietyannex.blogspot.com/
me too
So sorry for everyone’s pain dealing with
anxiety/depression. I have been battling anxiety since I was a child….didn’t
realize it until I was a teenager. A little bit of my health history: I was
diagnosed with Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS at the age 14, began having
gastritis at 19 and gained nearly 100 lbs. in a year (at the age of 20). At 21
I had my gallbladder removed. At the age of 21, my anxiety became so bad that I
would stay up all night worried that if I fell asleep I would die! My poor husband
(boyfriend at the time) would chase me up and down the street because I would
just have to get out of the house and start pacing because I felt as if I was
going crazy. Eventually I had to drop out of college, my sophomore year and
almost lost my job. I tried multiple medications during the years: anti-depressants,
Xanax and finally Clonazepam (at the highest dose possible) mixed with Benadryl
did the trick. It wasn’t until I realized I had to stop the negative thoughts
(that I was going to die, or that I would run out of money, or become a failure
or my boyfriend would leave me, etc.) that I finally got rid of the
constant panic. I prayed the ultimate prayer, that Jesus would take control.
And I gave him full control. He took all of my burdens and gave me the strength
to literally stop these thoughts in their tracks. I eventually went off all
medications, God had led me to my miracle drug, prayer and walking, about 1 to
2 miles per day (and I wasn’t skinny…it wasn’t easy) but I craved it after a
while. It was like taking a magical pill that slowed my mind down and allowed
me to stop to smell the flowers! Since all of this, I have gotten married, had
two kids (1 yr. and 3yr old) bought my own home and have taken 1.5 years of my
BA while taking care of my children. Because I the economy and our economic
hardship, my racing thoughts have been crazy once again. I recently, after five
years of not taking any medications, have begun taking Xanax at the start of
racing thoughts and it is helping me get through this stressful time. Although I have to resort to medication, it is in my best interest physically and mentally (as long as I don’t rely on it solely for my sanity). There is hope
for people who are going through the trials of anxiety. I am proof! I am now 28 and in control of my life (or should I say God is) and living life tinged with anxiety…but a life that has grown more enjoyable after all of the trials of anxiety.
thank god i was a genius to know that i also have this anexity i had this thought when i was a child when i was 5 years i was thinking like nothing and i cant stop thinking still its giong thorugh me and i still cant stop thinking when i read a book i understand everything in the book and after that i thinking what happend to the boy who died in the book when i play any games like basket ball i feel like to eat the like thinking wether its a giant orange!! plzz help me to get rid of this thing plzz
My 14 year old son runs Into my room in a panic like three times a year saying he can’t stop his brain. And he sees this and that and all so,fast. And he can’t remember what he’s seeing. But knows it’s things from his life like a certain face or food. Is this anxiety panic attacks? It’s crazy.
Hi Faye,
There is a big difference between thinking you might see something (anxiety) and seeing something that others do not see (hallucination). It would be helpful to ask your son if he actually sees these things vs thinking about these images in an uncontrolled manner (racing, etc). If you suspect that he is actually seeing things that are not there I would have him professionally assessed.
Hi
Racing thoughts originate in a tendency to think obsessively. Mostly find its route in fear and anxiety. When the anxiety is high, the mind starts churning out these thoughts really fast and we feel like we are going mad. Plus there is very little concentration, memory problems etc. The best method I am aware of (and have practiced) is Anapana meditation. It helps us focus on breath instead of thoughts. It is very very powerful. The idea is to first become aware of those high speed thoughts and then use awareness of breath to move away from them. So move away from the mind- into the body while bringing the mind into the present.
If you are curious just search for videos on Anapana. Of course doing it for 10 minutes if not going to help of you are suffering from high racing thoughts. You need to put a lot more effort. There are 10 day meditation courses on Mindfulness meditation- Vipassana (discovery of Buddha) taught for free (or you can donate something if you like) where you practice the technique of Anapana continuously for hours for the first 3.5 days. I know this to be the most beneficial and effective technique ever. Check out https://www.dhamma.org for courses.
I strongly recommend.
Best wishes
Hi all,
I am so glad I found this site. I have been going crazy these past few weeks. I have had GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) for 7 years now, and every year since, something terrible has happened in my family. Someone has died either from a physical illness or suicide, and it scares me to no end. I become depressed for a few months at a time and become afraid that I will actually go and kill myself (I have a huge fear of death) and from that, I panic. I have racing thoughts about it. When I don’t feel depressed, I know that I am going to be okay and everything will get better, and that excites me, but when I am depressed I can never convince myself that anything will ever go back to normal. It’s very back and forth. I’ve tried quite a few different medications and I have bad reactions to them all (except for klonopin[clonazepam]). I’m going back to a therapist within the next week to try and overcome these crushing feelings and racing thoughts once and for all. I hope everyone is doing well!
What’s the difference between a vivid mental image of something you saw or experienced versus a hallucination? It online y happens with anxiety.
I’ve found that exercise is the main thing that helps me with racing thoughts. Once my body gets warmed up and the juices get flowing, I think it diverts blood from the brain. Of course, the racing thoughts always come back, but it’s a nice reprieve. Otherwise, I try to find activities that work well with those racing thoughts like writing, cleaning, or getting really absorbed in a project.