Best way to over come intrusive thoughts

I had issues with racing thoughts and my head just never switching off. I made peace with this though. I know longer have racing thoughts but I never really switch off. I think since having kids I'm always thinking of what I have to do next for them, part of parenthood I guess. I found mindfulness, audio books, music, any kind of background noise helped me slow the racing thoughts down a bit. Also practice allowing the thoughts to come and go but not pay them any attention.....it's hard but the more you try the less frequent they become as your brain begins to slowly give up when you pay it no attention.

Anything is worth a try to get back to feeling yourself again I believe!! 😃

alchohol in excess, just doesnt mix with anti depressants, gave it up years ago. had a good few years finding out. its the hang overs that last for days afterwards, quite extreme. one night, each drink i had made me more depressed. think it might have been what people call drinking yourself sober. think the intrusive thoughts are when your dose isnt quite enough. if it happens more often, see your dr about a small increase, like 5mg. also think its something to do with thinking inwardly too much. for me, reading helps with this, it forces you to concentrate. fiction helps, as you create images, get lost in the story. helps with concentration and relaxing. if i havent read for a bit, its really hard concentrating at first, if you persevere, it gets easier. sort of brain training, to switch off over thinking, and improving ability to think and focus outwardly. its important to find something where you lose yourself in a good way, to switch off from worrying.

CBT and citalopram has worked a great deal for my intrusive thoughts, they still rear their ugly head but i can manage them far better now. I have found though if I'm down or anxious they return 10 fold. Knowing how to deal with them (CBT) and minimising those bad days is key for me. Have to agree with the alcohol. Its like bashing your head with a hammer and complaining you have a headache. The medication simple doesn't work. There it is trying to aid your serotinin levels and the other stronger drug alcohol is doing the complete opposite. I too battled with this for along time, i wasn't an alcoholic but i liked a good drink on a Friday and Saturday night. What happened was a vicious circle, it took days to feel half decent after the weekend and then id poison myself again at the weekend. The majority of the population suffer from bouts of anxiety and depression, most others though just have a bad day or two, for people like us it can have a very negative impact on our lives. A/D's hugely reduce the frequency and severity, also exercise, healthy living and CBT. I'm a complete cynic, therapy sounded like a load of tosh but i got a good therapist and was really surprised, it certainly helped me. I know it sounds tough and harsh but the alcohol is a short term escape but we all know whats coming the next day and more, it just puts off the inevitable. You feel worse, you drink again and on you go. You wont find any anti depressant thats going to work, bumping up the dose or swapping isn't likely to make any difference if your hitting the bottle. Only my opinion, if I'm feeling bad i lay off the booze, when i do drink now its every now and again (once or twice a month), its planned, I look forward to it more, usually over a meal and i don't start too early ie before 7pm and i don't carry it on until the early hours, 5 or 6 pints at the most. Moderation is the key, as a lifelong weekend drinker i thought life was over. The complete opposite is the case, I'm doing things i haven't done in years. If you cant stop you need to get help, if you can, stop for a few months before you need help and whilst you get better. All this took me years, I refused to accept it, many friends drank more than me with no problem but it was part of the problem for me. Somebody upstairs decided i was going to be more susceptible to mental illness. Try it, you have nothing to lose, it wont happen overnight though, the first few weekends were beyond boring, not now. Good luck.

Hi Emz, be careful with mixing alcohol with these, I have read that it affects serotonin levels which will have an effect on your moods. i always have a rough week after alcohol too, and regret it everytime. Maybe I will learn one day.

thanks guys for your replies! i know i can count on this site for support and true experiences! thing is i dont drink that often just occasions but this weekend was a long day and night of drinking. il keep an eye on my symptoms and book an appointment with gp. i might actually see my employer about ref for psycologist thru work because this is recurrent thoughts that i seem obsessed with. depression and anxiety are horrible! im definitely staying clear of alcohol for the time being!