1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Anxiety Disorders

Ruminating Intrusive Thoughts

Posted , 3 users are following.

tzumi56935
tzumi56935

I've been having the same thought/word pop up in my mind randomly throughout the day for some days now despite me knowing its not true. So, I find myself stuck inside my head quite a lot for the most part. Sometimes, I can handle it better but some times, it gives way to some rather sad what ifs.

Mostly the "what if this thought never goes away?" I have a good happy moment and immediately the thought pops up, this gets me feeling negative.

How to deal with this? Do the persistent thoughts ever go away despite how impossible it might seem?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • jan34534
    jan34534 tzumi56935

    Edited

    Although the thoughts are intrusive, they will not hurt you. they are associated with anxiety.

    I’ve been through this numerous times and what I have found out and what a lot of the therapists say is to momentarily allow the thought and acknowledge that it is there . have a relaxed, matter-of-fact attitude about it. If you react anxiously and try to push it away then you are giving it more power. Anything that we resist Will come back even stronger. You can say or think something such as " I know you are there, thought. I acknowledge you. But right now I am busy doing something else and I don’t have time for you. Goodbye. " or anything similar to that. Make sure you don’t follow the thought after you do this. and don’t go down the what if scenarios. Those are not based on fact.

    Get busy with something else that is productive for yourself.when you do this over and over, the brain will eventually get rid of the thought much easier and more automatically.

    its important to remember that thoughts literally don’t mean anything. They are just random and they are not based on fact or reality. They are just fleeting thoughts that you can let go of!

    do things that relax your mind. A relaxed mind has less of those instant thoughts that pop up. Hope you do feel better soon you’re gonna be just fine!

    • tzumi56935
      tzumi56935 jan34534

      Posted

      thank you so much for replying! you've been a big help and i'm really thankful ❤

  • sasical72
    sasical72 tzumi56935

    Posted

    Hi there,

    This is caused by anxiety, the more you try to get the thought out of your head, the more it will stick.

    You have to just acknowledge it and carry on with whatever you're doing.

    Just say to yourself something like...Oh, here is the thought again, but it doesn't matter because it's only a thought and continue with whatever.

    Don't be afraid x

    • tzumi56935
      tzumi56935 sasical72

      Posted

      thank you so much for replying! definitely gonna follow this ❤

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.