Anxiety and Over-Thinking

I can relate to everything that you just posted about. I feel as though the overthinking and constant thoughts flowing through my head are the most detrimental problem that I have currently. It's almost as if I've lost the ability to just relax and focus on whatever it is that I'm doing. It is causing me to start to falter a bit at my new job I have, I have to be told what to do now 2-3 times because the first or second time they're showing me where certain forms are or what to do in certain situations, my mind is just drifting and thinking and thinking, not listening. This is something I try to correct everyday but it's gotten to such a point where it seems almost impossible at times.

How do I manage? Same way you do, just going about my everyday tasks and not giving up on whatever it is that I'm doing. If you're still working, keep at it. If you've got plans for any family functions or going out with friends then still do it. Don't let this hold you back, because all I know on this subject (from what I've heard from reading lots of anxiety help books n talking to therapist) is that it will eventually get better the more time we spend just actively trying to focus on the moment. So just keep plowing ahead and moving foward.

For example, I remind myself daily that I'm getting better because I do realize how bad I was at the very start of my anxiety. I would just lie around and watch my hands shake, my body involuntary spasm, my total lack of taking initiative or doing anything.

Now I can't even tell you the last time I even looked at my hands and worried about that, or even the last time I had any of those spasms. And I'm ALWAYS constantly thinking of ways to try and improve my situation now, where as before I was just relying on "when is my next appointment with my therapist". So my advice is, keep going and try and stay in the moment as much as possible. Just try and focus and relax and work on just stay in the moment as much as possible. If you find your mind wandering let it wander and think. "Try" not to let yourself get worked up about your inability to stop the thinking or analyzing. I emphasize try because it's impossible at the start to just all of a sudden, STOP. This is what people who don't have high anxiety levels can't understand. They're able to do that. For us with anxiety, it's impossible at the start. It's a habit we have to form again. You didn't just hop on a bike when you were a kid and take off flying. Just work on it and let it wander and roam as you let it, when it's done and you feel you have control over focusing your thoughts just remind yourself that they were just thoughts and try and laugh it off as best you can. The more resentment/fear/angst you feed into the thoughts, the more power you give it.

And I'm no master at this, I just know this is the most effective way to manage with it. I'm still working on it myself too, best of luck to you.

Hi Eliott, sorry that things have been rough for you lately. Losing sleep while thoughts run rampant through your brain is miserable! I can relate to how you are feeling. This problem has been better for me since I've gotten older though. If the '88 in your signature relates to your age, then yeah. I think this will pass as you get older. This is a transitional stage in your life, full of so many challenges and choices. It would be hard not to over-think and second guess everything. If you think about it, it is a sign of intelligence, and careful evaluation! Try looking at it in this positive way. The only thing that you might want to consider is practicing 'staying in the moment' so that you don't miss out on life's wonderful times/gifts. Try meditation (prayer, mantras, whatever is comfortable for you) This will help you to 'just be' and be able to enjoy the current circumstance rather than looking forward or back. I try to remind myself that I will never get this exact moment back, so I'd better grab it and squeeze all of the good out of it that I can!
I hope that these suggestions help-you got some really great advice from Mike and Nanners. Let us know how you are doing soon.
Take care,
Scaredy Cat

Hey guys. Thanks for all the advice. I can so relate to the people around us just thinking that we can just "stop" our anxiety and thinking.

I am in therapy right now, and have been for the past several years, minus a recent six month break which happened because I was moving. (First from my undergraduate university to my hometown, then halfway across the country to a new university to start a new program). Now I'm moving back to my hometown for a bit, so that'll be a bit more upheaval when it comes to scheduled therapy, unfortunately. And Scaredy Cat, that makes sense that part of it is because I am young. My anxiety has been much worse lately because I've made some pretty big life decisions. I moved several provinces away to attend grad school, and then hated my program. At first I planned to stick it out, but my anxiety and depression got so bad (for a number of reasons - they were aggravated by being back in school-I have an intense fear of failure even though I am an A student-, homesickness, and bad news about a loved one back home) that it just wasn't worth it to me anymore. I didn't like the program, decided that I wouldn't be carrying on to a PhD, and realized that I wished I had stuck with my original plan, getting a BEd, which I had abandoned because so many people were encouraging me to pursue graduate studies. So, in a few short months I went from having a plan for the next 8 or 9 years of my life (MA then PhD) to having no idea what I'm doing. I'm moving home for a bit, finishing up some courses that I need to take before I can be accepted into a BEd, and searching for a job. Right now, it feels as if life will never work out, and I worry constantly about that.

I've never heard about those meds gettingby mentioned but I am going to ask my pdoc about them. Right now I am on 40mg of Celexa, and 50mg of trazadone, and have been for several years. They do help significantly. Before I went on them by anxiety and depression were debilitating. Now I can, for the most part, function relatively normally, though lately my panic attacks have been back with a vengeance along with my depression.

Talking with you guys always seems to help though. :) You always have such good insights and advince. ((hugs))

eliot88 said...
Sometimes I feel like I just think and think and think about everything. I run everything over in my mind a million times, and I over-analyse all my behaviours and actions. I know this sounds so cliched, but so often I feel like I am just not 'normal' and never can be. I see people take joy in simple things, and I am so jealous of that.

I tend to do this as well. For a long time it's just been a part of my personality to analyze everything. In doing so I feel like I've missed out on having some pure and uncensored emotional moments. I used to be much more carefree and in the moment when I was younger and that's one of the things I've been looking at in counseling. What happened? Where did the change happen?

I now try to make a conscious effort towards giving myself permission to not analyze everything, but instead to "just let whatever happens happen". I do a lot of walking and usually that's a time when I do a lot of analyzing of where I am in life, what I've done, what I "need" to work on next, etc. But I try now to point out things around me that I normally would overlook. I'll look at the sky, trees, other people and consciously point out their inherent beauty. It may only be for a brief moment and feel forced at first, but over time it's become easier.

Is there something that you used to do when you were younger that gave you joy or something that you once did where you felt “lost in the moment”? Perhaps you could start there, or at least by doing something similar. I guess what I'm saying is that you have to give yourself an opportunity to get lost in the moment.

wish you well. I understand about over thinking and obseesing, there is a medicine called luvon that is suppose to help deal with that issue. Its sounds like its ocd, overthinking and obsessing. I know what that is all about. I have been struggling with it my whole life. It can be devasting. I wish you the best

Hi Jemery and welcome!

Great job on finding a coping skill that works for you! We have been proponents of MM for some time here!

We even have several links in our Resources (top of the main page) for our members to check out and get started with.

Hibee, my co-moderator here has taken courses in MM as well, and has found much success in these!

Thanks for sharing your experience...and keep posting with us if you find it beneficial.

You can start your own thread by hitting on the Post New Topic icon upper left toolbar.

In this way, you won't get overlooked...tagged onto this rather old post.:)

Talk to you soon,

Scaredy Cat