bad thoughts and images

hi
im new here, and im desperate to find some answers for a long suffering problem.
i cant seem to stop having unwanted thoughts or images enter my mind.
this happens nearly everly moment of every day, and im just physically and mentally fed up with this problem.
is it a compusive disorder or is there a problem with my brain? i dont know.
thankyou for your answers.

Hi and welcome, If you are having racing thought, it could be bipolar related, if they are obsessive thoughts combined with rituals to avoid anxiety it could be ocd related.


Or if you alot on your plate it could be as simple ( not to minimize your situation,) Generalized anxiety.

thanks for the response.

i however dont know what u mean when u say racing thoughts and im pretty sure its not general anxiety.

its been a problem since i was around 11 years old and its 9 years later and even though its different recurring unwanted thoughts and images its the same exhausting problem.

i dont know how to treat this. i dont even know if its treatable.

Being unfamiliar with bipolar, I should have worded that differently for you. Racing thoughts are constant, non completed thoughts, that don't ever stop. http://bipolar.about.com/cs/faqs/f/faq_racethought.htm

When in a manic mood they are horrific, as in depressive mood they can not be there at all. numbness of the brain I call it.

Do you get depressed or have you had at least one depressive episode with su*cidal ideation(thoughts)?

http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities ... erview.asp

Vick,
It sounds to me like ocd. If there are no visible compulsions ie; hand washing or counting or flicking lights on and off, you might have pure "o" ocd. Where the compulsions are done in the head or there are none at all. check this website out. It might shed some light on your situation. http://understanding_ocd.tripod.com/ocd ... Pure%20O's

I'm not sure how serious this is. It may not be too bad at all. We all have many thoughts that come and go all the time. Sometimers, especially when we are under stress or going through changes, our thougth stream may be mostly negative.

I don't think we have much control over the thoughts that may come into our brains. That is if we are getting thoughts that we think are bad or immoral then we really can't stop them. However, what is important is how we act. I do think we can control our actions. For me with my main problem being depression at present, I often do not want to get out of bed, go to work, or do anything around the house. I just get up and do what I have to do. Things do get done in my life, but I do not want to do anything--I believe that everything is too difficult--but I still get out of bed, put one foot in front of the other and do what needs to be done.

It's been my experience that the more I try not to think of something, the more I think of it. If I just let thoughts come and go as they please, all thoughts will come, stay awhile, then leave.
The more I try to push them away, the longer they stay.

Good Luck,
Jim S

rubbing my happiness off on you today Jim. this too shall pass.

((((hugs))))

reminds me of that old childhood xmas song, "just put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking cross the flooooor, just put one foot in front of the other , and soon you'll be walking out the door:"


hang tough buddy, your sister in bipolar

thanks for ur help guys! i truly appreciate it.

so i guess for me to eliminate this problem, would my best option be to completely ignore my unwanted thoughts or hope that they go away?

eliminating them is easier said than done.

There are meds to help tho. Journaling also helps as lame as that sounds. let it out on paper and burn it.

eliminating them is easier said than done.

There are meds to help tho. Journaling also helps as lame as that sounds. let it out on paper and burn it

Very true

I suffer from intrusive thoughts due to my ocd. These are usually of a violent nature. I still get these thoughts, but I have learned how to deal with them in a better way so they don't cause anxiety. You need to recognize that these thoughts are what they are. They are just thoughts. They do not say anything about your charachter. The more you try to push these thoughts away the more they come. So, just ignoring the thoughts may not be the answer.

What I do, is force myself to think these thoughts. And then when I do, I refrain from the rumination. I soon get bored with these thoughts. They don't bother me anymore. In your case I'm not sure what your compulsion is. But, I can guess that it is ruminating. You probably get a scarey thought and then try to prove to yourself that you would never commit that thought or you try to figure out why you are having the thought. That is ruminating. You want to avoid that. Because the truth is you are having these thoughts for no peticular reason. They are intruding into your natural thought process. Once you can realize that, your on your way to recovery.

You see, what is causing you so much anxiety is the uncertainty. The thoughts are making you think that you are crazy or evil or sick or whatever. When in reality you are probably a very kind and very sane person. Intrusive thoughts usually go way against the thinkers charachter. If you would like to learn more copeing strategies pm me. I think I could probably help you out. I hope this comforts you at least a little bit. I know how stressful intrusive thoughts can get. Take care
Amy