HELP! I Keep Getting Stuck In My Head! (Recovery Monday #56)

HELP! I KEEP GETTING STUCK IN MY HEAD!
Many people want suggestions and tips for how to not focus inward or wind up in their own heads all the time. Always remember one thing:
We can choose to think about something. We can't choose to NOT think about something. Your goal is not to stop thinking certain things, but to practice "gentle correction" when you notice that you're up in your head again.
Let's talk about that on episode 56 of Recovery Monday.
My books, social, and other links: theanxioustruth.com/links
Ways to support my work and keep it ad-free:
theanxioustruth.com/support

[@55tranquility]

Love the moon analogy, no amount of thinking, worrying, scanning etc is going to stop you going mad and neither will it drive you mad. If it did psychiatrists jobs would get much easier they could say to very poorly patients ‘all you need to do is keep worrying and scanning and thinking’ then you won’t go mad! The answer is go mad, let go, go rip snorting, jack nicholson in the shining, totally do lally insane - oh and then, you see you don’t. Being on guard about going mad by worrying about it is as useful as a handbrake on a canoe! Just let it happen to see that it doesn’t.

[@user-wn6it4qr6r]

Beautifully said 🙏🏻

[@RYD3RXD13]

Great video very helpful thank you!

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lukeclaydon6670]

I’m 40 and have only realised most people have it backwards you must do the thing to get the confidence you don’t get the confidence and then do the thing. Be prepared to be uncomfortable if you want to recover

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

I appreciate this comment! That is such a hard thing for people to get their brains around. That confidence isn't something you just decide to have. It comes after acting when you're not confident. Thank you for this!

[@Whatsupbrother6969]

A thought is just a thought until you give it power,

[@ShawnaeRasmussen-fr1eu]

My special thought is “I’m wasting life away. I’m not doing enough. Am I making enough anxiety progress to do more”. My it’s the worse symptom alternates between GI issues & panic attacks.

[@mrmaher9257]

Love your work,so helpful

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Thank you! It's always nice to hear that the work is helpful.

[@yuliya862]

Thanks❤

[@sarahbolton2707]

VERY good tips etc thank you!!!

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

You are so welcome!

[@arel0883]

You’re videos and podcasts are saving lives!

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Those are very kind words but really, you guys are doing the heavy lifting. Give yourself credit!

[@Rorymay22]

Ive had stuck song for 2 years now ..i try not to think about it or pay it attention..morning time is worst .i have been on meds and see therapy

[@brandimcalister6694]

Try NAC -it might help.

[@Rorymay22]

@@brandimcalister6694 Heya whats nac ??.

[@bengrant1201]

Like the person who constantly feared having a fatal heart attack. And they feared it and feared it and feared it...and every time the feared it every single time it the fatal heart attack didn't happen

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

That was kinda me. I literally got to the point where I was telling myself that it was simply not possible for me to be having heart attack number 72,542. At some point that did start to sink in and I was able to start allowing and facing the fear rather than fighting it so hard.

[@jozefien1702]

how do you go about the feeling of not getting enough air aka hyperventilation, i feel like my anxiety makes me feel like there is a balloon in my stomach and when i want to go for a walk trying to get out of the house sometimes i feel like i can't breath and that's realy scary. do you have any tips on that

[@Jemma456]

Is it also important to not react in fear or feel scared of a thought to be able to recover?

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

We don't get to just decide to not feel fear. We can only learn that we don't have to be afraid by feeling afraid and reacting in new ways toward that fear. It's OK and expected to FEEL afraid. You can't just turn that off. In my orientation, however, recovery is very difficult though if we keep running from that fear.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

BTW I'm going to make this next week's episode of The Anxious Truth because its a good question!

[@sarahbolton2707]

My fear can be 'what if I am very slowly fading into dementia' what can I do about that thought please?

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

You'll notice that I rarely ever give tips about "what to do about" any specific thought or symptom. This is generally about learning that we don't have to do anything about them. We don't have to find ways to stop them, prevent them, prove them wrong, or not be scared by them. We work on allowing them to exist without launching into evasive or protective responses. That's how we learn over time that we don't have to be so concerned with the thoughts. And yes, even this thought is included in this overall approach.

[@sarahbolton2707]

@TheAnxiousTruth Thank you! I see, yes I see the good perspective in this!

[@ryannorth8699]

this video works in a way because dispite the fact you are talk about being stuck in your head for 46 mins its works because all this time i'm focused on you talking about being stuck in your head it's making me more focused on you which is distracting what is actually going on in my head so i'm not think more about what is actually in my head you are distracting for 46 mins which eventually slowly getting out what is actually troubling my brain it's hard to explain what i'm trying to say if you understand what i'm saying.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

This makes sense! its not just this video either. Almost anything can be a distraction that "gets you out of your head". The key here is to see that it is possible to be really worried and even scared, but to engage with something else at the same time and still wind up OK. So what else can you engage with while afraid and uncomfortable other than this video? Experiment. Try re-connecting with life as best you can even if you have to re-focus 100 times every 10 minutes. Its a practice and it takes time to improve.

[@mayda2060]

I had a meal..I felt sleepy..but my mind was like : you have low pressure..please check it..check it..check it..I didn't listen to it..I ended up napping for 2 hours ..man it's so annoying 🙄

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Amazing, right? It can turn sleepy into a major catastrophe! I hope you enjoyed that nap! 🙂