Help with Intrusive thoughts?

[Classic]

Is there something to be done about intusive and disturbing thoughts. I feel like im OCD, they always come up when im talking to someone directly or near a person. Its so frustuating because i cant think clearly without feeling shame and gulit for these thoughts. It also doesnt help me that when i am not having them, i am wondering when they will come up. I cringe every time they show up and try to supress them(which makes them work) I have just recently come out from a really negative spiral and am slowly getting myself somewhere. Anyways can you provide any insightful information i can use to get rid of these thoughts?

[LadyMay]

First, don't suppress the thoughts. You're creating yourself more problems down the line that way. You need to accept them like an old friend. That's the only way they can release and disappear for good.

Second.. keep working on your meditation. You need to expand your mind to allow the thoughts space to move out. At the moment it's like your mind is a box you're keeping the lid on and when a thought wants out you're not letting it out, so the thoughts build up and eventually the box will explode. Meditation expands the box and opens the lid so your mind has more room to breathe. You might find it hard right now, but it's worth sticking to because every second you think is failure when you try to meditate is actually a success.

[Classic]

I dont get many oppertunties to do meditation. I tried for like what felt like 10 mins last night. I couldnt get past the narrater voice nor the thoughts that try hard to distract me with daily news. I googled it and what you said seems to be the case. I mean its easy to say but when i am talking to my parents and these thoughts come hurling in, its diffcult to just let them be. Mainly because i have psychological condition of thought broadcasting(where i think people near me are reading my thoughts). Its a real mess in my head.

[LadyMay]

How about not trying to stop your thoughts at all. Just learn to watch them. Have you tried that?

Yeah, I know what thought broadcasting is like. I used to have that too. I've been through a lot to get to where I am right now. So you're not a lost cause.. with some time you can improve.

How are your parents like with you, if you don't mind me asking?

Another option is to talk to the thoughts like a person.

Why are you bothering me?

Why do you say that?

Do you need help with something?

Do you have any friends?

There are a zillion questions to ask. This may seem to be substantiating something that is not real, but it is real, to you.

Be willing to work on them, do a sales job, invite them to leave.

Sometimes these ideas are with us for a long time.

As the previous poster said, don't resist. But be yourself.

[LadyMay]

Originally Posted by KevinO

Another option is to talk to the thoughts like a person

I definitely agree with this and recommend it. Actually this is what I started doing before I tried meditation. I saw that the thoughts were just other parts of me that wanted to be heard, so I'd have conversations with them. It was really enlightening.

[Classic]

Honestly as much ive become aware of all my issues in the past 5 years. I've really come know the saying ignorance is bliss.

I try to be compassionate but my inner crtic is relentless and its hard to keep him from making fun of my inner children(this all sounds really crazy written down like this). I told him to get lost but he just keeps coming back...annoying. Oh and my parents dont know anything, best for both parties to keep it that way.

[LadyMay]

Originally Posted by Classic

I try to be compassionate but my inner crtic is relentless and its hard to keep him from making fun of my inner children(this all sounds really crazy written down like this).

You should read some of the things on my blog when I was going through my stuff. That'd make you seem sane.

Well, it seems you already have an awareness of your inner critic and inner children. You've already done really well discerning those two things. To be able to do that requires a certain amount of mental space, which you do have.

The inner child and the inner critic are actually polar opposites of each other. It might be hard for you to see this now but they actually want the same thing. They just go about trying to get it in contrary ways. If you can figure out what that thing is, then you can satisfy both parties much easier and it'll give you even more room to move about mentally.

[Chr1stian]

Originally Posted by Classic

Honestly as much ive become aware of all my issues in the past 5 years. I've really come know the saying ignorance is bliss.

I try to be compassionate but my inner crtic is relentless and its hard to keep him from making fun of my inner children(this all sounds really crazy written down like this). I told him to get lost but he just keeps coming back...annoying. Oh and my parents dont know anything, best for both parties to keep it that way.

In dealing with these intrusive thoughts, I think you need to determine where you believe they come from. Do you believe your mind or subconscious is producing them or something else? That might then determine the way you deal with them.

Personally, I have always tried to control these types of thoughts. I have found that the more I focus on anxious, depressive or intrusive thoughts the more power they gain. The more I ignore them, the less they pester me. It may be different for you, but that has been my experience.

[Classic]

Just wanted to thank the posters on here. The thoughts have gone down the last few days as I started to really question every thought. I also took the advice of just breathing and focusing on it no matter what I felt. Although sometimes the thoughts dragged me off, I still continued to focus on my breaths. Now if only I could meet all of my personality subselves and have them trust our true self to lead.