Intrusive thoughts.

[confusedboy16]

Hello. I'm Nathan (pseudonym - Confusedboy16).

Recently, I have been having intrusive thoughts, which have been accompanying my anxiety.

These thoughts consist of images in my head of harming people, ie, cutting their eyes, stabbing them, slitting their rists etc. Thing is, I don't want these thoughts, I hate them - or at least I think I do.

What's worrying me, is the thought of acting on these urges/ intrusions. My head is all over the place, I keep thinking "What if I'm a psycho, what if? what if?"

Do I really want to do this, or is it just the anixety, because, I sometimes think I do, and that these thoughts are real; and I'm trying to cover them up by saying it's down to my anxiety.

Please help,

Nathan - Confusedboy16.

[Symora]

Hi Nathan, how's it going now?

My personal feeling is that you are letting your negative thoughts take over. I feel you need to reign yourself in with regards to that. It's not blocking yourself up, it's deciding that these thoughts lead nowhere you want to be and you should not be giving them any power. When a thought of war comes, replace it by a greater thought of peace. The world's got enough problems.... There is something very mysterious and intriguing about the dark side, I'm not sure why :confused:, but you can't just lose yourself in there ....

Just the fact that you're showing some concern about this indicates to me that these things are not within your own sense of values... Imho you are not a psycho... I would like to know how much violent video games, movies or TV you watch though....

I've often wondered if people who enjoy those types of activites can be imprinted with more violent tendencies in the imagination? It just seems to me that there is an enormous amount of projected violence out there My daughter's boyfriend plays this online war game that looks absolutely real. You would swear you were in Bosnia or something and you shoot up people with all sorts of sophisticated weaponry. People die every few seconds, right there in front of you, blood and everything, all on the 46 inch LCD screen. I found it quite a heavy experience and very disconcerting... Anyway, that may not be your scene at all, I was just musing on the imprinting on young minds of all this stuff...

I'm babbling, time to go to bed... goodnight Nathan ...

[goose]

Nathan

Thoughts are just thoughts, nothing more.

Intrusive thoughts (which I also experience) can be very distressing. Especially when those thoughts are violent ~ the distress comes from the fact that they are so far removed from your personality. When you are naturally not a violent person, having violent thoughts are scary.

I really think you could benefit from CBT, your anxiety seems to be very distressing for you.

By the way I have been told that intrusive thoughts (the ones I get anyway) are obsessional and I would be highly unlikely to act on them.

Take care

Goose

[confusedboy16]

Hi Nathan, how's it going now?

My personal feeling is that you are letting your negative thoughts take over. I feel you need to reign yourself in with regards to that. It's not blocking yourself up, it's deciding that these thoughts lead nowhere you want to be and you should not be giving them any power. When a thought of war comes, replace it by a greater thought of peace. The world's got enough problems.... There is something very mysterious and intriguing about the dark side, I'm not sure why :confused:, but you can't just lose yourself in there ....

Just the fact that you're showing some concern about this indicates to me that these things are not within your own sense of values... Imho you are not a psycho... I would like to know how much violent video games, movies or TV you watch though....

I've often wondered if people who enjoy those types of activites can be imprinted with more violent tendencies in the imagination? It just seems to me that there is an enormous amount of projected violence out there My daughter's boyfriend plays this online war game that looks absolutely real. You would swear you were in Bosnia or something and you shoot up people with all sorts of sophisticated weaponry. People die every few seconds, right there in front of you, blood and everything, all on the 46 inch LCD screen. I found it quite a heavy experience and very disconcerting... Anyway, that may not be your scene at all, I was just musing on the imprinting on young minds of all this stuff...

I'm babbling, time to go to bed... goodnight Nathan ...

Symora,

I'm good thank-you, and yourself?

Sorry I've taken long to correspond, I've been a tad busy.

I cannot help letting the intrusive thoughts take over, it feels like it's past my control. To answer the question regarding games - no I don't, not at all. I never play computer games.

There's something I didn't tell you; could you have a quick read thru this thread (http://community.mentalhelp.net/showthread.php?t=3104), and you will gain a wider understanding, thank you.

Nathan.

[confusedboy16]

Nathan

Thoughts are just thoughts, nothing more.

Intrusive thoughts (which I also experience) can be very distressing. Especially when those thoughts are violent ~ the distress comes from the fact that they are so far removed from your personality. When you are naturally not a violent person, having violent thoughts are scary.

I really think you could benefit from CBT, your anxiety seems to be very distressing for you.

By the way I have been told that intrusive thoughts (the ones I get anyway) are obsessional and I would be highly unlikely to act on them.

Take care

Goose

Goose,

Thank-you for your reply.

How did you surpass them thoughts?

What is CBT?

[goose]

Nathan

I have coped with my intrusive thoughts through therapy, It has been explained to me what they are and how not to give them any attention.

CBT is cognitive behavoural therapy, I attend a psychologist who uses this method of therapy.

"The basic technique that is taught in cognitive behavioral psychotherapy is something that could be called the "Analysis of Appraisal", although it is usually called "cognitive restructuring" or sometimes "cognitive reframing" instead. In essence, cognitive therapists teach their patients to become conscious of the fact that they are unconsciously appraising and judging all the various stimulus events that come their way, and then teach them to consciously take charge of that appraisal process so as to make sure that their conclusions are accurate and free of biases and mistakes."

taken from the following essay http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=9350&cn=91

Goose

[chris_zed1974]

nathan, I agree with Goose...Intrusive thoughts are part of pure O, or just the obsession part of ocd, sometimes accompanied by the compulsion which is seeking reasurance.eg.I had a bad thought.....I dont want to harm anyone, ask someone I trust, "do you think I am a good person (thecompulsion) they reply of course...you feel better for a while until the next silly thought..mate, its a pain in the neck getting them but, they are just thoughts and not actions and theyre never going to happen..take care

[confusedboy16]

Thank you for your reply,

Thing is, I think they're real. Like, I had a thought about suffucating my dog - but it's like I'd enjoy it?

[David O]

Hi Nathan,

It seems, based on many, many, many posts by you and numerous others on the forum, that you're still struggling with these thoughts. There have been numerous solid recommendations made to you by many of us (see a professional, call the police regarding your fears of having seen a certain picture, do thought stopping exercises, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.) and you have not followed through consistently over the months.

To be honest Nathan (and I say this with the deepest compassion, sensitivity and understanding), none of us can help you, you'll need to act on those numerous suggestions made by folks on the forum before you'll see any improvements. Talking to us, writing in daily, pulling others into your obsessional thinking, all of this only postpones the inevitable--- seeing someone professionally. It also maintains/reinforces and solidifies your ruminations and deepens their hold on you. The longer you postpone seeking help and/or implementing the solid recommendations, the worse your condition will become and over the years, the more it will create dysfunction in your life as they will dominate your psyche.

My recommendation is that you go back to all of the suggestions given and implement those you can.

Secondly, my hope is that others will not continue to respond to your posts or threads until you can describe which suggestions you implemented and what outcomes came out of them. This will hopefully force you to act on your own best interest-- writing in daily, asking for help and reassurance cannot replace real help, face-to-face, with a professional. If you can't see a professional, talking to us daily will not truly help you, it only seems to decrease your anxieties and ruminations for a short period (sort of like using a cigarette to relax).

Please Nathan, you need to act on what has been suggested by countless folks. My sense is that you will go to another forum, as you have before, and get your "fix" there as opposed to really making an effort to work thru this.

Again, I say this with great compassion and sensitivity and not to be mean spirited and calloused. We all want you to get better and feel better about yourself and the only way this will happen is if you make the changes. Please understand where I'm coming from-- my heart goes out to you and I feel extremely calloused in saying this, but I believe in my heart that this is for the better.

Good luck Nathan and please seek help outside of these types of forums or implement the recommendations suggested by many here,

David