I think I'm in an intrusive thought spiral and I can't escape

Hey @Invi welcome to the forums, hope you find it to be a warm and welcoming space 😊

I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling so stuck, and dealing with intrusive thoughts. It sucks you can't get in to see a doctor for a while yet either.

I don't have any tips to offer beyond the standard ones - mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises. If you wanted to chat to someone you could try ARCVic - they have a helpline you can call during business hours.

I wonder if @NightFury or @creative_writer either of you have any tips?

Hi @Invi @Jynx

It's hard having to wait to get the help that you need. Especially when it begins to feel like it's really pressing and important.

Intrusive thoughts are hard and they suck. It's something I have daily and can relate.

There are things that I've found work for me through a process of trying and experimenting. Those things include...

* Laying down, closing my eyes and listening to an audio book through my headphones.

* I have a monochrome colouring in book, that I absolutely love.

* laying down, closing my eyes and listening to binaural beat (ADHD brain flossing) music through my head phones.

* Box breathing

* Building lego - because it completely draws my attention into something physical I can do with my hands.

* Meditation - where I sit with my eyes closed, legs crossed and mentally focus my attention on my senses. What can I hear? What can I smell? What can I see behind my closed eyelids? What can I feel? What can I taste? This works better when outside, sitting on the grass, or on a beach with shoes off and actively grounding my energy at the same time.

* Connecting here and talking about what's going on for me. (Within forum guidelines) sometimes with those thoughts I can share on here, sharing them reduces them.

* With the thoughts that are a little bit more self destructive I've been using delay as a strategy. I use "wait until" a lot..."wait until you get home from work," for example. Most of the time those thoughts are usually diffused by the passing of time

I don't know if that's helpful.

Oh @Invi also if I'm really struggling...

And these are going to sound odd but they work for me sometimes...

* Rubbing the tips of my fingers together or clicking my fingers.

* Blowing on the back of my thumb

* Running my hands under cold water.

* EFT tapping videos from YouTube.

They bring me back into my body.

this kinda helps tysm. needed a physical sensation i think. this sucks 😞

@Invi glad it helped some, even if you still feel overwhelmed by it all. I hope even just being able to share your struggles has helped you feel a little lighter.

PS a little tip, if you want other members to be notified that you've responded, you can tag them using the @ symbol, then selecting (or typing if they aren't in the drop down menu) their username so it shows up in blue, like this: @NightFury

More how-to's here 😊

@Jynx Omg ty! this space feels much safer than the other online forums ive found so im probably gonna stick around 🙂

Hey @Invi

I am so sorry you are going through this right now. It is incredibly exhausting when your own mind feels like a loud, distressing place to be, especially when those existential thoughts start to steal away the things you usually enjoy. Please know that while these thoughts feel loud and powerful, they're not a reflection of who you are or your reality.

When a spiral feels physically impossible to stop, sometimes we have to focus on the body first to give the mind a break.

Try to view the intrusive thoughts not as "messages" to be solved, but rather as background static on a radio that is out of tune. You don't have to argue with the static or make it make sense; you just acknowledge, "That's a loud thought," and try to refocus on a physical task, even if that thought still lingers.

When the thoughts are "screaming," gentle grounding may not be enough. Try holding an ice cube in your hand until it melts, or consider buying sour lollies and popping one in your mouth. These intense sensations can force your brain to pivot from the abstract "existential" spiral back into your body.

Since you feel you can't enjoy your hobbies, try engaging with them in very small, 3-minute bursts without the pressure to "enjoy" them. Sometimes just the act of doing a familiar motion, like sketching, gaming, or dancing, can provide a bit of grounding.

I will say, from my own experience, it is so tempting to search for answers when we feel scared, but often "reassurance seeking" on Google actually feeds the spiral by keeping our brains focused on the intrusive theme. Try to set a "no-search" window for a few hours to let your nervous system settle down.

You have survived every spiral you've had so far, and even though this one feels so different and louder, you are still here, and I want you to know that I am so proud of you!

Keep breathing through the next 10 minutes, we're all here for you.

Aww yay that makes me very happy to read @Invi!! 💜

@MatchaToad this made me cry but also helped more than all my research. thank you.

also ice cube worked this time 🙂

@Invi

I'm so glad to hear that!

Sending you so much strength 💚