Overcoming Lingering Thoughts: Causes, Effects, and Strategies

2024-01-03 16:14:37

Some thoughts won’t leave us alone, they come back over and over once more, like a song you can’t push out of your head. While the repeated tune may be annoying, it is unlikely to cause any problems; Especially if you are able to think regarding other things.

However, the lingering thought is something different… “It causes distress; “You cannot shift your attention away from it, and it interferes with your daily life,” according to Dr. Stephanie Collier, a psychiatrist at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

Causes of stuck thoughts

It’s normal for people to have stuck thoughts from time to time. If this happens frequently, it may be caused by stress or an underlying medical condition, such as the following:

– Generalized anxiety disorder: People with generalized anxiety disorder, a condition characterized by excessive worry, can have lingering thoughts regarding many things, such as anxiety regarding an upcoming event, finances, or the thought of riding a bus or plane in the future.

Depression: When you are depressed – a condition that involves feeling extremely sad or hopeless – you tend to feel bad regarding yourself. You may have lingering thoughts that you have failed at something, or that no one loves or cares for you.

– Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions (disturbing intrusive thoughts) or compulsive behaviors (pressure to perform repetitive behaviors, such as washing hands).

The lingering thought in classic OCD is regarding germs, and whether you’ve touched something contaminated and need to wash your hands.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): It is a group of symptoms that can occur following witnessing or being exposed to a traumatic event, such as exposure to or scenes of violence, or loss of life. One symptom of PTSD is a stuck thought that reenacts the traumatic scene.

Devoting a lot of time to lingering thoughts leads to believing them

Stuck thoughts can hurt us

Stuck thoughts can have many negative effects; It makes it difficult to concentrate, can spread feelings of shame and fear, and can destroy your self-confidence. “After you devote a lot of time to it, you start to believe those thoughts,” Dr. Collier says.

Over time, stuck thoughts can lead to social isolation. “Some people don’t want to leave the house anymore,” said Dr. Collier. “They may feel convinced that no one loves them.” “Or they may not want to be exposed to something they fear, such as germs.”

Push stuck thoughts away

When you try to push a stuck thought away, it seems to stick even tighter; That’s because you end up devoting more attention to it.

Instead, try one of the following methods:

– Examination of evidence: How true is this idea? Write the evidence for it, then write anything that contradicts it. “If your brain says you’re a failure, think regarding the ways you’ve succeeded,” Dr. Collier says. “Maybe you’re a good cook, or a really devoted parent… so resist those thoughts.”

– distract: It’s difficult to focus on a stuck thought when you’re in the middle of an activity. To get away from the thought, Dr. Collier suggests having a change of scenery, such as going for a walk, or engaging in an activity that interests you and keeps you busy.

– Schedule more activities: If you have a lot of free time in the day, your brain will have more time to focus on lingering thoughts. Stay busy.

Reducing worry times: Dr. Collier says: “People often worry all day long; Because they don’t want to forget things. So pick a time, like 5 o’clock, to worry regarding anything you want for 30 minutes. “And when anxiety comes up beforehand, remind yourself that you’ll deal with it later in the day.”

– Talk to a family member or friend: Sharing your thoughts helps you give a better perspective and helps fight isolation and loneliness.

ask for help

It’s difficult to deal with stuck thoughts alone, especially if you have an underlying mental health condition that you’re unaware of. So don’t carry the burden alone.

If you’ve been experiencing lingering thoughts for a few weeks, talk to your primary care doctor, or make an appointment with a therapist for an evaluation.

– Cognitive behavioral therapy: This treatment may be required. This is a general approach that helps you identify stuck thoughts and redirect them in less negative and more manageable ways.

– Targeted therapies: Other treatments are tailored to specific conditions, such as treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, which gradually exposes you to things you fear, or treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, which aims to change the way the memory of a traumatic experience is stored in the brain. You may also need medication to control stuck thoughts.

“With time and practice, you can learn to live with and overcome stuck thoughts,” says Dr. Collier. Don’t give up.

* Harvard Health Letter – Tribune Media Services

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