By Anonymous
My brain can become a weapon of mass self-destruction. Out of nowhere. When least expected.
A HAMSTER WHEEL
Having intrusive thoughts, images and impulses appears to be a nearly universal constant of the human condition. Concordia University and 15 other universities worldwide found that a whopping 94 percent of people experience them in some form at some time, according to research published in the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in 2014.
The problem comes when they do more than intrude—they won’t go away. In the absence of evasive measures, the invaders take control and start to keep you awake at night, disturb your focus during the day, and direct your behavior into counterproductive channels.
Obsessive thinking is like a hamster wheel in the brain, with different animals parading in and out over time, according to psychologist Bruce Hubbard, PhD, president of the New York City Cognitive Behavior Therapy Association and a visiting scholar at Columbia University Teacher’s College.
“People with bipolar disorder often report that there’s an obsession of the day or the week, and as one problem gets resolved, it can easily be replaced by another problem,” Hubbard says.
“There’s something in the brain that needs to ruminate and worry and obsess about different topics. It could be a real problem or a completely irrational problem—it almost doesn’t matter what the topic is.”
But we don’t have to remain prey or victim to our own brains.
Check out these links for a number of techniques and methods for “stilling an unquiet mind.” And by all means, don’t hesitate to seek the help of a professional, a support group, and/or medication.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/two-minute-shrink/201006/taming-obsessive-thoughts
http://beyondaffairs.com/affair-recovery/strategies-to-combat-obsessive-thoughts/
http://www.anxietycoach.com/overcome-ocd.html
God bless you if you suffer this affliction. May you find serenity and relief.