how do you cope with intrusive thoughts?
these intrusive thoughts have been bothering me for a few months now, and i'm afraid they're getting worse and worse. sometimes i'm afraid of my own brain because of them, and i have no idea how to deal with them. my only temporary solution at the moment is distracting myself, but they come back either way. what should i do? i wish i could tell my parents to get me a therapist but they dont understand mental health issues. :(
@floppychicken
I think everyone tends to deal with intrusive thoughts differently - I guess maybe it depends on what these intrusive thoughts are. My intrusive thoughts are triggered by fear-based items, which just added extra layers to my anxiety.
I've read that you should address the thought rather than hide from it, and it's something I try to do now. So, if some of my panicked thoughts pop into my head rather than try to ignore them, I say to myself "why am I thinking about this? Why is it making me feel bad, or scared, or anxious? What triggered me to start thinking this way?" The more I get into "analysis" mode about my thought, the less anxious I become. It's kind of being scientific about it (in a way) and removing the emotion of it so you can really look at things from all angles and understand more about yourself.
