How to get rid of obsessive thoughts and where do they come from? Practical ways to get rid of obsessive thoughts: advice from a psychotherapist. How to get rid of obsessive thoughts and fears as symptoms of VSD

How to get rid of obsessive thoughts and anxiety? It would seem that there is nothing terrible about the thoughts that invariably arise in the head, distracting from current events. However, this position is fundamentally wrong, since obsessive thoughts deplete a person, haunting him, they take energy, take up time and have a destructive effect on health, preventing him from enjoying his own existence. Life is fleeting, so every minute should be appreciated and not wasted. Obsessive thoughts can greatly complicate daily life. Psychology calls intrusive thoughts obsessive-compulsive disorder and offers many methods for getting rid of them.

Modern information abundance, which a person has to process every day, provides individuals with the necessary knowledge, but at the same time often leads to an incorrect perception of this information. Pesky ideas visit everyone, but in some individuals they “settle” for a long time and greatly complicate existence, often acquiring the scale of mental deviation, especially if they are caused by mental trauma in the present or are associated with past shocks. There are many varieties of similar psycho-emotional deviations. In most situations, you can get rid of obsessive thoughts and fears on your own using simple methods and special exercises.

Frequent causes of anxious moods and intrusive thoughts about impending horrors or failures that may happen are emotional blows that have occurred previously.

They may be based on the fear of a repetition of an undesirable situation and a lack of understanding of how to get out of it. At the same time, similar thoughts may appear without any basis. As worries accumulate, they provoke nervous tension, leading, first of all, to dysfunction of the digestive tract. The most common disorder resulting from an imbalance of the emotional background is a stomach ulcer, followed by a disorder of the myocardium.

In addition, constant exposure to stressors and obsessive thoughts give rise to the following problems:

– various addictions, for example, food, alcohol;

– excess weight, which is a consequence of overeating or excessive production of the hormone cortisol (during emotional shock, cortisol is released into the bloodstream in order to help the body overcome difficulties, but with prolonged stress, this hormone inhibits metabolism);

– ailments of the reproductive system due to hormonal surges (disruptions in the hormonal cycle, disruption of the microflora of the genital organs are noted, neoplasms often appear, decreased potency, deterioration in sperm quality);

– weakening of the immune system, as a result of which the body becomes easily susceptible to various infections;

– mental deviations generated by depressive attitudes are observed (suicidal tendencies, complexes, phobias, mental illnesses).

First of all, in order to eliminate anxiety and obsessive thoughts on your own, it is recommended to allow positivity to settle in your soul. It is necessary to try to control the flow of thoughts, avoiding negative assessments of reality, thoughts with a minus sign. If a bad thought, an unpleasant association, or a bad image arises, you should immediately switch your attention to any pleasant event or memory. You can also indulge in joyful dreams or rosy planning for tomorrow's existence. It is necessary to remember life events when a person felt the happiest, most successful, loved, lucky, and remember these emotions in order to be able to turn to them when apathy sets in and sad thoughts and depressive thoughts begin to overcome.

People plunge into their own world, filled with despondency and indifference to what is happening, when they lack positive emotions. This often leads to depressive moods, and sometimes can give rise to real depression.

If it is difficult to switch to pleasant thoughts or memories, then it is recommended to acquire an interesting hobby or other activity to your liking. For example, you can start going to the pool, water has the property of eliminating negativity, and enroll in a sports section, because sport contributes to the production of the happiness hormone. In addition to the beneficial effect of physical education on a person’s mental state, sports also take up free time, which leaves no opportunity to indulge in sadness or succumb to obsessive thoughts and anxiety.

It is necessary to introduce small breaks into the habit, diluting active daily life. A person is a living, functioning organism, and he needs regular rest. A common cause of obsessive thoughts and anxiety is simple overwork.

It is also recommended to allow yourself to “laze around” a little during the day, for example, watch an interesting movie or read a novel. This will eliminate anxiety.

When obsessive thoughts are a consequence of the habit of “grinding” daily events, reproducing them over and over again in the head, it is quite easy to cope with them on your own. First of all, it should be recognized that not all thoughts are logical, smart and true. After all, thoughts constantly reproduced by the brain are not necessarily part of the surrounding reality. Often obsessions are illogical and completely inadequate. You should know that thought is only a reflection of the living conditions of individuals, their mood, moral guidelines, values, mood, life circumstances, outlook, imagination, erudition and worldview. The confusion and intricacies of all the listed components in the brain often give rise to the emergence of obsessions.

Resisting internal conversation, as well as ignoring it, is not only pointless, but often dangerous. Because a person with such behavior independently drives his own person into a trap where panic and anxiety reign. Therefore, it is recommended to recognize the presence of obsessive thoughts and acknowledge the very fact of their presence. After which you should try to become an outside observer, looking at the ongoing “dance” of thoughts from the outside. At the same time, even the slightest attempt to analyze them must be avoided. Questions like “why do these thoughts appear”, “what led to them” will drive you back into the trap.

It must be remembered that annoying internal dialogue is just a stream of thoughts, in which it is not at all necessary to believe. Here it is more important to listen to your own feelings that arise as a result of annoying thoughts. Perhaps the person experiences anger, irritation, joy, sadness, or is overcome by denial. These emotions should not be feared, they must be accepted and lived. This process will lead to transformations in the psyche. The consequence of this will be the attenuation of the described sensations and the restoration of mental comfort.

However, you should not expect instant relief from obsessive thoughts and anxiety. You need to prepare yourself for the fact that the process of freeing yourself from the yoke of annoying thoughts is quite long. Therefore, you should become thoroughly familiar with relaxation techniques. After all, the brain also needs rest and constantly unnerving thoughts will drain it. Various breathing practices, self-hypnosis, and auto-training can help you relax and eliminate unnecessary tension.

It is also recommended not to avoid social contacts. Since friendly interaction helps to distract from obsessive thoughts and sets the mood for positivity. And consciously protecting yourself from society will only aggravate the condition and intensify the symptoms.

Methods for getting rid of obsessive thoughts

Most psychologists agree that obsessive-compulsive disorders often arise from traumatic events. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to witness a tragedy or experience the sudden death of a loved one. For some people, the death of a pet can become a trigger, since it will give rise to deep emotional experiences that the human psyche is unable to overcome on its own due to some reason.

Before embarking on the path of combating obsessive thoughts, you need to understand the following:

– the situation will not resolve itself if you constantly think about it;

– any annoying thought is devoid of a rational foundation, and if it is caused by a specific problem, then this particular problem must be solved, there is no point in constantly thinking about it;

– eliminating annoying internal dialogues will not be possible through reflection and finding logical argumentation.

Today, many methods have been developed to cope with annoying internal dialogue on your own.

Below are several ways to get rid of obsessive thoughts in your head on your own.

As already written above, first of all, you need to stop fighting annoying thoughts, since this battle is a losing one. Obsessive thoughts already take away a person’s strength and energy, and if an individual also consciously begins to pay attention to them, plunging deeper into negative experiences, then he will simply weaken his own body. One well-known expression can be applied here: “In order not to remember the black cat, you need to remember the purple dog.” This statement can be found in various variations, but the meaning remains the same.

When obsessive thoughts begin to overcome, it is recommended to mentally imagine that there is a “delete” button in the brain that should be pressed, and switch your attention to topical activities or more pleasant things.

Creativity is one of the most effective ways to get rid of neurosis-like conditions. It is necessary to write on a piece of paper about everything that torments, causes inconvenience, that interferes with a comfortable existence.

You can draw problems. It doesn’t matter at all whether you have artistic abilities. The beauty and clarity of the lines is not important here, the main thing is to give freedom to your own imagination.

You can sculpt a disturbing problem from clay or plasticine, or cut it out of colored cardboard. The main thing is to allow yourself to do whatever your soul wants at the moment, to express painful ideas in the most convenient way. After the work has been done, you need to carefully listen to the sensations inside. If you don’t want to write, draw or sculpt anything anymore, then it’s time to get rid of obsessive thoughts and anxiety on your own. You can tear it into tiny pieces, burn it, throw it away, launch it into the distance as an airplane, crush it, crush your own “creation.”

Exciting fantasies, ideas and feelings can be transformed into new opportunities, a resource, a zone of development. For example, if you are constantly haunted by the thought of an iron not turned off or an unlocked door, then you need to start developing your own attention and memory. In addition to the fact that this will help you remember exactly when the iron is turned off, these skills will also contribute to your work life and will significantly make your daily life easier.

In order to get rid of obsessive thoughts and anxiety, it is recommended to try to identify the patterns of their occurrence. For example, disturbing thoughts begin to overcome in the evening or early in the morning. Maybe they arise only because a person’s subconscious wants to help a person - to evade an unwanted task, work, call. Intrusive thoughts can be a kind of bell, signaling the need to look back at your own life: you may be tired of boring work or tormented by everyday life. When obsessions appear, it is important to understand what was the trigger.

The method of distraction has proven to be no less effective in getting rid of obsessions. After all, sometimes a person needs so little to feel happy - to hear the sound of the sea, see the sunset, enjoy the singing of spring birds.
Sometimes you can stare at the fire and forget about all the situations disturbing your soul, as if time has stopped and everything has stood still. This happens because the brain, distracted by various dynamic processes, believes that everything else is not so significant, and therefore any sticky and debilitating thoughts, emotions, images go away, as a result of which the individual feels relaxed, feels a surge of strength, and is also illuminated by inspiration . Therefore, the more often you occupy your brain with various tasks, the lower the likelihood of neurosis.

It is also necessary to realize that when an individual accepts obsessive thoughts from the outside and commits certain actions as a result of their influence, then he must take responsibility for these actions, as well as their consequences. You should not shift responsibility to haunting thoughts. Since a person acted in accordance with them, therefore, it was he who accepted them. In addition, it was not thoughts that produced actions, but the individual himself.

In order to get rid of obsessions, it is recommended to stop tirelessly reproducing thoughts and practice. Because it is self-hypnosis that has enormous power. Thanks to it, you can eliminate pain, cure a psychosomatic disorder or improve your state of mind. The method of self-hypnosis is widely used in psychotherapy.

Finding himself in a crisis situation, an individual unconsciously begins to utter statements that can only worsen the condition. Self-hypnosis comes into play, leading to a feeling of complete powerlessness, despair, melancholy, various disorders and ailments. If a person begins to notice that he is constantly repeating a negative attitude, then it is recommended to replace it with the opposite, trying to repeat it more often.

Also, to independently get rid of obsessive thoughts and anxiety, you should consciously abandon hidden interests and benefits. No matter how unnatural it may seem, an individual, overwhelmed by exhausting, annoying thoughts, often looks for an imaginary benefit for himself in their presence. However, they do not admit this to themselves. Psychologists call this phenomenon “secondary gain.”

When it seems that the benefits of suffering outweigh the benefits of mental comfort. However, this is only self-deception, so you should try to find and comprehend the “secondary benefit”. Only after this will the individual be able to eradicate obsession and find a way out of the current situation.

People suffering from haunting obsessive thoughts should realize the absurdity of these thoughts. Several coherent, reasonable theses help expose the absurdity of the thoughts tormenting them. It is important that the arguments are clear, clear and concise. It is better not to enter into a long argument with your own obsessive thoughts. Because such behavior is doomed to failure in advance. Such a dialogue will end with emotions prevailing over reason.

There is a certain group of annoying thoughts that are easier to overcome than other obsessive thoughts. They are characterized by a connection with certain actions, the future, which is in the hands of people. The described group includes fear of the future, consequences, and loneliness. This also includes the popular question of how to get rid of obsessive thoughts about a person.

The basis of these fears is banal indecision. You need to stop worrying and start taking action. You have to face your own fears head on. After all, it is not known in advance whether they are justified or not; it is not known whether tomorrow will be as it seems or otherwise. The only way to find out is to test experimentally what happens next. Fears will dissipate on their own when a person is convinced that the reasons for worry simply do not exist. You need to concentrate your own will in a fist and follow in the forward direction.

It should also be understood that the problem is best solved comprehensively. Before you begin implementing the above methods, you need to review your own routine and daily diet. It is recommended to minimize the consumption of psychostimulants. It is better to replace the usual caffeine-containing drinks and tea with herbal infusions with an emphasis on sedative herbs. A collection consisting of St. John's wort, valerian officinalis and mint will be effective. The effect of this drink can be increased with buckwheat honey.

As already written above, in order to get rid of obsessive states, it is necessary to diversify your own leisure time so as not to leave even the minimum opportunity for annoying thoughts to take over the individual’s consciousness. Idleness must be eliminated from daily life. Therefore, the day should be planned literally minute by minute. You cannot leave even a second for destructive thoughts.

In addition to the above, it is necessary to carry out psychological work with yourself daily. This work should be aimed at eliminating tormenting thoughts from the head. It is easier to do this when there is an understanding that every thought is only a tiny part of the person himself, which is determined by his environment, upbringing, environment and much more. Therefore, you should not identify yourself with obsessive thoughts. Only after this postulate is accepted by the individual and assimilated can one proceed to the next steps.

Obsessions are difficult to resist and almost impossible to destroy. This statement is worth recognizing in order to move on. Destructive thoughts must be ignored without engaging in “demagoguery” with them.

There is no need to immerse yourself in your own inner world, giving complete power over yourself to obsessive thoughts. It is better to pay attention to the riot of colors and variety of events in the real world.

We often hear the words “all diseases come from nerves” and nod our heads in agreement. “I’m all on edge!” - the man says, not attaching any meaning to these words. But this state often transforms into unpleasant, complex and persistent mental reactions: obsessive thoughts and fears, anxiety and restlessness, annoying fears, painful anticipation of something bad.

Often we show only a superficial interest in these symptoms, blaming everything on fatigue. Measures to combat this very “nerves” boil down to “Soothing collection No. 333” from the pharmacy and “Relaxing bath foam” from the cosmetics store. And in vain, because it is “from nerves” that you can get a fair amount of even worse ailments and phobias. How to get rid of obsessive thoughts in your head and return to a good mood? In the fight against negativity, one should turn to practical psychology.

Syndromes, their manifestations and consequences

The concept of “syndrome” in psychology means a set of symptoms that most often manifest themselves in the body together, not separately.

For example, “chronic fatigue syndrome,” which has unfortunately become well known to many, often refers to itself as a combination of the following symptoms:

• bad mood, especially in the morning and evening;
• irritability;
• night sleep disorder;
• daytime sleepiness;
• fast fatiguability.

How to recognize an obsession

One of the syndromes that makes a person’s life not just uncomfortable, but sometimes unbearable, is obsession.

People often complain:

• “I’m haunted by the thought of...”
• “I can’t stop thinking about...”
• “I got it into my head that...”
• “I can’t shake the feeling...”

It is extremely difficult to remove such thoughts before bed and during the day on your own. Intrusive thoughts can take the form of ideas and specific images when, due to strong feelings, a person becomes fixated on another person. Obsessive thoughts are usually negative. Against this background, a person experiences so-called distress - severe negative stress that the body cannot cope with. The immune system is seriously affected by distress as the production of immune cells is reduced. Weakened by a state of distress, the body is susceptible to infections.

Obsessive thoughts are not always, but often followed by obsessive behavior.

All this is obsession - constant or frequent obsessive thoughts, ideas, fears. How to get rid of obsessive thoughts about a person, about work, about life in general? Read below the recommendations from “EasyPoleno”.

Getting rid of obsession

So, life became not a joy. I can’t sleep in the evening: I’m overcome by bad, anxious premonitions, obsessive thoughts about the bad. In the morning – a state of “overwhelm” and frequent sticky fears. During the day - inability to concentrate on work, expectation of trouble at any moment. In the evening before going to bed - a premonition of painful insomnia. Dark thoughts swirl in the head, leading a person to complete nervous and even physical exhaustion.

There is no need to despair. Before you get rid of negative thoughts, you should acknowledge the very fact of the presence of an obsession. This will be the first step towards getting rid of it, although the struggle will be long.

1. First, you need to separate yourself from your obsessions, realize: “It’s not me who is scrolling through bad, painful thoughts in my head. This is what my obsession does.” By accepting your condition, you will stop punishing yourself for bad thoughts.
2. The next stage is to reduce the significance of bad thoughts. To do this, it is important to understand: the state of apprehension and fear has nothing to do with reality. Tension and anxiety are the result of biochemical processes in the brain, a product of thinking, and not the events of the surrounding reality.
3. Because the person is fixated, refocusing is necessary. It is important to find something good, something positive, something you love, and learn to focus on it. This stage is comparable to the development of new ones and will require patience and will.

Step-by-step fight against obsessions

It is important to follow a daily routine: it helps to shift attention to reality. To do this, we try to create rituals, for example, a ritual of falling asleep.

Walk

For example, you like to walk outdoors. You should determine the time at which you will take an evening walk. Give yourself a setting: “Exactly at eight o’clock in the evening I go out for a walk before going to bed.” Physical activity itself will give additional fatigue and help saturate the body with oxygen. Walk “mindfully”, concentrate on your movements, for example, count your steps.

Pay attention to details: what is the weather like today? Is the wind blowing? What is the path in the park covered with? What color are the leaves and clouds? Try to remember your favorite poems and songs about nature. Concentrating on the positive aspects of reality will speed up the departure of annoying thoughts.

Water procedures

If you love water, then the second ritual could be a shower or bath before bed. Water is important for people not only for body hygiene: its properties can be used for relaxation. It is important that the water temperature is comfortable, not too hot and not cold. Immersion in a warm bath will remind the subconscious of the absolute state of the baby in the womb, in the amniotic fluid. This is a state of peace and security: no need to fight for life and its quality, no worries about the future.

You can add essential oils with a calming effect to the bath, but you should remember that the doses of essential oils are calculated in drops, their effect is quite strong. Oils of chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, sage, bergamot, jasmine, cedar, basil, geranium, patchouli, incense and valerian effectively calm the nervous system. As well as lemon, tangerine or grapefruit oils, but it is important to make sure that you are not allergic to these citrus fruits.

Standing under the shower, direct the stream from top to bottom, onto your head. Imagine how it washes away negativity and fatigue. Tell yourself, “I am washing away the bad so I can embrace the good.”

After a bath or shower, it’s good to drink herbal tea or herbal tea before bed, if you like it. Let it be aromatic, not strong and not hot. Savor every sip! After this you can go to bed. It is important to follow a routine and go to bed at the same time every day so that your brain is primed for sleep in advance.

Sleeping position

When going to bed, take a position in bed that is comfortable for you. Concentrate, feel how your muscles relax, how pleasant it is for your body to feel the warmth or coolness of a fresh bed. You must sleep in a ventilated area. At this moment you should be absolutely comfortable: not hot, not cold, comfortable. Make sure that the position in which you fall asleep does not cause disruption of the blood supply to certain parts of the body, so that, for example, the arm or neck does not become numb.

Thoughts before bed

It's time to get rid of the habit of watching TV or reading news on a tablet or smartphone before going to bed. An hour before bedtime, you should put your gadgets aside.

In bed, relax and close your eyes, remember a moment in your life when you felt very good. It is desirable that this be a calm, peaceful state. Perhaps you will remember how you lay on a sunny beach listening to the sound of the surf or sitting at dawn with a fishing rod by the river in the silence of the forest. It is important to remember this moment in as much detail as possible: what time of year it was, what kind of area it was, what kind of forest it was, what trees and shrubs grew there, what kind of herbs near the river filled the air with aromas. Remember the singing of birds, the splashing of water. Completely immerse yourself in the state of those blissful moments. And little by little a miracle will begin to happen.

When you doze off, but have not yet fallen into deep sleep, your brain operates in what is called the alpha rhythm, which produces a state of deep, conscious relaxation, similar to a trance. The trance state is rehabilitative for the brain:

• blood supply quickly improves by at least 70%;
• all recovery processes in the body are accelerated;
• muscle spasms and blocks go away.

And most importantly, in this state we perceive positive attitudes very easily. In this way, a connection is gradually developed between falling asleep and a state of pleasant peace, and not obsessive anxiety or bad thoughts.

If obsessive thoughts refuse to give up, try this trick: close your eyes and focus your inner gaze on the point between your eyebrows. Now try to think about something. You will almost certainly not succeed, provided that you look at this point and do not take your inner gaze anywhere.

Your brain will work in the same alpha rhythm when you wake up. Don’t rush to jump out of bed - lie down for a couple of minutes, feel how comfortable your bed is, what gentle warmth it gives to your body. It is important to nourish yourself with these pleasant sensations. Again, give yourself the mindset that the coming day will be just as pleasant and comfortable.

So, now you know how you can get rid of obsessive thoughts, anxieties and fears. It's not easy, but it's quite possible. Follow our advice, study yourself, work on yourself, and most importantly, love yourself. Learn to live in a state of harmony with yourself, study and use all methods for this, enrich yourself with new knowledge and skills. And be happy!

Ecology of Health: The quality of your thoughts also affects how your brain functions. Happy, favorable, positive thoughts improve brain function, and negative ones turn off certain nerve centers. Automatic negative thoughts can torment and torment you until you take concrete action to get rid of them.

The quality of your thoughts also affects how your brain functions. Happy, favorable, positive thoughts improve brain function, and negative ones turn off certain nerve centers. Automatic negative thoughts can torment and torment you until you take concrete action to get rid of them.

We'll talk about the inner critic later, but for now, familiarize yourself with the concept of ants. Ant (English). - ant; For “automatic intrusive negative thoughts,” the abbreviation “ANTs” (automatic negative thoughts) is used. Or "cockroaches".


They are, as it were, the background of our thoughts. Involuntary negative thoughts come and go spontaneously, like bats flying in and out, bringing with them doubts and frustrations, we practically do not notice them in our daily lives.

For example, when you are late for the train, you think to yourself: “What a fool I am, I always do everything at the last moment,” or when in the store you try on clothes and look at yourself in the mirror: “Ugh, what a nightmare, it’s time to lose weight !

Negative intrusive automatic thoughts- this is an incessant voice that sounds in our head 24 hours a day: negative ideas, comments, negative thoughts about ourselves. They constantly drag us down, they are like footnotes that undermine our confidence and self-esteem. They are the “second wave” of thoughts that Beck noticed.

The first thing you must do is pay attention to these thoughts, learn to notice when they appear and when they leave your consciousness. Look at the picture of the glass: negative thoughts are foam on the surface. It fizzes and dissolves, revealing your thoughts or feelings that you feel at the moment.

They show the meaning we attach to what is happening around us. They also give us insight into how we perceive the world and what place we occupy in it. Automatic negative thoughts are a manifestation of what rises from the bottom of the glass, what bubbles to the surface from a deeper psychological level.

Automatic negative thoughts greatly suppress self-esteem, they are like endless nagging; Negative in nature, they will constantly make comments towards you, causing depression, giving everything you try to do or achieve a negative connotation.

Becoming aware of your negative thoughts can help you deal with your deeper emotional issues. Automatic negative thoughts weigh on you drop by drop, distorting your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Automatic intrusive negative thoughts:

they exist persistently in your mind

you just need to start noticing them;

they are aware

show how you think, they lie on the surface, this is not the subconscious;

they oppress

because they are inherently “bad”, they make you depressed and spoil your mood;

they are regulated

depend on the situation (for example, if you are walking down the street at night, you think: “I’m scared, now someone will attack me”);

they “seem to be true” - they are masks that we put on and believe them (for example: “I’m no good”, “I’m too fat in these jeans”, “I’ll never get my work done on time”, “I always choose not to”). this/wrong guy/girl”, “Nobody loves me”);

we conduct an internal dialogue with them

we can always convince ourselves of something or talk ourselves out of something: we put on masks and believe them;

they are constant, especially if your problems have long been embedded in your life, for example, if you have depression. Your NNMs constantly convince you that you are worthless, that no one loves you, that you are worthless, that you are helpless and alone.

Did you know that when a thought occurs, the brain releases chemicals? This is amazing. The thought came, substances were released, electrical signals ran through the brain, and you realized what you were thinking. In this sense, thoughts are material and have a direct impact on feelings and behavior.

Anger, dissatisfaction, sadness or frustration release negative chemicals that activate the limbic system and reduce physical well-being. Remember how you felt the last time you were angry? Most people's muscles tense, their heart beats faster, and their hands begin to sweat.

The body reacts to every negative thought. Mark George, MD, proved this with an elegant brain study at the National Institute of Mental Health. He examined 10 women on a tomograph and asked them to alternately think about something neutral, something happy and something sad.

During neutral reflections, nothing changed in the functioning of the brain. Joyful thoughts were accompanied by a calming of the limbic system. When they had sad thoughts, the subjects' limbic system became highly active. This is compelling proof that your thoughts matter.

Every time you think about something positive, joyful, pleasant and kind, you contribute to the release of neurotransmitters in the brain that calm the limbic system and improve physical well-being. Remember how you felt when you were happy. Most people relax, their heart rate slows down, and their hands remain dry. They breathe deeper and calmer. That is, the body also reacts to good thoughts.

What is the limbic system? This is the most ancient section of the brain, which is located in its very depths, more precisely in the center to the bottom. What is she responsible for:

sets emotional tone

filters external and internal experience (distinguishes between what we ourselves thought and what is actually happening)

designates internal events as important

stores emotional memory

modulates motivation (what we want and do what is required of us)

controls appetite and sleep cycle

makes emotional connections with other people.

processes odors

regulates libido

If you worry every day, namely, deliberately think about what bad things could happen to you and your family in the future, and you have a family history of anxiety disorders and even have had adverse childhood experiences, then it is likely that your limbic system is very active. condition.

It’s quite interesting that the limbic system is stronger than the cortex, including the frontal cortex, which is aware and controls everything. So if a charge of activity hits from the limbic, the cortex cannot always cope. Moreover, the main blow does not hit the bark directly, but in a roundabout way. The impulse is sent to the hypothalamus, and it instructs the pituitary gland to release hormones. And the hormones themselves trigger this or that behavior.

When the limbic is calm (low-active mode), we experience positive emotions, have hopes, feel included in society and loved. We sleep well and have a normal appetite. When she is overexcited, the emotions are generally negative. The limbic system is responsible for translating feelings into a physical state of relaxation and tension. If a person has not done what he was asked to do, his body will remain relaxed.

I explain that bad thoughts are like an infestation of ants in your head. If you are sad, melancholy and anxious, then you are attacked by automatic negative thoughts - “ants”. This means you need to call on the big, strong inner anteater to get rid of them. Children love this metaphor.

Every time you notice “ants” in your head, crush them before they have time to ruin your relationship and undermine your self-esteem.

One way to deal with such “ants” is to write them down on a piece of paper and discuss them. You should not accept every thought that comes to your consciousness as the ultimate truth. You need to decide which “ants” are visiting you and deal with them before they take away your power. I have identified 9 types of “ants” (automatic negative thoughts) that show situations worse than they really are. By identifying the type of ant, you will gain power over it. I classify some of these “ants” as red, that is, especially harmful.

9 Types of Automatic Negative Thoughts

1. Generalization: accompanied by the words “always”, “never”, “nobody”, “every”, “every time”, “everyone”.

2. Focus on the negative: noting only the bad moments in each situation.

3. Prediction: In everything, only a negative outcome is seen.

4. Mind Reading: the confidence that you know what the other person is thinking, even when he hasn't said it.

5. Mixing thoughts with feelings: in Believe in negative feelings without a doubt.

6. Guilt Punishment: accompanied by the ideas “must”, “obliged”, “necessary”.

7. Labeling: assigning negative labels to oneself or others.

8. Personalization: taking any neutral events personally.

9. Accusations: the tendency to blame others for one's troubles.

Negative Thought Type 1: GENERALIZING

These “ants” come crawling when you use words like “always”, “never”, “constantly”, “every”. For example, if someone in church annoys you, you will think to yourself, “People in church are always picking on me” or “Only hypocrites go to church.”

Although these thoughts are obviously wrong, they have incredible power, for example, they can scare you away from church forever. Negative thoughts with generalizations are almost always wrong.

Here’s another example: if a child doesn’t listen, an “ant” may crawl into his head: “He always doesn’t listen to me and doesn’t do what I ask,” although most of the time the child behaves quite obediently. However, the very thought “He always disobeys me” is so negative that it makes you angry and upset, activates the limbic system and leads to a negative reaction.

Here are more examples of “ant” generalizations:

• “She’s always gossiping”;
• “At work, no one cares about me”;
• “You never listen to me”;
• “Everyone is trying to take advantage of me”;
• “I get interrupted all the time”;
• “I never get a chance to rest.”

Type 2 of negative thoughts: EMPHASIS ON NEGATIVITY

In this case, you see only the negative aspect of the situation, although there are positive sides to almost everything. These “ants” detract from positive experiences, good relationships, and work interactions. For example, you want to help your neighbor. You have the ability to do this, and you know what needs to be done.

But, as you are about to offer help, you suddenly remember how your neighbor once offended you. And although at other times you communicated with him in a friendly manner, your thoughts begin to revolve around the unpleasant incident. Negative thoughts discourage the desire to help someone. Or imagine you're on a great date. Everything is going well, the girl is beautiful, smart, good, but she was 10 minutes late.

If you focus on her being late, you could ruin a potentially wonderful relationship. Or you came to a new church or synagogue for the first time. This is a very important experience. But someone noisy distracts you from the service. If you focus on the interference, the impressions will be spoiled.

Type 3 of negative thoughts: BAD PREDICTIONS

These “ants” crawl when we foresee something bad in the future. “Ants” predictors suffer from anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Predicting the worst causes an immediate increase in heart rate and breathing. I call these expectations red “ants” because by anticipating negativity, you are causing it. For example, you think it's going to be a bad day at work.

The first hint of failure strengthens this belief, and for the rest of the day you are depressed. Negative predictions disturb peace of mind. Of course, you should plan and prepare for different scenarios, but you can’t focus only on the negative.

Type of negative thoughts 4: IMAGINAL READING OF OTHER THOUGHTS

This is when you feel like you know other people's thoughts even though they haven't told you about them. This is a common cause of conflict between people.

Here are examples of such automatic negative thoughts:

• "He does not like me...";
• “They talked about me”;
• “They think I’m good for nothing”;
• “He was angry with me.”

I explain to patients that if someone looks at them darkly, then perhaps that person is just experiencing stomach pain. You cannot know his true thoughts. Even in a close relationship, you will not be able to read your partner's thoughts. When in doubt, speak frankly and refrain from biased mind reading. These “ants” are contagious and sow hostility.

Negative Thought Type 5: MIXING THOUGHTS WITH FEELINGS

These “ants” arise when you begin to trust your feelings without doubt. Feelings are very complex and are usually based on memories from the past. However, they often lie. Feelings are not necessarily true, they are just feelings. But many people believe that their emotions always tell the truth.

The appearance of such “ants” is usually marked by the phrase: “I feel that...”. For example: “I feel like you don’t love me,” “I feel stupid,” “I feel like a failure,” “I feel like no one believes in me.” When you start to “feel” something, double-check whether you have evidence? Are there true reasons for such emotions?

Negative Thought Type 6: PUNISHMENT WITH GUILT

Excessive guilt is rarely a healthy emotion, especially for the deep limbic system. It usually causes you to make mistakes. Punishment with guilt occurs when the words “must”, “must”, “should”, “necessary” pop up in the head.

Here are some examples:

• “I need to spend more time at home”; “I should communicate more with children”; “You need to have sex more often”; “My office should be organized.”

The feeling of guilt is often exploited by religious organizations: live this way, otherwise something terrible will happen to you. Unfortunately, when people think they have to do something (no matter what), they don't want to do it. Therefore, all typical phrases that appeal to feelings of guilt should be replaced with: “I want to do this and that. This aligns with my life goals."

For example:

• “I want to spend more time at home”;
• “I want to communicate more with children”;
• “I want to please my husband by improving our love life.”
• life, because it’s important to me”;
• “I intend to organize life in my office.”

Of course, there are things you shouldn't do, but feeling guilty isn't always productive.

Negative Thought Type 7: LABELING

Every time you put a negative label on yourself or someone else, you prevent yourself from seeing the situation clearly. Negative labels are very damaging because by calling someone a jerk, uncommitted, irresponsible, or opinionated, you equate them with every jerk and irresponsible person you've ever met, and you lose the ability to communicate productively with them.

Negative Thought Type 8: PERSONALIZATION

These “ants” force you to take any innocent event personally. “The boss didn’t talk to me this morning, he’s probably angry.” Sometimes it seems to a person that he is responsible for all the troubles. “My son was in a car accident, I should have spent more time teaching him how to drive, it’s my fault.” There are many explanations for any trouble, but the overactive limbic system chooses only those that concern you. The boss may not talk because he is busy, upset, or in a hurry. You are not free to know why people do what they do. Don't try to take their behavior personally.

Type 9 of negative thoughts (the most poisonous red “ants”!): ACCUSATIONS

Blaming is very harmful because by blaming someone else for your problems, you become a victim and are unable to do anything to change the situation. A huge number of personal relationships collapsed because people blamed their partners for all the troubles and did not take responsibility for themselves. If something went wrong at home or at work, they withdrew and looked for someone to blame.

“Ant” accusations usually sound like this:

• “It’s not my fault that...”;
• “This wouldn’t have happened if you...”;
• “How could I know”;
• “It’s all your fault that...”

“Ants” - accusations always find someone to blame. Every time you blame someone for your problems, you are actually assuming that you are powerless to change anything. This attitude erodes your sense of personal strength and will. Refrain from blaming and take responsibility for your life.

In order for the brain to function properly, you need to manage your thoughts and emotions. Having noticed an “ant” crawling into your consciousness, recognize it and write down its essence. By writing down your automatic negative thoughts (ANT), you question them and reclaim the power they steal from you. Kill the internal "ants" and feed them to your "anteater".

Your thoughts are extremely important because they calm or fire up the limbic system. Leaving the “ants” unattended will infect your entire body. Challenge automatic negative thoughts every time you notice them.

Automatic negative thoughts rely on irrational logic. If you take them out into the light and look at them under a microscope, you will see how ridiculous they are and how much harm they cause. Take control of your life without leaving your fate to the will of an overactive limbic system.

Sometimes people have a hard time challenging negative thoughts because they feel like they will be deceiving themselves. But to know what is true and what is not, you need to be aware of your thoughts. Most “ants” crawl unnoticed; they are chosen not by you, but by your poorly tuned brain. To find the truth, you need to doubt.

I often ask patients about automatic negative thoughts: are there many of them or few? To keep your limbic system healthy, you need to keep the ants under control.

What to do?

0. Develop awareness. Developed awareness is the best way to treat and prevent negative thoughts.

1. Monitoring negative thoughts. Learn to see them. Negative thoughts are part of a vicious circle. The limbic gives a signal - it causes bad thoughts - bad thoughts cause activation of the amygdala (the main guard of the brain) - the amygdala partially releases the excitement into the limbic - the limbic is even more activated.

2. See them as just thoughts - unreal formations. Don't give them any importance. They should not be actively pushed out either. Feed your anteater. Maintain the habit of identifying negative thoughts and reconsidering them. Praise yourself for this in every possible way.

3. Have doubts. Sometimes people have a hard time challenging negative thoughts because they feel like they will be deceiving themselves. But to know what is true and what is not, you need to be aware of your thoughts. Most “ants” crawl unnoticed; they are chosen not by you, but by your poorly tuned brain. To find the truth, you need to doubt. I often ask patients about automatic negative thoughts: are there many of them or few? To keep your limbic system healthy, you need to keep the ants under control.

4. Seek external confirmation. Attract more people who give you positive feedback. Good connections calm the limbic system, which also creates a feeling of gratitude. Focus on the positive, designate it. Positive thoughts are not only good for you personally, they also help your brain function better. Every day, write down five things you are grateful for that day.

5. Teach people around you to build strong emotional connections with you.(express your feelings, show the importance of the people around you, refresh relationships, strengthen intimacy, etc.). Reduce stress levels with the power of oxytocin. I will write more about this.

6. Act in spite of fear.

Can Positive Behavior Change the Brain? Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, assessed the relationship between brain function and behavior in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People with OCD were randomly divided into two groups. One was treated with drugs and the other with behavioral therapy.

The researchers performed PET imaging (similar to SPECT) before and after therapy. The medication group, which was treated with an antidepressant, showed calming activity in the basal ganglia, which is implicated in dwelling on negativity. The behavioral therapy group showed the same results.

Behavioral therapy involved placing patients in a stressful situation and demonstrating that nothing bad was happening to them. This therapy aims to reduce sensitivity to feared objects and situations.

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For example, people who had an obsessive fear of “dirt”, seeing it everywhere, were asked to touch a potentially “dirty” object (say, a table) and, with the help of a therapist, refrain from immediately washing their hands.

Gradually people moved on to more and more “scary” objects. Eventually their fears diminished and disappeared completely. Behavioral therapy also included other techniques: eliminating obsessive thoughts (people were asked to stop thinking about bad things), distraction (advice to switch to something else). published

Obsessive thoughts (obsessions), unlike ordinary ones, “besiege” a person’s brain, unsettle him, and even frighten him. Often this condition is accompanied by depressed mood, apathy, feelings of guilt, and when compulsive actions appear along with obsessive thoughts, psychiatrists suggest obsessive-compulsive disorder.

What are obsessive thoughts?

In the initial stage of the disease, obsessive thoughts manifest themselves in difficult, emotionally costly situations, for example, before public speaking, important dates, or at a new job. Over time, the syndrome “captures” ordinary everyday situations and a person can remember all day long whether he turned off the kettle or the iron. The biological purpose of obsessive thoughts is to remind you of something, but the longer a person is under the influence of the syndrome, the more irrational and emotional the obsessions become.

Obsessive thoughts syndrome occurs when several factors combine, for example, severe life shocks combined with a weakness of the nervous system. Obsessions are often compared to chewing gum - they “overwhelm” the brain, causing it to work slowly and unproductively. To combat “mental chewing gum,” a person comes up with various rituals, for example, knocking and counting. However, it is impossible to get rid of obsessive thoughts through an effort of will; this is also one of the symptoms of the condition.

Obsessive thoughts - reasons

To understand where obsessive thoughts come from, psychiatrists have identified a number of biological and neuropsychiatric factors that provoke the appearance of obsessions:

• abnormalities in the structure and functioning of the brain;
• disruptions in the metabolism of neurotransmitters, deficiency of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine;
• mutations in the hSERT gene that transports serotonin;
• PANDAS syndrome – exposure to streptococci;
• children's complexes;
• frequent traumatic situations;
• exhaustion of the nervous system;
• some are epilepsy, schizophrenia, alcoholism.

Types of obsessive thoughts

It is very difficult to describe and classify all the existing variety of obsessions. This was done as accurately and completely as possible by Jasper, who divided obsessive thoughts into two large groups:

1. Distracted – not causing anxiety, relatively safe. These include arithmomania - the desire to count everything, the desire to break sentences into words, words into syllables, the habit of telling memories about something to others.
2. Figurative obsessive thoughts are ideas that cause. These include obsessive blasphemous thoughts, doubts about one’s actions, fear of doing something wrong, a desire to commit indecent acts, difficult experiences of the past that the patient lives over and over again, and transfer of personality into virtual space.

How to live with obsessive thoughts?

People who are tormented by obsessive thoughts can be divided into several categories:

1. "Raccoon Raccoons"- these are individuals who are tormented by the fear of infection, contamination, so they endlessly wash, clean and disinfect.
2. "Pedants"- people who strive for ideal order, a clear sequence, they always put everything in its place, by color, symmetrically, etc.
3. "Reinsurers"- individuals who are afraid of any mortal danger constantly check appliances, gas, and locks on the front door.
4. "Atheists"- people who do everything perfectly out of fear of sinning.
5. "Keepers"- persons convinced of the need to preserve everything that reminds of the past, this ritual is intended to ward off trouble.

People who are tormented by obsessive thoughts and fears predominantly choose two lines of behavior. In the first case, they deliberately act contrary to their fears, for example, if they are afraid of getting into a car accident, they deliberately violate traffic rules. In the second case, a person carefully avoids situations that are traumatic for him, and does not even come close to objects that are dangerous to him.

How to get rid of obsessive thoughts?

When an endless internal dialogue with oneself completely tires a person, he begins to think about how to deal with obsessive thoughts. Moreover, obsessions are very often accompanied by insomnia, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, and panic attacks. The first and most logical step to getting rid of obsessive thoughts is proper rest, preferably with a change of environment. But if this does not help, you need to consult a doctor.

How to treat obsessive thoughts?

Complex therapy prescribed by doctors for obsession includes medications and psychotherapy. The main “pills for obsessive thoughts” are antidepressants: Phenazepam, Relanium, Diazepam, Elenium, Napoton. A psychotherapist, working with a patient, helps eliminate neurotic symptoms, instill self-control skills, increase self-esteem and emotional state. Used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and hypnosis.

Obsessive thoughts - treatment with folk remedies

With anxiety disorders, a person’s internal dialogue constantly torments him, so he often asks himself the question - how to remove obsessive thoughts from his head on his own, using folk remedies. It is useless to argue with the inner voice - obsessive thoughts always return, often capturing “friends”. A technique consisting of several successive steps that you can use independently will help you get rid of obsessions:

1. The first step is to observe obsessive thoughts without delving into their meaning. You need to learn to understand that it is not the mind, but obsession that forces you to endlessly check whether the door is closed.
2. The second step is observing the sensations caused by obsessions, experiencing these emotions, even if they cause unpleasant feelings. If, in addition to thoughts, a person has compulsive movements, it is necessary to resist the desire to perform them. At this stage, you need to understand that all “saving” rituals are just the result of a malfunction in the brain.
3. The third step is focusing on the surroundings, on the smallest details - textures, sounds, etc. It is advisable to switch to something that brings pleasure.
4. You can make these steps easier with the help of sedative herbal teas (with valerian, chamomile, lemon balm) and breathing exercises.

Intrusive Thoughts - Christianity

Christian priests consider any obsessive thoughts to be evil, because... obsession with any topic, especially blasphemous, is unacceptable for them. Christianity advises how to cope with obsessive thoughts using the power of prayer. It is necessary to read the prayer at moments when obsessions appear thoughtfully, without rushing. This process in this case produces a distracting effect and the person switches his attention to thoughts about God.

The information flow that modern people encounter, on the one hand, provides people with the necessary knowledge, on the other hand, can lead to its incorrect perception. Obsessive thoughts visit everyone, but for some they take on the dimensions of a mental disorder, especially if they are associated with shocks in the past or justified by facts in the present. There are many types of such psycho-emotional disorders; most can be eliminated on your own using simple methods and exercises.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Fortune teller Baba Nina:“There will always be plenty of money if you put it under your pillow...” Read more >>

The Impact of Anxiety on Health

Experts say that the most common causes of illness are the following emotions:

• anger;
• resentment;
• envy;
• fears;
• constant worry and anxiety due to obsessive thoughts.

Anxious experiences and obsessive thoughts about failures and horrors that may happen are often caused by emotional turmoil that happened in the past. They may be based on the fear of repeating an unpleasant situation and not knowing how to get out of it. But such thoughts can also arise unfoundedly, in absolutely healthy people. As anxiety accumulates, it leads to nervous tension, which primarily disrupts the functioning of the digestive system. The most common pathology that appears as a result of an unstable emotional state is stomach ulcers.

In second place among “nervous” diseases are disorders of the cardiovascular system.

In addition, constant stress and bad thoughts provoke the following problems:

1. 1. Addictions: alcohol, drugs, food.
2. 2. Excess weight, which appears due to overeating or the constant release of large amounts of the hormone cortisol. During emotional distress, cortisol is released into the bloodstream to help the body cope with difficulties. But if the stress is prolonged, then this hormone inhibits metabolic processes.
3. 3. Diseases of the reproductive system due to hormonal surges. In women, the hormonal cycle and microflora of the genital organs are disrupted, and neoplasms may appear. In men, potency decreases and sperm quality deteriorates.
4. 4. General immunity decreases, the body becomes more susceptible to infections and bacteria.
5. 5. Mental problems arise due to depression: complexes, phobias, suicidal tendencies, serious mental illnesses, including obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Experts believe that all mental disorders develop against the background of depression.

One of the serious mental disorders that arise from obsessive thoughts is obsessive-compulsive disorder, the symptom of which is constant anxiety. In addition to the fact that a person constantly thinks about possible danger, he takes the same actions to avoid them. But, according to psychologists and psychotherapists, in some cases such manipulations only intensify the manifestations of the syndrome.

The process of occurrence of obsessive thoughts is associated with the instinct of self-preservation:

1. 1. A person is initially inclined to enter into internal dialogues with himself.
2. 2. He develops negative emotions due to a certain problem.
3. 3. A belief in the validity of these emotions arises.
4. 4. The brain signals that the problem needs to be solved.

But often the significance of the difficulty that a person constantly thinks about is exaggerated.

The most common types of OCD:

To cope with obsessive-compulsive disorder, you need to make sure that the person has obsessive thoughts and not schizophrenia or Tourette syndrome. In the first case, the person’s state at the time of the attack is characterized by panic and the association of random objects, events and things with his phobias. In the second - uncontrollable facial tics, tongue sticking out, grimaces. A qualified professional can diagnose the disorder.

For severe mental illnesses, the patient is individually prescribed treatment, which consists of taking medications and psychotherapy sessions of various directions.

How to deal with intrusive thoughts

To treat a disorder in which paranoid thoughts and ideas are a symptom, it is better to seek the help of a specialist. But you can try to get rid of it yourself. To do this you need:

• realize the nature of many obsessive thoughts - namely, the emotions of fear, understand that they cannot be removed with the help of logical arguments and rational thinking, this is possible only at the level of the emotional sphere;
• find out whether obsessive thoughts are based on a real problem (for example, a fear of repeating a situation from the past, the manifestation of symptoms of a serious illness) or are absurd;
• work on yourself every day.

If fears have grounds, you need to fight them according to a scheme that involves logical thinking:

Expert advice will help you free yourself from absurd obsessive thoughts:

Constant development, proper rest and saturation of life with vivid emotions are the main conditions for getting rid of obsessive thoughts. The more varied and interesting a person’s life, the less often he experiences fears. Severe forms of the disorder should be corrected only under the supervision of specialists.