Racing thoughts.
 

Hey guys,
I've been a member of RYL for a while now but I've come back to hopefully get some advice.

I've always had problems with racing thoughts before but I don't think i have ever mentioned it on here. It's starting to really bother me again and I feel like it is time to really try and get something done about it.

I have had blood tests (results were all good) and been prescribed anti-depressants in the past but, if anything, the anti-depressants only made the racing thoughts worse and put me into a quite hyper-active state.

I've been to the doctors multiple times and mentioned the problems I'm facing but they always seem to just think i'm depressed and want to prescribe more drugs. I feel like they always get the wrong idea and aren't really listening to what I'm telling them.

What can I do? I want to solve these problems I'm having without resorting to my usual maladaptive coping methods...

Any advice or even someone who has experienced something similar would be greatly appreciated. I'm starting to think I'm some sort of basket case.

I've been reading my old forum posts and I can't help but feel like I'm just on a ferris wheel. Going round and round.

Hi,

Have you ever thought about talking therapies or anything like that?

I mentioned it once to my Dr and they referred me to a place that I thought might be a talking therapy of some kind. Unfortunately, after about 10 minutes I realised that the person I was talking to liked to jump to conclusions and just didn't seem to listen to me after that.

But I guess it's worth mentioning that they referred me under the assumption I was suffering from depression.

It's worth asking about again. You might end up speaking with someone who is more helpful. Mindfulness is worth looking into for racing thoughts. I often have chaotic thoughts that seem to lose control, but I sometimes find mindfulness exercises to be helpful.

I understand what you mean and have tried certain excercises in the past. But sometimes the thoughts are so loud and repetitive that it feels impossible to think about anything. I have racing thoughts pretty much all the time, but occasionally I have thoughts that simply wont stop. On these occasions it almost feels like it's not me actively thinking them, it's like my brain is a broken record, playing the same thing over and over.

Combine this with the anti-depressants making me feel hyperactive and then sometimes I have weeks of feeling terrible and weeks of intense optimism and drive, I just want to feel more 'normal', if there is such a thing.

In my opinion you really should see a dr again. What I have found helpful in the past is recording my moods/thoughts and showing the dr. It sounds like it would be worth talking to someone and seeing a psychiatrist due to the reaction to the anti depressants.

I find when manic and loads of different things in my head it helps to just write it all down! A big email or essay helps me!