I have been told a million times i cannot go crazy, then why does it feel like it, my thoughts are just bizzare, it feels like im trapped in my mind, im just too aware of my mind, im scared of my mind, everything to do with it scares me, way to complicated for me, i keep wondering how i am able to "think", how i am able to have memories, how i am able to picture images in my mind, and just how my mind is here. see what i mean im way to much in my mind. im soo focusted on my mind that its blocking my vision all i do all day is think and think about my mind and it scary, its not normal, before my anxiety i don't think i have ever had a thought about my mind. this is going to be impossible to get rid of becasue my mind is always here as long as im alive so how can i stop thinking of it?..i just feel like im going to get lost in my mind..who ever reads this please respond truthfully is this screwed up or what..i really think that i am the only one who thinks like this and i really think that this is how people go insane.. i wish i had any other thought pattern...anything else but this...its damaging my mind..it can't be healthy thinking like this..

thanks for having time to read this. please respond truthfull.

You are defintely not the only one that thinks like this. I have gone through the exact same thing. A year ago I was really bad with this, it has gotten a lot better now, but I still have days that it comes back full force.

This is somthing i go through daily since as far back as 5 years old. I feel like I am lost in my mind all the time. I am closterphobic too so somtimes I feel like I am coming out of my skin too. I get very trapped in my brain. I think about thinking too. I think so much a whole day will go by and nothing will get done in my home. cause I sat and thinked all day long. SaD!! I feel like there is too much wrong with me possibly fix it, such a waste. I dont know if it is normal or somthing that will go away or will I go crazy. I dunno. I hope that you and I get the answers we need soon.

Monica

I also have that problem and it is so hard to do anything "normal" like work, go out, be home, but I asked the psychiatrist last time I was there about this program and if it possible to change the way your brain thinks and he said yes! He also said from the sound of what I told him about this program, it could save me numerous trips to the counselor's and to his office. We just have to train our brain to think a different way. Work on this problem today and if it is still happening tomorrow then work on it again tomorrow and if it is happening the day after that then work on it then too. This program and the confirmation from a psychiatrist has given me hope that I can change my thoughts.....just imagine how different your life will be once you change your thoughts. For me to imagine that scares me too because there are so many possibilities.

Also- If you aren't actually thinking positive yet, fake it... Pretend you are a positive thinker and say positive things out loud. Positive attracts positive things in your life and negative attracts negative things in your life.
Good luck!

do not feel alone on this... I am going through the same stuff. Remember that it IS normal for you to feel this way, but only when you are anxious. Keep changing your thought patterns as much as possible. Challenge the thoughts with the knowledge that your thought patterns hanged at one point AND THAT IT CAN CHANGE BACK. You weren't always like this, nor will you always be. It will get better. Just know that... and keep telling yourself that you are making progress. YOU ARE!! I was crying profusely about 10 minutes ago, but then I remembered that I was n't always like this. I can change the way I think because I have done it before... although getting back will take some work. We are all going to feel fine again. Trust me.

When you get to a place where you are the observer of your thoughts instead of attaching to them you will no longer be troubled by your thoughts. They will become less and less - not as frequent and when you do not attach to them they lose their intensity. Along with this comes practicing staying in the present moment. When thought takes you over just bring yourself back to what is present. This is an ongoing exercise and you have opportunities for this all the time. The more you practice the better you get at it. You'll begin to see a quieter mind.

Attaching to thoughts is the same as resistance to them. Stop fighting them. (This takes practice and patience and perseverence.) You will overcome. Read the material that will help you to reach your goal. Start now. Don't wait anymore.

Stop Obsessing by Foa and Wilson
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Journey into Now by Leonard Jacobson

to name three.

My best to you.

You are definitely not alone in thinking the way you are. It is a prominent symptom of anxiety. We begin to think that things that are obviously concrete aren't. I know you think that it is crazy, but think of prominet philosophers who actually love to be engrossed in that type of thinking. I believe Descartes' motto was "I think, therefore, I am."I had a lot of panic attacks in my undergrad philosophy class because this type of thinking and questioning makes me feel unreal. But some people love it. Just like some people love to ride roller coasters and some don't. It's like being on psychedelic drugs, except you are doing it to yourself. The good news is that since you are doing it to yourself, you have control over it. It's probably just a distraction from something that's going on in your life that's the real cause of your anxiety, etc. I think that you can change your thinking with the program, and also try to do things that will distract yourself from your thinking, if that makes sense. If there is a favorite movie or book that would be a good escape. There are lots of techniques that work on childhood survivors of abuse on websites that help to provide grounding when you are experiencing this symptom. You can look up grounding techniques under that topic. They really do help. Get involved in some fun physical activity, or have an engrossing conversation with a friend. Just focus on something else besides your mind for a while. It will be hard at first and will take some time, but just accept where you are and that you are working on this and your going to get better. Also, I know our minds and the ways that we think are important, but it helps me to know that I am more than my mind. I mean, research has shown that the cells in our body can actually store memories, etc., so maybe it will help you to know that you are more than your mind and your thoughts. I know it depends on your spiritual beliefs, but I believe that we all have a spirit and that we all have value even when our minds aren't doing what we want them too. So maybe it will help you to know that you are more than your thoughts or the way you think. Hope something in here helps.
Take Care,
luvpiggy

i have exactly the same fear fear of my own mind,
i have had cbt and thats what made me afraid of my mind,as it said its your thoughts that create the problem,im stuck and suffering does anyone have any advise please,
shaz

I hope this is good advice but when I feel like this, it eventually gets to the point where I realize that all of my self analyzing isnt actually getting me anywhere. I realize that it isnt accomplishing anything and I basically get tired of it. When I get tired of it and see it as useless it seems easier to cope and often goes away. The key for me is that I get stuck feeling that the worry is justified so I end up giving it attention. When you realize it is NOT important, you can invalidiate it with positive self talk much easier!

Negative thought: MAn I am going crazy!
Positive: I am not going crazy. I am giving too much attention to these worries because I think they are valid. They are not valid- my mind is just looking for somethihng to worry about.

This may not be you, but I find that I am so good at dealing with real problems. Lol, I spend so much time worrying about potential problems that when I reall one comes by I am super prepared. HAH! Find the humor in your life!

Good luck!

I've been going through the same thing. I'm finnally not afraid of panic so now I feel stuck in my head. It's not bad I just feel like something is off. But it comes in waves. Like if I panic I think I'll go crazy. It's werid. I don't think it get bad because I know what it is. But I hate feeling this way. jaime

Sagishaz - No, it is not your thoughts that is the problem. I don't know who told you that but it's incorrect information. It is your reaction to those thoughts. If you simply allowed your thoughts to come and go (much like a passing cloud) without judging them or attaching to them - just watching, watching, watching - they would lose their power over you and would come back less and less and with less impact. You would be able to let go easily and effortlessly. The thoughts are no big deal. They are thoughts, only thoughts.