Aa
uncontrolable thoughts -- brain overload
Hello, I had a very strange scenario happen to me yesterday. I was driving with my husband. Off to the side I saw this girl walking on the sidewalk. She looked somewhat familiar. Suddenly my brain kept flashing her image and I kept thinking "who is she? who is she?" and I felt really agitated that I couldn't think of who she was. I was frightened by my inability to stop thinking about it, which led to a panic attack. I know I'm not explaining this very well, but it was very unsettling. It felt like my brain was on sudden stimulant overload; I had trouble focusing on the conversation with my husband, I felt like I couldn't really comprehend the images and things around me. Anyone experience this or have any advice? Many thanks!!!
You are telling my story to a T - couldn't think, converse, out of body (mind), trouble driving - had to pull over, went to hospital - all kinds of scans and tests, nothing wrong/ suspected TIA but no evidence. Today had similar out of mind experience while having deep (important, potentially stressful, life changing) discussion. I feel better now, but it is good to see I am not alone.
I know this is an old thread but you have described a lot of what happens to me on occasion. About 3 wks ago I was recently in the hospital for what I thought was a TIA or mini-stroke. I had a hard time functioning, felt like I was high, out of body etc. They could not find anything wrong with me. I started to fell like this again tonight and I was thinking about how I am overloading my brain. I am trying to multi-task way too much and I am very fearful that I will forget to do things. I sometimes can't get out the door without having to slow down. I must be somewhat OCD. I carry the anxiety in my neck muscles for years now and take meds to relieve that pain alone. I could go on and on but I am somewhat relieved that I found people who have had the same experience. I guess I'm not crazy.
ps: I ordered that Claire Weeks book and need to call my old shrink.
ps: I ordered that Claire Weeks book and need to call my old shrink.
Hi,
you don't have to go the med route. Get the book "Hope and Help for your Nerves" by Claire Weekes.
You have anxiety disorder which can be triggered by stress or a stressful experience and persists because your brain responds to stimuli with fear. It's a learned misbehavior that you adapted over time, most likely without een noticing, and just ike you have learned the fearful thinking, you will now have to UNlearn it. It will probably be one of the hardest things you do in life but you will grow from it and learn more about yourself. Do not worry, it is neither dangerous nor serious, you're not going crazy and you won't die. It feels like it's serious and dangerous, but those are just your fearful thoughtpatterns leading you astray. You can and will gain control of it and come out a much stronger person with stronger sense of self, but do prepare for a little journey. Recovery is around the corner but you may have to reach it in babysteps.
The most important key is to learn to lose your fear. Read the book, it will teach you everything you need to know. And now stop dwelling. Fear is your enemy, so put your gloves on and be ready to go a few rounds. You will come out as the winner.
you don't have to go the med route. Get the book "Hope and Help for your Nerves" by Claire Weekes.
You have anxiety disorder which can be triggered by stress or a stressful experience and persists because your brain responds to stimuli with fear. It's a learned misbehavior that you adapted over time, most likely without een noticing, and just ike you have learned the fearful thinking, you will now have to UNlearn it. It will probably be one of the hardest things you do in life but you will grow from it and learn more about yourself. Do not worry, it is neither dangerous nor serious, you're not going crazy and you won't die. It feels like it's serious and dangerous, but those are just your fearful thoughtpatterns leading you astray. You can and will gain control of it and come out a much stronger person with stronger sense of self, but do prepare for a little journey. Recovery is around the corner but you may have to reach it in babysteps.
The most important key is to learn to lose your fear. Read the book, it will teach you everything you need to know. And now stop dwelling. Fear is your enemy, so put your gloves on and be ready to go a few rounds. You will come out as the winner.
Did you just start taking the Zoloft? Is it not working since you are still having the anxiety symptoms? I know when you start a new med. the symptoms go away (so they say) after a few weeks. I am anxious to see the phys. and see if she can help me through this. My husband thinks I am having all this anxiety because I have been having insomia since May. He thinks if I can get a heathly sleeping pattern all the anxiety will go away. In the meantime, I am having more symptoms of anxiety and depression. I really hope I don't have to go the med route!
Thank you both for your input. It seems like just as I become accustomed to one physical symptom of anxiety, another one pops up and scares me. Danashop, I would be interested to know what your psych tells you next week. I am on Zoloft (50mg a day) and I have a small prescription for Xanax. I try not to take them (maybe .5mg per week) but this last episode was a definite must. I really thought I was having some sort of breakdown.
I do only take it when I am desperate and I mean losing it! I have heard so many bad things about the SSRI's. Alot of people say they make the anxiety worse?? What are taking and is it making you feel better? It seems so pointless to take something that is just going to make you feel worse or have some other kind of problem. Thanks for your input.
Danashop,
be careful with the Xanax to be sure that you're not taking it on a too regular basis. I have been told by a medical professional that abrupt stopping of that medication after long-term use can cause heart failure. Definitely not stuff to treat lighly, although I know how you feel and it is re-assuring to have something like that on hand for when one happens. But that is what the SSRIs are better for is preventing them from happening in the first place and then you won't have to rely on them to calm down. You should consider talking to your doc about those options, I recently have myself after months of not being ablt to get control of it myself. I know how you feel.
Good luck
be careful with the Xanax to be sure that you're not taking it on a too regular basis. I have been told by a medical professional that abrupt stopping of that medication after long-term use can cause heart failure. Definitely not stuff to treat lighly, although I know how you feel and it is re-assuring to have something like that on hand for when one happens. But that is what the SSRIs are better for is preventing them from happening in the first place and then you won't have to rely on them to calm down. You should consider talking to your doc about those options, I recently have myself after months of not being ablt to get control of it myself. I know how you feel.
Good luck
I have recently started having these out of control feelings in my mind. I have had a panic attack many of times, but these past two times was the worse ever! It is so frightening. I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I started sweating and my heat was racing and I have diarreha several times. Then the whole mind brain thing started. I am going to see a phsy. next week. I am not sure what would cause these epesiodes. I thank God every day that I have some Xanx for when things like that happen. Then when it does, I worry everyday that it is going to happen again. It is such a terrible cycle.
HI there,
I've experienced similar times like that wherein I feel like I am walking around in a movie, or watching myself from outside my body and the more I can't shake the feeling the more nervous I get! Most anxiety information resources will list that and describe that as "a feeling of unreality". The fact that this happened when you were driving (a situation needing your acute attention), had your husband trying to speak to you (maybe not as much as a attention necessity, but still distracting) then to have to additional stimuls of trying to force your mind to remember a familiar face was probably all too much for you too do at once if you are suffering from anxiety. I know that when I am driving, and especially now that anxiety and panic has become a problem, I get nervous to the point that I have to pay extra close attention to my driving, being overly cautious and tend to over react to any abnormalities on the road. I just can't take the extra stimulation! I described that "out of self" feeling to my doctor and how it made me feel very detached and nervous, and he told me it was a very classic sign of even a mild depression, and of course including worse cases. You should speak to your doctor about that; not that its necessarily a sign of any medical problem, but just to start to understand it. And if you think your husband is the type of mate that would understand/ be sympathetic to your strange feelings, talk about it with him too because the pore you share (especially with someone who knows of the feeling/ has seen it in others) the less it will freak you out and the more you will be able to get it happening less often.
I've experienced similar times like that wherein I feel like I am walking around in a movie, or watching myself from outside my body and the more I can't shake the feeling the more nervous I get! Most anxiety information resources will list that and describe that as "a feeling of unreality". The fact that this happened when you were driving (a situation needing your acute attention), had your husband trying to speak to you (maybe not as much as a attention necessity, but still distracting) then to have to additional stimuls of trying to force your mind to remember a familiar face was probably all too much for you too do at once if you are suffering from anxiety. I know that when I am driving, and especially now that anxiety and panic has become a problem, I get nervous to the point that I have to pay extra close attention to my driving, being overly cautious and tend to over react to any abnormalities on the road. I just can't take the extra stimulation! I described that "out of self" feeling to my doctor and how it made me feel very detached and nervous, and he told me it was a very classic sign of even a mild depression, and of course including worse cases. You should speak to your doctor about that; not that its necessarily a sign of any medical problem, but just to start to understand it. And if you think your husband is the type of mate that would understand/ be sympathetic to your strange feelings, talk about it with him too because the pore you share (especially with someone who knows of the feeling/ has seen it in others) the less it will freak you out and the more you will be able to get it happening less often.
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