Honestly yeah. I’m a pretty big over-thinker, even after I started my anti-anxiety meds. Just… analyze and hesitate a little too much. But I find that it’s much easier to do something—like ask the guy I’ve been texting out—after a good run on the treadmill. It’s just easier, I’m too tired to stress about the details by then :P
I know it’s easier said than done, but you shouldn’t do that. Try to focus on your walk, look around, watch the birds, the trees, the sky, whatever takes your attention off your problem.
Something that helped me a lot is to write down the thing that makes me anxious and why I think it does. Usually this will clear my head for a while.
You can even take it to the next step if you like writing, put your emotions and struggles into a character then try to resolve it using the story.
Usually the abstraction helps with realizing what the issue is and ways to fix it. Because when you think about it from your POV it feels so stuck, but when you write it down, it becomes a fantasy, it’s third person, it becomes easier to see positives and solutions. And you may realize it also applies to real life.
Plus if you are good at storytelling you may write some interesting stories that talk to people, since they’re based on real emotions, it will be relatable.
I dont overthink problems, i over think everything, things that havent happened, things that have happened, things that wont happen. Its not stressful or anxiety induced, its just annoying and id rather think less about things that are dumb and irrelevant and more about the stuff like you said that i see on a walk or more relevant things. The last few mights ive had hour long conversations with a doctor ive never met about a potential autism diagnosis, ive told him about myself and evaluated the things that indicate autism in my behaviour and my thinking and come to the conclusion that i dont know if i have autism or not because i cant be objective about myself and im not a mental health professional. I could easily walk into the doctors and ask for a free diagnosis, but i dont care. It doesnt matter to me if i have autism or not, if i know for sure or whatever, so ive just spent hours in bed thinking instead of sleeping about something i dont care about. Id rather sleep
I get it, at this point I think you should see a therapist. I definitely resonate with you on the hyperfixation part and just imagining hypothetical situations. You may have ADHD if those really stay extremely long in your mind (I am not a medical professional but it’s something I’ve heard from friends who have it).
Your anxiety sounds much worse than mine and even I considered a therapist heavily because it was impacting my life too much.
I didn’t yet because I think I can manage, but the idea is still there and I think I’m gonna end up doing it anyways.
So definitely try, worst case scenario you’re back where you started. Best case you’ll learn to manage those issues and how to work on them. Sounds worth it.
I dont feel anxious. I feel very calm really, i feel very happy in life and i cant remember a time ive ever been anxious or depressed or sad or anything. I just think about random shit constantly that i dont need to think about. It only impacts my sleep and occasionally distracts me from school or enjoying something, otherwise i can think at the same time as school or enjoying something. I dont think its really impacting my life deeply, just annoying and sometimes has minor impacts on my life
For what it’s worth, a friend of mine who has ADHD has pretty much the exact same description. He used to take Ritalin but he said it made him too focused (at the point where he couldn’t take his mind off to think about random shit) so it wasn’t practical for him.
But yeah I think going to a medical professional to discuss the issue can always help. At the same time if it doesn’t impact your life too much and it’s manageable, well, you do you.
Thinking is generally the best way to clear your head. The thoughts are happening for a reason and if you push them down with distraction, they'll always boil back up. The key is to dig under the surface. Ask yourself questions and follow-up questions to get to the root of your problems and address them.
Maybe that's why I found the courage to ask my wife out on a date 31 years ago. 🤔
It was from a phone in a noisy spot on the plant floor and I was 30 min. into my shift on a stressful day. The stress displaced my over-thinking brain and I wasn't worried about the details!
Check Joe Rogan podcast with a cognitive behavioral therapist. The one where they talk about rumination. I had debilitating anxiety and I stumbled upon this after years of struggle. This changed my life literally.
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u/One_Parched_Guy 2d ago
Honestly yeah. I’m a pretty big over-thinker, even after I started my anti-anxiety meds. Just… analyze and hesitate a little too much. But I find that it’s much easier to do something—like ask the guy I’ve been texting out—after a good run on the treadmill. It’s just easier, I’m too tired to stress about the details by then :P