Have you ever had obsessive thoughts?
I don't mean thinking a lot about what you like. But those thoughts that They come out of nowhere, seemingly without any meaning, and they don't let you think about anything else.
Most of us tend to think things that surprise and make us uncomfortable.
There are plenty of examples: Imagining an accident while we're in traffic, thinking we'll receive bad news, wondering if we locked the door or windows properly when we left the house—and even though we know we did—listening how many catastrophes could happen because of our supposed carelessness. Another type of obsessive thinking is when we go over a conversation we've had and go over it over and over again, trying to find a hidden message that we might have missed.
These are examples of thoughts that many people have. However, while many of us can let them go, There are those who get hooked on these. And that's what makes them obsessive.
Obsessive thoughts have several characteristics that define them:
They are intrusive:
Those who have them cannot modify them at will, no matter how irrational or exaggerated they may seem.
They are repetitive:
Unable to stop these thoughts, the person enters a kind of loop, going over and over what they've thought. This is why they're also called ruminative thoughts.
They are exhausting:
Obsessive thoughts can cause significant emotional drain. They also often cause guilt because those who enter the loop recognize that they are wasting their time and mental resources on something that isn't worth their while. Who wouldn't get tired of thinking so many times about something that makes them feel uncomfortable?
How to get out of a mental loop.
Here are some tips for dealing with obsessive thoughts:
1. The first thing I would recommend to you if you have these thoughts is that you don't try to control them. These thoughts are irrational and therefore there is no point in trying to ration them. It's hard, but try to let them go. Remember, they're just a few of the thousands of thoughts you have every day.
2. On that line goes This video with a very apt metaphor: Thoughts (of all kinds) are like the dishes that pass through a sushi platter. I also recommend This article on the subject and its “Guide to controlling the buzz.”
3. Finally, I suggest that if these types of resources do not work for you, you consider starting a psychological guidance process so that you can find the origin of those thoughts and have more resources to confront them.
I hope these links help you, and don't forget to share this page with anyone you think might find it useful or interesting.
