Intrusive Thoughts?

[Howdy]

I've had intrusive thoughts for 2-3 months now and I used to get horrible anxiety and panic attacks. Lately I guess I still have some anxiety though it's hard to tell and I don't have panic attacks anymore. I was having panic attacks atleast once a day and they were horrible. Is it normal to no longer have panic attacks? I'm starting to worry I still have this intrusive thought but i'm really not having any panic attacks.

[Alexcambridge]

Don't worry the lack of panic attacks is surely a good sign! Do you generally feel better now than you did before? If so, then what's the problem? It may well be that your anxiety is what's driving you to feel that something is seriously wrong because you're not having panic attacks. Don't let your anxious mind fool you. I thought I had a brain tumor until recently, you've got to think positive thoughts and be pleased with the progress you seem to have made.

[Howdy]

Yea the problem has been I haevn't really had any panic attacks and The intrusive thought has been on my mind more and more. When this used to happen I'd have a panic attack and it'd go away for awhile. Now i'll have those thoughts sometimes I'll feel anxiety sometimes i'll just try ignoring them. I thought it wasn't normal to not freak out if you've had intrusive thoughts.

[Alexcambridge]

I guess you just learn to cope with it. I used to have minor panic attacks all the time because of the feeling o detachment from reality. Now I generally just accept it and try and go about my daily life.

[Robbed]

Remember that intrusive/obsessive thoughts are actually a VERY common problem with anxiety. In fact, MOST people who have an anxiety problem get them at one time or another during the course of an anxiety disorder. The key thing to remember here is the same thing that is importat to remember with ANY anxity symptoms: try to let them pass without reacting to them with fear as best as you can. Then, without deliberately forcing these thoughts from your mind, contiue on with what you are doing. If you do this, then with time, obsessive thoughts will become less and less of a problem. Just keep in mind that, as with anything else having to do with anxiety problems, this takes time. Don't expect all to be well within a couple of weeks or even a month. Patience is key to overcoming this, just as it is with ANY anxiety symptoms.

One more thing. Different and unfamiliar anxiety symptoms can rear their ugly heads at ANY TIME. This is also normal. As I said before, try your best not to react to this with fear.

[Alexcambridge]

It really does work. I was so messed up over christmas I felt like I was having a breakdown. I thought I might even have to retake the year or something because I wouldn't be able to cope at college. But then I realised that getting out and about and distracting yourself really helps, and if you don't feed the anxiety then it becomes manageable.

[gaugreg1x]

:shock: Wow, this is one of my main problems. Intrusive thoughts, negative self talk, or whatever you want to call it. Once they start I cannot seem to get rid of them. This really effects me negatively, and often interferes with my sleep...Greg Any suggestions?

[joey9]

I am plagued by intrusive thoughts. When I am going through an anxious spell the thoughts are always really negative, totally catastrophic and I can't get any perspective or clarity on what I am worrying about. Strangley though when I am not having any particular anxiety I have intrusive thoughts that are often quite pleasant and about something good. But I can't get them out of my head and I can't seem to focus on anything else - I am just in my own cocoon. I have only just realised that being susceptible to the negative thoughts might be connected to having positive ones, and that these could be classed as intrusive too.