Understanding Obsessive Thoughts And Their Characteristics
It has happened to all of us at some point to feel that a thought in question completely dominates your mind and you find yourself unable to stop or change it. Having thoughts running through your head is normal, as long as it is sporadic. Now, when this rumination reduces the quality of your life, it is necessary to go to a specialist.
In the latter case, we are talking about recurrent obsessive thoughts, which interfere with your daily life and prevent you from leading a normal existence. This is a much higher level than simple sporadic rumination, since, in this case, it can deteriorate various areas of your life and prevent you from living fully.
Analyzing an issue is not always synonymous with a solution. In fact, it is proven that overthinking not only does not provide solutions, but it immerses you in a loop from which it is increasingly difficult to get out. This state is called rumination, since thoughts go around, stagnant, without establishing new connections that can release their content. This rumination generates very negative emotions in us such as frustration, helplessness, anger or sadness, and makes us really exhausted, since overthinking consumes an extraordinary amount of energy. Furthermore, the state of alert in which the mind is immersed when trying to exit this loop prevents us from thinking reasonably.
Next, Let’s see what obsessive thoughts consist of and how to understand them what are their characteristics and, most importantly, how to make them disappear from our brain.
We call obsessive thoughts those that appear suddenly and without warning, are constantly repeated and, above all (and this is the most important thing), they have a considerable impact on our emotions, which has an impact on our daily lives.
Obsessive thoughts are nourished by the anxiety produced, precisely, by the appearance of the thought, which sets up a vicious circle from which it is very difficult to get out. Furthermore, since they are intrusive thoughts (that is, involuntary and uncontrolled), they can appear when faced with any stimulus, which further increases the feeling of lack of control of those who suffer from them.
The origin of obsessive thoughts is, invariably, fear. This can be real or imaginary, but it always implies an event that is supposed to happen or has happened and that significantly affects us.
Generally, these fears are focused on the future (although obsessive thoughts may also appear in which we ruminate about something we have said or done and whether it was appropriate). They are usually connected to catastrophes that are supposed to occur, such as a car accident, the death of a loved one, a job layoff, etc. The chances of the event happening are usually quite slim, but the person tries to avoid the event with all his might. But how to control something that has not happened? This is where rumination begins, where the person turns over every detail in a desperate (and fictitious) attempt to control the situation.
What can I do to eliminate obsessive thoughts?
This is, indeed, the million-dollar question. How can we eliminate (or, at least, reduce) the arrival of these types of thoughts? Below, you will find some guidelines that can help you. However, remember that it is best to ask a specialized professional for help.
So easy to say, and so hard to do. However, acceptance of the situation is crucial for improvement. Therefore, Accept it: you are having obsessive thoughts that are reducing the quality of your life. That is the first point to solve the problem.
2. Pay attention
Carry out a kind of scientific research with your thoughts. When exactly did the thought appear? Under what stimulus? Where and who were you with when it came to mind? How do you react when the thought appears?
All these questions will help you understand the process of this type of rumination, as well as its causes. Remember that detecting the element causing obsessive thinking is essential to understanding what is happening.
3. Practice exercise and maintain a balanced diet
It is proven that sport and good nutrition help to “unclog” obsessive ideas from our minds. Not only that; Maintaining healthy relationships and practicing meditation or relaxation exercises (such as diaphragmatic breathing) can help you reduce stress, which is at the root of rumination.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
The most extreme manifestation of obsessive thoughts is the so-called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), classified in the DSM-IV as an anxiety disorder that manifests itself with obsessions and compulsions. One of the keys in diagnosing the disease is that it extraordinarily limits the patient’s quality of life, to the point that it is very difficult for them to lead a normal life.
What are obsessions? They are thoughts, ideas or even images that appear in the mind of the affected person constantly and trigger an anxious response. There are numerous subgroups of OCD; Among them, we find the fear of contamination by germs, the fear of forgetting something (which entails constant and compulsive checking), the fear of losing control and hurting someone, and the fear of having thoughts contrary to the morality of the society. person.
On the other hand, compulsions, which in OCD usually accompany obsessions (although not always), are the behaviors that the affected person repeats over and over again, driven by the need to alleviate the enormous anxiety they are feeling. Among the most common are compulsive hand washing, arranging items in a specific way, or checking things over and over again (such as, for example, if the gas tap has been turned off).
OCD usually appears at a very early age, with an average age of 10 (although it is also common for the first symptoms to appear around the age of 20) and is more common in men than in women. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the evolution of OCD is not linear, and there may be periods of few symptoms followed by episodes of aggravation.
Obviously, if you occasionally have a nervous moment and check something several times, this does not necessarily mean that you suffer from OCD. The true essence of this disorder is the absolute inability of the affected person to control their thoughts and compulsions, which leads them to waste a large part of their life on these obsessive behaviors; a fact that, ultimately, has an unfavorable impact on their quality of life.
