How to get rid of obsessive thoughts: ways to independently cope with obsession, anxiety and fear

How to get rid of obsessive thoughts and anxiety? It would seem that there is nothing terrible about the thoughts that invariably arise in the head, distracting from current events. However, this position is fundamentally wrong, since obsessive thoughts deplete a person, haunting him, they take energy, take up time and have a destructive effect on health, preventing him from enjoying his own existence. Life is fleeting, so every minute should be appreciated and not wasted. Obsessive thoughts can greatly complicate daily life. Psychology calls intrusive thoughts obsessive-compulsive disorder and offers many methods for getting rid of them.

Reasons for appearance

There are several reasons that can cause anxiety and intrusive ideas. The most common cases:

In some people, obsessive disorder may occur due to brain injury, genetic inheritance, or due to infectious diseases. In addition, the reason may lie in the characteristics of the central nervous system. There is a whole list of biological factors.
The problem often arises for psychological reasons, this can include neurosis, depression, low self-esteem and even the upbringing received in childhood. At the same time, annoying thoughts are expressed differently in each case.
Sociological reasons appear due to prolonged stress and social phobia. Overvoltage is also often the starting point. As a rule, the problem arises as a result of family quarrels or troubles at work.

In addition to these aspects, obsession can arise due to illness. Most often, people suffering from schizophrenia, epilepsy, and encephalitis encounter it. Before you try to get rid of annoying thoughts, you need to understand the reason for their appearance.

HOW TO GET RID OF OBSESSIVE THOUGHTS?

Mood

The better your mood, the less you worry about something. Anything could happen here. You need to think about in what cases you are in the best mood: someone is having success in work and finances, another is having a great get-together with friends, a third is more into books and movies, and a fourth is enjoying debauchery with strange madams. Biohackers mix all the points at once) There is no right or wrong way. The range of pleasures is wide and differs from person to person. So remember when and under what circumstances you feel cool.

It’s worth mentioning separately about massage and meditation. Massage is a great way to reduce the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine, which indirectly improves your mood (5).

Well, there was an episode about meditation. Here, for example, is a meta-analysis from the 17th year, which talks about a decrease in cortisol, c-reactive protein, and blood pressure (6). Simply put, a thing that is useful for the psyche and mood!

The first 2 biohacks are like different poles from the norm. Sport is closer to pain, albeit useful. Feeling great is the opposite of pain. Although there are overlapping points here, the massage itself causes discomfort, but on the contrary, it reduces stress in the long term, or Runner’s Euphoria, when a person experiences an almost narcotic high after a certain kilometer due to the activation of the cannabinoid and opioid systems (7). It’s quite an unusual feeling, I must say, it seems like you’re tired, but you seem to be rushing, +10 to charisma and mood.

Main symptoms

A condition where a person is constantly accompanied by negative thoughts and anxiety is also called obsession syndrome. This problem must be considered from a psychological point of view. Experts distinguish two types of symptoms by which obsession can be diagnosed. It is worth considering each case separately. Somatic signs:

excessive bowel movement;
dizziness;
severe shortness of breath;
tachycardia;
paleness or, conversely, redness of the skin.

These are external signs that can appear almost immediately. The disease can also be identified using internal psychological symptoms. They appear as follows:

hallucinations;
Having negative memories that cause feelings of shame, guilt or remorse;
the occurrence of any phobia;
aggressive behavior towards friends, colleagues, family members;
uncertainty about something;
invented images in the head;
desire to do a bad thing;
replaying the same thought.

This is not a complete list of how an unpleasant syndrome can manifest itself. Much depends on the character and behavior of the person.

Psychiatrist V. Kukk. How to get rid of obsessive thoughts and improve brain function

Obsessive states

People with certain personality accentuations or those who have suffered psychological trauma are predisposed to an obsessive state. They are subject to involuntary intrusion of feelings, images, actions, and are haunted by obsessive thoughts about death. A person understands the groundlessness of such phenomena, but cannot overcome and solve such problems on his own.

The clinical signs of this condition largely depend on what caused the cognitive-behavioral disorder to worsen and arise. At the moment, there are two main types of obsessive thoughts - intellectual and emotional manifestation. They provoke human phobias and panic fear, which sometimes completely disrupt people’s lives and habitual rhythm.

Intelligent

Obsessive states of the intellectual type are usually called obsessions or obsessions. In this type of disorder, the following common manifestations of obsession are distinguished:

"Mental gum." Unreasonable thoughts, doubts for any reason, and sometimes even without it.
Arrhythmomania (obsessive counting). A person counts everything around: people, birds, objects, steps, etc.
Obsessive doubts. Manifests itself in weakened recording of events. The man is not sure that he turned off the stove or iron.
Obsessive repetition. Phone numbers, names, dates, or titles are constantly replayed in the mind.
Obsessive ideas.
Intrusive memories. As a rule, indecent content.
Obsessive fears. They often appear in the area of work or sexual life. A person doubts that he is able to accomplish something.
Contrasting obsessive state. The person has thoughts that do not correspond to typical behavior. For example, in a girl who is good and not evil by nature, images of bloody murder emerge.

Emotional

Emotional obsessive states include various phobias (fears), which have a specific direction. For example, a young mother experiences unreasonable anxiety that she will harm or kill her child. This type also includes everyday phobias - fear of the number 13, Orthodox churches, black cats, etc. There are many different types of fear, which are given special names.

Human phobias

Oxyphobia. The problem manifests itself in fear of any sharp objects. The person worries that he may injure others or himself.
Agrophobia. An obsessive fear of open space, attacks are caused by squares and wide streets. People suffering from such neurosis appear on the street only when accompanied by another person.
Claustrophobia. An obsessive problem is the fear of small, enclosed spaces.
Acrophobia. With this obsessive state, a person is afraid to be at heights. There is dizziness and fear of falling.
Anthropophobia. The problem is the fear of large crowds of people. A person is afraid of fainting and being crushed by a crowd.
Misophobia. The patient constantly worries that he will get dirty.
Dysmorphophobia. The patient imagines that everyone around him is paying attention to the ugly, abnormal development of the body.
Nosophobia. A person is constantly afraid of contracting a serious illness.
Nyctophobia. A type of fear of the dark.
Mythophobia. A person is afraid to tell a lie, so he avoids communicating with people.
Thanatophobia is a type of fear of death.
Monophobia. A person is afraid to be alone, which is associated with the idea of helplessness.
Pantophobia. The highest degree of general fear as such. The patient is frightened by everything around him.

Methods of disposal

Obsessive thoughts must be fought by any means possible. There are several effective techniques that will help you take your mind off heavy thoughts and normalize your state of mind. They can be used independently without the help of specialists. It is worth considering each option carefully:

Psychological technique “switch”. The technique is that a person mentally imagines his problems or phobias. Then he creates a kind of switch out of his own fears. As soon as a negative thought creeps into his head, he simply “turns off” it. After a few steps, fears disappear on their own.
Breathing technique. You can overcome anxious thoughts and obsessive thoughts with the help of breathing. To do this, you need to take a position in which it will be convenient and comfortable. Then you need to inhale and exhale slowly and evenly. This will help normalize your physical condition and eliminate negativity. After this, as a rule, the person completely calms down and begins to feel much better.
Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is actively used to combat fears. You can restore health through relaxation when your emotional state is normal. As soon as frightening thoughts appear, you need to light fragrant candles and turn on pleasant music. This will help create a relaxing environment and partially eliminate the problem.

Another effective technique that helps stop the so-called corrals is role-playing. The person experiencing the phobia must play the role of a successful, respected and purposeful person. You can practice this state in the form of a theatrical performance. After a few sessions, the subconscious begins to take this image for granted. As a result, terrible thoughts stop tormenting.

There is information in psychology that you can remove a phobia by overcoming it. For example, if a patient is afraid of water, then you need to look fear in the eye - sign up for a pool and learn to swim. If you have stage fright, you should perform at some event. As a rule, the feeling of fear is replaced by adrenaline and courage.

Psychologist's advice: get rid of obsessive thoughts!

Other methods

You can get rid of the problem using other methods. Experts advise adhering to a special algorithm of actions. These steps are great for stopping anxiety attacks and removing annoying thoughts.

Drug treatment

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be treated with medication. In this case, drugs are prescribed for neurosis, which eliminate the physiological symptoms.

Antidepressants will help get rid of insomnia that occurs due to obsession. They also ensure the inclusion of a person in the process of life. This option only muffles the mental disorder, lets go of fears, but does not cure the syndrome entirely.

Many patients actively use such medications, although they note their side effects. As a rule, people feel sleepy and find it difficult to concentrate on anything specific.

Psychotherapeutic direction

There is nothing shameful in the fact that a person turned to a psychotherapist. A specialist will not only get rid of the problem, but also find out its true cause. Usually the doctor conducts an individual session, during which he explains in detail where fears come from and how to let them go.

In a personal conversation, the psychotherapist uses different techniques, looking for the right approach to each person. This therapy is considered the most effective, but it all depends on the professionalism of the doctor.

Cognitive therapy is often prescribed. Any person throughout his life observes certain rituals, for example, before falling asleep, he must read a book. Working in a cognitive direction, the psychologist focuses the patient’s attention on how important it is to take responsibility for one’s own thoughts.

As a result, a person acquires a constructive reaction to thoughts and ideas that arise in the head that cannot be logically explained. He begins to automatically release them. In addition, he learns to perform certain actions without observing any ritual.

It will not be a discovery for anyone that a person is greatly influenced by his close circle - family, friends, colleagues. The most common reason for the development of obsession is personal problems; they can be associated with misunderstandings in the home, poor relationships with husband or children.

The specialist’s task is to try to understand this issue, and then normalize the situation, return harmony and mutual understanding to family relationships.

You can try to get rid of annoying thoughts with the help of literature. Books by Nikolai Perov are very popular. The author describes a technique that will help cope with panic attacks, various addictions, and feelings of laziness. In addition, Perov’s books contain tips on how to increase self-esteem. The video consultation can also be viewed online on his YouTube channel.

Obsessive thoughts. How to overcome obsessive thoughts

The concept of materialization ↑

Thinking is an integral property of the human psyche. What happens to us in reality is reflected in our thoughts and judgments. Is there a reverse process during which thoughts become material?

Neither scientists from various branches of knowledge about man, nor mystics and adherents of non-traditional knowledge (representatives of the occult - parapsychologists, psychics, esotericists) are able to give a definite answer - although the latter are more inclined to confirm the materialization of thoughts.

It is the adherents of magical thinking who tend to see the connection between thoughts and physical phenomena, which allows them to effectively influence the external environment, people and events.

Although purely scientific facts are known that indicate the influence of mental abilities on external events:

Experiment with plant grains . First, the grains were irradiated with X-ray radiation (their chromosome set was destroyed). Then, they were divided into 2 equal parts and exposed to electromagnetic waves with a human voice superimposed on them - for one part the voice uttered a request to restore the natural structure, for the other - a set of incoherent words. The results were as follows: in the first part of the grains, the natural properties were restored, while the second part was completely destroyed.
Experiment to change the structure of water : it was influenced by positive and negative human emotions, thereby changing the physical state.

But one should not overestimate the possibilities of materializing thoughts. From a psychological point of view, magical thinking is more characteristic of childhood and consciousness.

It is children who identify their own world and the environment, and therefore think in terms of omnipotence, which reflects the natural stage of their development:

the baby is cold (hungry), he cries, the mother begins to warm him (feed him) - it seems that he has obtained these benefits himself, only by his own desire;
children exhibit primitive idealization: those who take care of them and fulfill all their desires (mom, dad, close relatives) are considered capable of protecting them from everything and providing for everyone;
children identify thought and action: as a rule, on the initiative of adults, when they do not allow the child to even “think badly” about someone, get angry and commit mental offenses.

The existence of magical thinking in adulthood indicates the infantilism of the individual - the desire is taken for reality.

Useful tips

To overcome fear and anxiety, you need to follow some rules. They are as follows:

You should not allow negative thoughts to appear in your head. They need to be blocked at the first sign of occurrence. It is necessary to instantly switch to pleasant memories, funny incidents from life.
If you have unpleasant feelings, such as anxiety, you need to find a comfortable place (an easy chair or your favorite sofa), lie down and plunge into the past. You need to remember the happiest day in your life, and then try to restore it minute by minute. You should remember the emotional state in which the person was at that moment, and urgently switch to it as soon as the negativity returns.
With a lack of positive emotions, a person begins to withdraw into his own world, where there is no color and joy. This everyday despondency can cause serious depression, from which it will be extremely difficult to get out of it. In such a situation, psychologists advise finding an exciting hobby or business to your liking. You can sign up for a swimming pool or take a handicraft course. You need to make the day as busy as possible so that there is no time left for bad thoughts.

You can also go the opposite way - free yourself from obsessive thoughts through idleness. Don't overload your day with cleaning, cooking or other household chores. It’s easy to forget about feelings of anxiety and hopelessness while watching an interesting movie, reading a book or eating delicious pizza.

How to get rid of obsessive thoughts? Psychological rumination.