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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by D minor on May 4, 2005, at 1:49:20
It seems like I have experienced uncontrollable thoughts that go round and round or just keep going on and on without my permission. They would fit the classic definition of racing thoughts, only they are all bad. All about how horrible I am and how I must have made mistakes a work, and past mistakes, etc, etc. What are these? What can I do to combate them?
Thanks,
dm
Posted by Lydia on May 4, 2005, at 5:46:41
In reply to Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by D minor on May 4, 2005, at 1:49:20
I'm so sorry, this happens to me sometimes, as inexplicably as it does you. Yes, these seem to be mood- congruent racing thoughts. Fast thinking can be nice, unless your "down", when the only things that mean anything are the BAD things. I wonder if this is "dysphoric hypomania"? what helps me a lot is just to remember that my perceptions are really distorted when I'm like this, and that I'm not REALLY this horrible human being and the things I'm obsessing over (i.e. saying something dumb, being late to work) really are quite trivial in the scheme of things. ..I pace and cry mostly though, and eventually feel better.
do you have any compulsions along with the obsessing? I seem to remember reading a post of yours a few weeks ago, in which you said you are bipolar?hang in there
L
Posted by B2chica on May 4, 2005, at 11:05:33
In reply to Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by D minor on May 4, 2005, at 1:49:20
definatly sounds like dysphoric hypomania/mania to me.
mine can get a little more off kilter/severish to where i need to damage things (including myself) i can't say don't listen to the thoughts in your head but for me-i'm totally IN that place and there is no other option. what i tend to do is try to lock myself away and focus on tedious stuff like i sometimes paint and sometimes a puzzle works. If i have tons of energy which typically grows with the dysporia i take all sharp or dangerous objects away and lock myself in my painting room, sometimes i sketch how i want to distruct...if i can create full sentences i try to journal, but many times i don't have the comprehension skills or the patience to do this.
-try to focus in on a task...heck maybe cleaning, this is active.
sorry not much help...but
b2c.> It seems like I have experienced uncontrollable thoughts that go round and round or just keep going on and on without my permission. They would fit the classic definition of racing thoughts, only they are all bad. All about how horrible I am and how I must have made mistakes a work, and past mistakes, etc, etc. What are these? What can I do to combate them?
>
> Thanks,
> dm
Posted by Ritch on May 4, 2005, at 13:30:43
In reply to Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by D minor on May 4, 2005, at 1:49:20
> It seems like I have experienced uncontrollable thoughts that go round and round or just keep going on and on without my permission. They would fit the classic definition of racing thoughts, only they are all bad. All about how horrible I am and how I must have made mistakes a work, and past mistakes, etc, etc. What are these? What can I do to combate them?
>
> Thanks,
> dm
I agree with b2C, try to do something distracting--especially something that involves your right brain more--something visual or "tonal". What I find REALLY helpful is to try to play some chords on the piano or guitar as a distraction. Just listening to music doesn't work that well.. Try something active and *spatial* to get your left hemisphere's verbal processor off high priority, and turn on your right hemisphere somehow. There is this doctor who is bipolar in Australia that thinks the illness has to do with your hemisphere's being out of synch or being STUCK on the left side (mania) causing the problem. I wished I had a link to what he's investigating. It's pretty interesting.
Posted by tampagirl70 on May 4, 2005, at 15:53:08
In reply to Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by D minor on May 4, 2005, at 1:49:20
This to me sounds like OCD, but the Pure-O type (obsessional thoughts only). I myself have this form of OCD and now I'm wondering what the difference is between the manic kind you're talking about and the ruminating OCD thoughts I deal with. Why isn't the manic thinking considered OCD, or is it?
Posted by Lydia on May 4, 2005, at 16:23:46
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by tampagirl70 on May 4, 2005, at 15:53:08
the DSM isn't perfect. they could be diagnosed as either, depending on the doctor. but what does it matter really. catagories catagorize things that are pretty uncatagorizable. rumination, obsession, racing thoughts, all just imperfect words to descbibe an abstract emotional state.
i've never heard the term "Pure-O", i really like it. what a cool name fore a mental disorder, it sound like cereal. Or a contraption from a sex shop/.
Posted by tampagirl70 on May 4, 2005, at 16:26:42
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by Lydia on May 4, 2005, at 16:23:46
It is a rather unique name, I guess (Pure-O). I just wish it didn't exist at all. :)
Posted by PM80 on May 4, 2005, at 16:35:29
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by tampagirl70 on May 4, 2005, at 15:53:08
Manic thinking is not considered OCD. As I understand it, OCD ALWAYS has a worrying/anxiety element to it. In fact, this worrying or anxiety is perhaps the crucial element to it. Racing thoughts in mania are thoughts that run on and on about one topic connected to the next topic connected to the next topic jumping the next topic hehehe connected to another and another and jumping to another and another and ... These thoughts may go in circles, coming back around to some topic every so often, or they may never find a focus. They could be positive or neutral or negative in content. They often do not have any kind of compulsion aspect (like that which is seen in OCD).
The two are similar but are two distantly different things, like a right-sided triangle versus an equilateral triangle. This is how I understand it. Although it is possible that OCD racing thoughts are their own special category of racing thoughts, like all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. (Sorry for the geometry analogies, but they were the best I could come up with.)
At least that is my understanding. I have had manic-type of racing thoughts and mine are not at all like descriptions of OCD. They are a bit scary in a way, because they make me feel a little crazy. So many thoughts literally racing around in thre that really can best be described as manical. They tend to include little facts i've picked up about things and observations that I've made and just the general interconnections between things that we use everyday to understand our world. But rarely(or never) do they include excessive worrying about things or feelings of compulsion to act on.
Posted by Phillipa on May 4, 2005, at 17:33:47
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts » tampagirl70, posted by PM80 on May 4, 2005, at 16:35:29
I just worry, worry, worry. And when my anxiety is really high, I add the numbers of license plates. The letters that proceed them are numbered according to where they appear in the alphabet. Example, D=4. Then I add them all together. I also found out that in the end all numbers equal 9. It's too involved to explain, but somwhere I read that it really does exist. I figured it out in the 3rd grade. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Ritch on May 4, 2005, at 22:23:22
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts » tampagirl70, posted by PM80 on May 4, 2005, at 16:35:29
> Manic thinking is not considered OCD. As I understand it, OCD ALWAYS has a worrying/anxiety element to it. In fact, this worrying or anxiety is perhaps the crucial element to it. Racing thoughts in mania are thoughts that run on and on about one topic connected to the next topic connected to the next topic jumping the next topic hehehe connected to another and another and jumping to another and another and ... These thoughts may go in circles, coming back around to some topic every so often, or they may never find a focus. They could be positive or neutral or negative in content. They often do not have any kind of compulsion aspect (like that which is seen in OCD).
>
> The two are similar but are two distantly different things, like a right-sided triangle versus an equilateral triangle. This is how I understand it. Although it is possible that OCD racing thoughts are their own special category of racing thoughts, like all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. (Sorry for the geometry analogies, but they were the best I could come up with.)
>
>
> At least that is my understanding. I have had manic-type of racing thoughts and mine are not at all like descriptions of OCD. They are a bit scary in a way, because they make me feel a little crazy. So many thoughts literally racing around in thre that really can best be described as manical. They tend to include little facts i've picked up about things and observations that I've made and just the general interconnections between things that we use everyday to understand our world. But rarely(or never) do they include excessive worrying about things or feelings of compulsion to act on.Wow, I think you've hit the nail on the head there with those descriptions...
Posted by Lydia on May 4, 2005, at 22:28:30
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by B2chica on May 4, 2005, at 11:05:33
B2Chica, Tampagirl, I am sorry if my second post in this thread felt unsupportive or inappropriate. Reading it again, it sounds inconsiderate. That wasn't my intention; sorry.
Posted by snapper on May 5, 2005, at 0:25:57
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by Phillipa on May 4, 2005, at 17:33:47
> I just worry, worry, worry. And when my anxiety is really high, I add the numbers of license plates. The letters that proceed them are numbered according to where they appear in the alphabet. Example, D=4. Then I add them all together. I also found out that in the end all numbers equal 9. It's too involved to explain, but somwhere I read that it really does exist. I figured it out in the 3rd grade. Fondly, Phillipa
Hey Phillipa, I too figured something out like what you just said... when I drive I am always doing wierd things with lic. plate numbers....sometimes the things I come up w/ are pretty scary but more often than not, I know it is just my freakin OCD and let it go...then I .......well you know,lol- fig out something else to obsess about! It can be very time consuming - Lately I have even been dreaming in circles and sometimes I have to wake myself up just to stop the loop...crazy? yes!! rambling ? I don't know! :) My mind hardly ever stops!!! UGH!!!!!
Snapper
Posted by B2chica on May 5, 2005, at 10:59:11
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by Phillipa on May 4, 2005, at 17:33:47
i too always count the license plates..it bugs me but i HAVE to do it. but i haven't included the letters/numbers..dang it, now i'm gonna start doing that. oh well, liven up the ocd a little huh.
say, i like your conclusion of all equal 9....interesting.
i often get hung up on the golden ratio...
> I just worry, worry, worry. And when my anxiety is really high, I add the numbers of license plates. The letters that proceed them are numbered according to where they appear in the alphabet. Example, D=4. Then I add them all together. I also found out that in the end all numbers equal 9. It's too involved to explain, but somwhere I read that it really does exist. I figured it out in the 3rd grade. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by B2chica on May 5, 2005, at 11:00:04
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts, posted by Lydia on May 4, 2005, at 22:28:30
actually, gave me a chuckle.
> B2Chica, Tampagirl, I am sorry if my second post in this thread felt unsupportive or inappropriate. Reading it again, it sounds inconsiderate. That wasn't my intention; sorry.
Posted by Phillipa on May 5, 2005, at 12:31:56
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts » Phillipa, posted by B2chica on May 5, 2005, at 10:59:11
B2chica, If you ever want to know the 9 theory Babble me. I see you have your Babble turned off. I'll be gone all of today, and have to get dressed now. But my OCD caused me to have to Babble! Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by B2chica on May 6, 2005, at 9:00:26
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts » B2chica, posted by Phillipa on May 5, 2005, at 12:31:56
would love to know the 9 theory!
i don't know how to use babble mail?
> B2chica, If you ever want to know the 9 theory Babble me. I see you have your Babble turned off. I'll be gone all of today, and have to get dressed now. But my OCD caused me to have to Babble! Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on May 6, 2005, at 19:21:49
In reply to Re: Negative Racing Thoughts » Phillipa, posted by B2chica on May 6, 2005, at 9:00:26
When you click on a post the poster's name is lit up [on my computer blue] if they receive Babblemail. Simply click on their name and Babblemail to that poster appears. Type in a message and then send. It will appear in the person's mailbox. Fondly, Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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