Never Ending Thought

by Aimhirghin

So, the best way I can think of to describe my issue is to use a broken computer and my brain for comparison. Computer works just fine except for the end task function and mute. so you decide you want to listen to a song, great! you open up the media player and start your song playing. half way through the song you remember that you had work to do and start to type away in note pad or what ever. that's all fine and dandy till you remember you cant shut the song off to concentrate. then another song starts playing on top of the first one and so forth, then someone decides to start a movie on the computer as well without you being able to stop the two songs playing on top of each other while your still trying to type with a movie playing in the background. After a very short time things get so loud and overlapped that it is impossible to concentrate on anything until you pull the plug on the computer and shut the whole thing off to be able to start again for an hour or two of being able to manage any normal process. That's kinda the way my brain works but instead of pulling a plug i drink till i pass out to get my head to shut up. is this an issue that i should go see someone for, or try to manage on my own? Thank you for your time.

Ben's Response:

If that is really how it is in your head, it sounds pretty overwhelming, and YES, I would definitely recommend that you see someone... a psychotherapist to start with. There are many different reasons why a person might experience this kind of racing thought process. Unresolved traumas or unresolved grief can cause the mind to spin, as well as bipolar disorder, anxiety, or ADD (to name some of the most common). Seeing an experienced therapist would be a great way to start, and that should be able to determine the root of the problem. Therapy alone, may be all that you end up needing in order to turn things around. They might also suggest seeing a doctor, nutritionist or other health practitioner to rule out other physical issues.

Once things begin to get a little more clear, I would recommend taking some yoga classes, and possibly meditation.

Managing this by drinking is definitely not going to help in the long run, and is very likely to make things worse over time. There is no need to cause yourself more suffering, when real help is available.

Take Care,
Ben Schwarcz, MFT