Donate for PTSD Donate - PTSD Forum is quite costly to run, maintain and improve. All donations are appreciated.
New To PTSD Forum FAQ's - All you need to know contained in Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
PTSD Forum Extra's PTSD Forms - PTSD Forum provide a PTSD assessment and self analysis form. PTSD Learning - Contains some PTSD learning information and presentations.
Recommendation  PTSD Forum recommends the use of Firefox Browser with Search Status add-on, plus your countries relevant English dictionary add-on. This enables forum members to spell check and remove typical toolbars from their browser.
| | Notices | Welcome to PTSD Forum. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a life threatening, debilitating disorder that can break down a sufferer’s body through anxiety and stress. Further it poses a significant suicide risk resulting from the brains neurological imbalance and chemical depression. Sufferers often live in denial, thus this community is aimed at helping PTSD sufferers help themselves through others experiences, guidance and education. We are here for the sufferer, spouse and families surrounding PTSD. Spouses and family are too often forgotten in this equation, and often they receive all the worst that PTSD has to offer. If you're involved in any way with PTSD, get registered and help yourself now. Non-active members will eventually be deleted. If you are not a sufferer, carer or someone within the mental health industry, and active, then there is little reason for you to be a member of this forum. Non-active members with zero posts are deleted periodically during the year. |  | | 
26-06-2008, 07:44 AM
| | | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Norman Wells, NT - just shy of the arctic circle
Posts: 42
| |  Any Recommendations for Stopping Intrusive Thoughts?
Hi all,
I replied to someones thread.....I'm still getting used to this thing and can't remember who it was....about intrusive thoughts.
I do a number of things to fight back the "pushes" as I call them, or intrusive thoughts, to either self harm or hurt others.
What do other people do to "keep the demons away"? |
26-06-2008, 12:07 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Indiana USA
Posts: 62
| |
Sorry Arcticboy. I don't really know myself. If you enjoy music maybe listening to your fav CD's. Something like that  Not sure. Me I never mean to but always dissociate. I know that isn't helping you here or me here at home. Hope you find your answer!  |
26-06-2008, 04:58 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: U.S.A. Kansas
Posts: 3,540
| |
Guided Imagery and Meditation. May sound gay to many but it works. It takes a long time to do it and daily more than once a day to practice. If you are convinced it will not help it may not. If you are desperate like lots of us get it may. Just depends where you are in your head. About 6 months in you see a huge difference, just do not try it once a week for 6 months, it must be daily. |
26-06-2008, 05:56 PM
| | | | Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 51
| |
Seroquel helps me alot.... and also i play an online fantasy game called World of Warcraft.. that really gets my attention and mind off things. |
27-06-2008, 02:55 AM
| | | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Norman Wells, NT - just shy of the arctic circle
Posts: 42
| | Guided imagery and meditation
Thanks for the ideas, I'll see what I can find out about them. I've heard about them and even done a few with diffferent people. The guided imagery thing is hard for me. Meditiation may be easier......why do you suggest every day? Is it a "routine" thing or something else? |
27-06-2008, 04:23 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: UK
Posts: 35
| |
You could try being physically active - outside works best for me as being in the fresh air taps into my human need to be in a natural environment.
Sometimes just trying to find where I put my running shoes can be enough to distract me from those thoughts, and if I run I can put all of my energies into a sprint and it somehow helps.
Mind you, it doesn't always work, if I am feeling down as well as getting intrusive thoughts I often can't do very much at all...
Good luck |
27-06-2008, 04:56 AM
| | | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Norway
Posts: 54
| |
When I get intrusive thoughts I write. I write poems, or lyrics.. -Sure, you don't have to do that, but it helps, just to see it on a piece of paper (rather than the PC screen).
The "funny" thing about this writing, is that sometimes I dissociate, and I can see that the writing is totally different from my regular writing.. And sometimes I get this AHA-experience, 'cause I've written things in dissociation that I would not dare to even think when I'm not.
Just an idea... |
01-07-2008, 10:18 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ontario
Posts: 1,912
| |
You can try to write out the intrusive thoughts down and then counteract the thoughts with a realistic or positive comment....always reminding yourself that you are safe....it is just a memory...and it is not happening in the present. |
01-07-2008, 10:52 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 491
| |
First off, I think it's important not to fight the thoughts, as tempting as that may be. When I have intrusive thoughts, I try to acknoledge the thought(s), give myself just a few minutes to think about them, and then try to get my mind focused on something else. For me, t.v. works better than music becuase my mind becomes involved in a fictional character's life rather than my own. |
01-07-2008, 01:24 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,009
| |
I agree, Nic, pushing thoughts away just brings them back with more force.
I have been trying to stir up more energy about my intrusive thoughts--angry energy. Mostly I tend to feel dominated by the thoughts/images, so I have been learning to recast the imagery, fueling it with anger. I feel less controlled then. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | |
Gender 
Gender 
