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Something’s not right

jamesle2015
Senior Contributor

unwanted thoughts

I sometimes get 'unwanted' thoughts

Hard to explain - strange  thoughts  that make me feel 'trapped'

and they cause anxiety

I reckon it happens when it is sunny outside

I do not want to think about the Sun and how far away it is or anything that causes anxiety

but it is hard I think sometimes when I didn't get much sleep it will happen

I have had strange experience where there are other people there but I feel strange - disconnected

by the anxiety

Has anyone ever had similar strange thoughts about the World that cause anxiety

 

 

 

14 REPLIES 14

Re: unwanted thoughts

Yes I get weird thoughts too - about the world turning, and what if it starts to turn too fast, and how small I am, and Earth is, compared to the universe... really scares me. I often find focusing on everyday things, feeding birds for instance, helps me to calm down. 

Re: unwanted thoughts

@jamesle2015  if you mean the feeling existential dread then yes always. that feeling when you think about space and how big it is and how small you are. it is unsetteling but most people have it at some point but if you have anxiety it seem to linger more than others in my experience anyway. 

Re: unwanted thoughts

I understand....we get the same sort of thoughts....I had trouble with the 'spinning' one too before

Re: unwanted thoughts

The thing about 'existential dread' is it would be alright if it only happened when you are in a 'safe' place....eg not at work or somewhere you haven't been before .....if we could 'switch' it off whenever we wanted it would be easier but the brain is too complex .....

I think anxiety sufferers may get it more than other people....

Re: unwanted thoughts

The other problem is sometimes I feel like I should tell someone...but people at work will think I am crazy so no point....even with people close to you they have trouble understanding and they use simple 'logic' and tell you things like why you 'waste time on thinking such thoughts' or 'the Earth has been around for ages nothing will happen' etc etc .....but they are too shallow to understand the complexity of our suffering

Re: unwanted thoughts

Hello @jamesle2015. Nice to "meet" you. What you describe makes me think of the Total Perspective Vortex from the Hitchhiker's Guide to te Galaxy. To quote Douglas Adams: "In an infinite universe, the one thing sentient life cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion"

 

I don't think you're alone in these thoughts and feelings. In fact I'd find it incredible if anyone who really thought about the size of the universe for any length of time DIDN'T feel strange.

 

 

Re: unwanted thoughts

@jamesle2015  I have thoughts, reluctant to call them strange, as I agree with @Lise07  i find it hard to imagine peoplle not having thoughts like this.

Nature in itself is a mighty force, as well as the galaxies etc.  Then the complexities of our brains. We are still and insignificant in comparison.

Just thought I’d mention, if you use the @ a list drops down. You can tag us that way if you would like to, just click on a name.

Re: unwanted thoughts

I get a lot of unwanted thoughts from work.... 'manager' not happy because of minor mistake and it was easily fixed...ok but why tell me off when customers are there? A considerate manager would wait until no one is there.....then the problem is after the stupid shift is over I keep replaying it over and over in my head i can't control it I don't want to think about it but I can't stop it

Re: unwanted thoughts

@jamesle2015  I understand the replay, replay, replay. You are right, giving you some privacy would definitely have been a better choice from your manager.

Sorry it didn’t / doesn’t happen that way.

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