Advice for dealing with intrusive thoughts?

[Basman]

I sometimes get funny little thoughts that are uncomfortable, upsetting, etc. Everybody deals with those to lesser or bigger degrees. They are normal.

Just wondering, how do you guys deal with intrusive thoughts? What are the pro strats, I.E. the most efficient methods you've found to help with intrusive thoughts.

[Eternal Unity]

Tai Chi

[Yimpa]

Have you considered if you might have OCD? I have it. 

[Ulax]

@Basman Imo, accept them as part of your shadow, and try and find a way to process them. For example, a depth psychotherapy and/ or meditation.

[spiritual memes]

with love

[UnbornTao]

"Thanks for coming, bye"

Edited January 15, 2023 by UnbornTao

[Cathal]

@Basman lol you will never get rid of thoughts. you just need to stop disliking them and understand right effort. you are putting to much wrong effort in from a basis of hatred (aversion) it's just a matter of understanding. only meditation is the answer. @UnbornTao is on the right page

> abandonment of unwholesome states, cultivation of wholesome states, preservation of pre-existing wholesome states. that is correct effort

[Yimpa]

On 1/13/2023 at 7:46 PM, UnbornTao said:

"Thanks for coming, bye"

Love this. My therapist also recommended to speak to my intrusive thoughts like that. Master trolling at its finest

[Gesundheit2]

I've recently found this article that suggests a technique called "Paradoxical Intention":

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-beginning-the-end/202208/counterintuitive-trick-help-you-fall-asleep-fast

[Gesundheit2]

2 minutes ago, Judy2 said:

i think using this on anorexic patients might be problematic.

They've specifically mentioned anorexia nervosa as a valid use case of the technique:

Quote

Additionally, according to the American Journal of
Psychiatry, PI was applied to see if would help chronic anorexia nervosa. They discovered that patients treated with PI showed successful outcomes. Therefore, they recommended further studies.

 

[Giulio Bevilacqua]

Allow them to manifest and express freely. Be a nice host 

[Raze]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsyP80BydV4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqANXVTLN4

http://happinessbeyondthought.blogspot.com/2012/05/surrendering-i-letting-go-of-suffering.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU1Rp184IT4

[flowboy]

On 14/01/2023 at 2:42 AM, Ulax said:

@Basman Imo, accept them as part of your shadow, and try and find a way to process them. For example, a depth psychotherapy and/ or meditation.

@Basman This.

A really good beginner's exercise to calm down those thoughts, is doing parts work.

Ignore Teal's mumbo-jumbo explanation and just pull up different chairs and give those thoughts a voice.

The discomfort and restlessness comes from the fact that there's different, disagreeing streams of thought.

Edited January 20, 2023 by flowboy