Brain Spinning Way Too Fast. Anxiety?

[lostforgottensoul]

I've noticed in the last week or so that my posts on here have been reading way different then I meant them. I thought it was just choosing wrong words but today I advised I posted fast and I realized I had no reason to post fast. I'm doing it when at home doing nothing. I will read the post way too fast and post way too fast.

I'm dyslexic but my brain sort of automatically paces me. Where I am reading the exact speed I need to to understand what I am reading.

I just realized, after trying to figure out why I am reading and writing at like roadrunner speed, that my brain is spinning WAY faster than normal. It's spinning fast enough that I am tripping over my own words and can't seem to speak a thought...or grab even the simplest of thoughts.

Has anyone had this issue and what have you done to slow it down just a little bit? I mean, obviously I don't want to miss reading stuff and write posts that read wrong on here and it's causing issues in my every day life.

And I say slow it a little bit as my brain usually spins, just not this fast.

I think this might be anxiety driven as my hands are ever shaking and I am noticing way more typos but I have no idea really. I did try breathing techniques, metaphors, calming stuff on youtube, trying to force myself to slow down, meditating which I can't seem to do, and anxiety meds are slowing me too much and putting me to sleep which I don't want.

What am I doing wrong? Has anyone had this issue?

ETA: I am also noticing that I cannot for the life of me sit still. So that's another reason I'm thinking anxiety.

 

[sun seeker]

I'll ask the first question that comes to mind, just to rule it out: have you had any medication changes lately?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

have you had any medication changes lately?

No. The only change was I decreased my Seriquel XR from 250mg a day to 200mg a day and I am having issue rebalancing the Xanax but this is a bit newer then that. This has been maybe the past 4 or so days. The Serquel decrease was a week and a half maybe 2 weeks ago.

All I know is it didn't happen at the same time.

The balance issue is also different. My anxiety is either high or I'm falling asleep but my anxiety being high has never caused my brain to spin this fast.

I'm also notice massive issue concentrating which is totally new. Say I am reading a reply on here. I'm reading the words but my brain isn't there. I have no idea what I just read. And that effecting my job too. That I just noticed today so I am wondering if that has to do with what happened last night that caused me instantly to drop from feeling content to on the edge suicidal. So not sure if it's related. Though when my brain isn't there, it's no where. I'm not thinking about anything but rather spaced out but still reading.

I honestly don't know as I am used to brain spin but never like this. Never to this level. I feel like I'm on crack again. Seriously!

 

[Bloomy]

They used to call me the little torpedo cause Ive been a fast paced one. Now learning how to be present. Be aware of being present. Calm down. Notice beathe and heartbeat. I helps. Well most of the time anyway. Sounds to me you are not aware of your self? Distant from your fysical function that connects to the brain function?

 

[Sideways]

Sounds a lot like anxiety is in there somewhere. Slowing things down in all aspects of life, pulling out the mindfulness big time - like, instead of making a coffee on the way to... Stop. I'm making coffee right now. In goes the coffee. Here I am opening the fridge for the milk and I'm gonna force myself to pause and notice, "Hmm, fridge looks pretty well stocked right now..." etc etc

Other thing I'm gonna suggest, cause I make myself do this occasionally. Read a post, think how much I relate and how I'd really like to add my piece...and don't. Posts that you reeeeally want to urgently respond to are the ones you're on the hunt for. Ones that are EXACTLY what I'm conquering right now and boy oh boy do I totally relate!

Then notice, what happens when you force yourself not to respond? When I do it, sometimes, meh! The moment passes, wasn't so urgent after all, so here I am typing out my reply feeling pretty calm.

Other times? Panic. SUDS start going up. Housten, Ragdoll has a problem. Put the phone away, it officially just turned into bring down the juju energy night. Watch a boring romcom, cuddle the dog, do some breathing exercises when you head off to bed (or recliner!) for an early night. The energy from this forum can be (and usually is) super helpful. But every so often, not so much.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

do some breathing exercises when you head off to bed (or recliner!) for an early night.

I've been going to be early every night, I just realized, since this started. Exhausting much?

Panic. SUDS start going up. Housten, Ragdoll has a problem.

Yes, yes, yes...but every time.

Slowing things down in all aspects of life, pulling out the mindfulness big time - like, instead of making a coffee on the way to... Stop. I'm making coffee right now. In goes the coffee. Here I am opening the fridge for the milk and I'm gonna force myself to pause and notice, "Hmm, fridge looks pretty well stocked right now..." etc etc

That sounds like a great idea. Slowly down everything. Forcing a pause before everything.

Then notice, what happens when you force yourself not to respond?

I just realized....avoidence. Fast means I don't have to think means I don't have to feel.

Zoning out...not feeling?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Notice beathe and heartbeat.

That's a good idea. Make myself notice my breathing or heart beats. I used to cout heart beats to go asleep.

 

[Bloomy]

I learned this when I exercised. Like running. The only way for me to be able to run is to control my heart. And then I understood I can also do this other then running. And I know Ive been way to fast for my self. I even type so quik others can hardly follow up. So lesson to learn for me is to pace my self. To learn calmness. All this fast pace is the sure highway to anxiety and stress.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

So lesson to learn for me is to pace my self

It's so hard to do sometimes though. The pausing after everything is a wonderful idea. It forces you to slow down completely.

 

[Sideways]

Fast means I don't have to think means I don't have to feel.

Bingo! And throwing ourselves full throttle into other peoples issues - can be therapeutic and insightful and empathetic and helpful all round...or it could just be easier than dealing with #1.

Avoidance. Just when you think it's all about curling up under the covers and hiding from the world, we realise that at some point we've started running as fast as we can to try and avoid.

Apparently there's a happy, healthy middleground. Apparently! In the meantime, mindfulness. Geez, look dusty this keyboard is....

 

[lostforgottensoul]

we realise that at some point we've started running as fast as we can to try and avoid.

Hmmm. I never saw avoidence this way. But it makes sense. I've been feeling rather content and been asking myself why? Didn't my mother, one of my abusers, just die and I found out I may be laid off, my only "supports" are moving leaving me here now fully alone? Oh and sunk almost $700 into fixing my car?

I stuffed it and this is how I am avoiding dealing with it. If I answer fast without thinking then I don't have to feel anything and can still be helpful. Or, if my brain races then i don't have to think anything or feel anything. And if I do, disassociate. Reading but completely gone.

Hmmmmmmm.

So, is the thing that I slow down everything and pausing before everything not just teaching me how to slow back down but to also observe the feeling in the moment too maybe?

I can't seem to do DBT but that's only because of all of this. I can't absorb when I am racing like roadrunner.

 

[Sideways]

My Bipolar II diagnosis has never officially gone away. Spent a few years learning about mood - managing the downs, and getting on top of the ups. Stress does both. We're super familiar with the depressed mood thing it causes, but when it causes an upswing, it can be really addictive because in a lot of ways...awesome!!!

Thinking faster. Moving faster. Getting heaps done and to hell with whether I'm actually taking care of me because look at my bad self and how much I'm getting done! Look at how friggin fast I can type! Woohoo! Cue emails, texts and posts flying in every direction with increasing less real control over content, and who cares anyway because my typing speed just crossed the 120wpm mark!!!

That's stress. Weird.

Mindfulness is, in a lot of ways, about slowing things down. Especially when stress is sending us hyper. But it's about being right here, right now, noticing stuff, reflecting on all the little detail that seems irrelevant and just noticing. Not judging or analysing, because that's just going to send our mood up or down or both at the same time. Judgement free: this chair is green, it's old, and I can feel where my bum has worn a little crater in the cushion, cute. Next thought...

So yeah, it's about slowing down. But we're slowing to healthy, not dormant. And while we may not be as productive in terms of how much and how quickly we're getting stuff done, we are doing everything in a way where our mind's rhythm is calm, and we become more effective. Less emails going out, but less problems from emails that had questionable content because care-factor can't keep up with the thoughts.

Being mindful is being present. And being present, like really here on planet earth with our feet on the ground and our brain switched on to calm but aware. It's hard work to keep up, and I tend to switch it on, then a while later when I've totally forgotten that I'm sposed to being mindful, so then it's gently bringing the noggin back to the here and now.

And if all else fails? Be mindful about your breathing. Because you can do that anywhere, anytime: this is me inhaling, this is me exhaling. Repeat.