Distracted

[SonjaMichelle]

I've been finding myself extremely distracted. I can't concentrate on something for more than a few minutes. I go from one activity to the next throughout the day spending a few minutes here and a few minutes there. I'll get into something and after a few minutes I feel uncomfortable. As if something isn't right, the anxiety ratchets up and I feel compelled to move on to something else. Some days I feel like a pinball bouncing around the house, room to room.

 

[Ted Moen]

Sounds like a good description of life when the intrusive thoughts and feelings are flowing. We have all these thoughts and feelings that we have buried or stuffed somewhere because we didn't want to (or couldn't) deal with them and periodically they try to push themselves into our consiousness, screwing up our attention and how we feel about our current situation. In the short term, it's important to be aware of intrusive thoughts and feelings so you don't blame the feeling on stuff in your current situation. Stick to doing what you would be doing if the intrusive thoughts and feelings weren't bothering you even though it is uncomfortable. The intrusive thoughts and feelings will pass and you will be left with the consequences of the behavior you did while they were passing. In the long term, talk out the thoughts and feelings you stuffed with your therapist, over and over.

Ted