Is It Normal For Your Thoughts To Race Constantly?

[Seagreen]

Does your mind constantly race and require stimulation all the Time?

I can't just do one thing at a time. When reading I'll switch between 3 - 4 articles at the same time. Simple tasks like doing the dishes are so boring I have to play a documentary in the background. When having a conversation, I get so many ideas all at once, I can't speak or write fast enough to put them down. This goes on all day, every day for as long as i can remember. From the time i wake till the moment i fall asleep. Yet physical energy is pretty low. I feel fatigued most of the time. Is all of this stuff normal? How can I slow down or organise my thoughts to make better use of my mental energy? I'm scattered all of the time. It feels like an inefficient system.

I disassociate a lot which seems to be partly due to mental fatigue. When deep in thought, all outside stimulation shuts off. It usually happens several times a day. During these times i have conversations on ‘auto pilot’ or do tasks but don't remember the content immediately after. Is it healthy to allow Myself to retreat in like this or should I try harder to avoid it? How would I go about that? I can't seem to snap out of it.

 

[Rebel Girl]

I have a similar experience. For me I think it is a severe stress reaction to keep myself from dwelling on my negative feelings. I also often have one or more panic attacks during a normal day, so I spend a lot of time disassociated. I tend to be pretty rational when I have them compared to some, though my flight reaction is very strong. I think of myself as an information addict, constantly reading articles while listening to podcasts or watching things at the same time. For me it is definitely a defense/coping strategy and the one I use the most.

 

[shimmerz]

as an information addict,

Yes. This is me too.

 

[Seagreen]

@Rebel Girl I use distraction as a coping technique too. Especially at night when i try to sleep, but end up laying awake for hours with whatever's upsetting me on my mind.

 

[scout86]

@Seagreen , have you considered that you might have ADD/ADHD? What you describe sounds a bit like that.

I feel fatigued most of the time.

Maybe from lack of good quality sleep?

 

[RussH]

I, too, have an active mind. I may not be to the degree that you experience, but my mind is always going. I find that I will read something, or hear something and then spend the next 15 to 20 minutes mulling it over.

I am constantly either reading or listening to the news are watching a movie to keep my mind occupied.

 

[Hope4Now]

I get the racing, too many thoughts at once thing quite often, particularly when really stressed, but not so stressed that I dissociate fully. It doesn't happen all the time because I seem to swing between this kind of hyperarousal and the more dissociated hypoarousal. Both totally sap my physical energy. Not sure that makes sense. No amount of self-talk seems to help. For both extremes, I'm finding that doing mindful movements with coordinated breathing helps slow things down or speed up, as needed. It's hard to find the balance. What movement you do doesn't matter so much...go with what your body feels like doing at the moment, but notice what you're doing and breathe with it. The exercise of raising your hands over your head while you breathe in, then slowly and fully releasing your breath as you slowly lower your arms is particularly helpful, especially if you can do it a bunch of times and be kind and gentle to yourself while you're doing it.

That is, the movement stuff does not work well for me when I'm fighting against my parts...works much better if I can get into a place of welcoming and being open. Like, "Oh, there you go again brain...flying off in twenty directions...you must be feeling really overwhelmed...let's make some space for all those thoughts by moving together..." I know this all sounds so weird, but it does help (me, at least. And not always, but more the more I practice it).

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I learned this in neurotherapy, so it may be a little rusty, but here goes....

Our PTSD minds typically have an overabundance of fast "Beta" brainwaves. This can result in a racing mind, difficulty falling asleep, trouble concentrating, etc.

Fortunately, I was able to do neurofeedback which was successful in slowing my mind down. If you're not familiar with neurofeedback, it trains your brain to produce the right kind of brainwaves (well, one kind does). It was able to target a number of my issues, racing thoughts, insomnia, depression, thought rumination & obsessions, and even lent itself to regulating other body systems that its not even known for helping. Yep, I've written about it a lot here on the forum. Its the therapy I hate to love and love to hate.

 

[Seagreen]

@scout86 I don't know much about add / adhd. I thought those disorders were accompanied by excess physical energy. I'll do Some research.

@Solara Neurotherapy Sounds like a Promising option. I'm going to see if I can find someone to do it In my area. Can it be done by a Psychologist?

 

[Rebel Girl]

Even when I'm not upset going to sleep is very difficult. Brian never wants to stop. On the plus side I've gotten very good at meta analysis.

 

[ghotiff]

My thoughts also race etc. it is a coping strategy. People (who don't know my issues) recommend meditation, but they don't understand that taking away a coping strategy even for a short time is a mistake (at least for me).

My approach to get past this was firstly to acknowledge it as a coping strategy and then realise when I was doing it "more" as opposed to "less". Then in the "more" moments I tried to allow my self to see if I knew what had triggered it. Sometimes I could, and acknowledging it and allowing my brain to explore that triggering event softened the need to use "more".

I also introduced the requirement/self-care that once a day I would do a single activity that was just for me. Computer games are my current choice, they are mentally active and allow my mind to race, but it keeps it focused on only one thing (I don't allow myself to multitask during this activity).

I think these things are helping me. Maybe they will help you too.

 

[Rebel Girl]

I think that's one of my issues. I can't just play games anymore, at least not to start. I need a podcast or something going at the same time. Only exception is a game I've been waiting years for like the new Dragon Age. Unfortunately games I'm that excited about don't come out too often.