Racing Mind - Feel Insane at Times

[sessnme]

My mind seems to run at full speed all of the time. I cannot stop it no matter how hard I try. I feel that I am going insane.
I have severe PTSD (diagnosed) and I am fairly certain there are other issues that my Dr. has yet to tell me about. I was on Lexapro but now I'm on something different because of health insurance.

This past weekend I had a long conversation with my wife of 12 years and she flat out told me that she hasn't loved me for most of that time. She blames it on my past mistakes. To me they are not major divorce things, looking when I shouldn't have, saying the wrong things, etc. I know I was too immature to get married in the first place, but now I am totally in love with my wife and she feels different. She has every reason to still be angry with me, but how can she hang in there all of these years and claim no love?

Getting back to my mind racing... I cannot stop it no matter what. It keeps me up at night. It wakes me up when I do get to sleep. I can get my work done only because of the insanity of the type of work that I do. I am a service technician.
Even when given time to think and ponder questions or concerns I can't help my mind from shooting from idea to idea, usually ending in disaster in my head.

I am not suicidal, but I do think sometimes the people around me can do better without me around. I think about being away from my body , not dead just gone. I can't leave, too many people depend on me. I have 5 kids!

I guess I am only trying to vent. I'm not asking any questions or searching for answers, just frustrated. I know there are others out there, I feel your pain.
Thanks
Aaron

 

[sisu]

Hello Aaron,
I am not a sufferer, but I think the racing mind is a problem in society today. We all have so much going on with work, life, kids, spouses, etc that it is hard to shut our mind down.

I am starting meditation. I found this 30 minute meditation cd and I am hoping for the best. I don't sleep well either because I cannot quiet my brain....no matter how hard I try.

Good luck,
Sisu

 

[spiritofnow]

I have had this forever!
I actually switch on the radio at night so that I can block out all of the internal thinking (not voices telling me to do stuff), just hearing my thoughts. I do not have any wise words as yet! I am going to ponder on this....I guess we have to be careful that we do not categorise all of our traits etc. down to having PTSD. After all PTSD is not the whole of us.

Perhaps, some individuals process their world this way. I always have lots of thoughts and I am constantly planning ahead.

I have just re-read your words and I have had one of my revelations, insights, eureka moments :-)

I do not know the history behind why you are here or what you are exactly suffering from, but I do have an idea about this racing mind!
You see that is how my mind races - read, think, and comprehend in a flash.....

So, your mind could be racing due to suppressed anxieties? Due to unresolved conflict? Due to suppressed thoughts and emotions? In order for you to keep these feelings, thoughts, expressions suppressed your mind is trying (or has been taught/learned) to mask these emotions. Thus, not allowing you to tap into the subconscious. You are in superficial mode - always extrapolating, digesting and examining your immediate thoughts? What a fantastic distraction this would be from the real issues - clever old mind eh! Basic survival kicks in when under attack or threatened, and then what should of been a temporary measure to relieve you from the stress of your situation becomes a dysfunctional way of coping.

Therefore, your racing mind could be an anchor that enables you to deal with the immediate, especially if you are responsible for so many people? You are not in a position to look beyond?

Anyway, they are just ideas.

Spirit x

 

[spiritofnow]

BTW!

You are not insane and neither is anyone else who experiences similar, especially in conjunction with PTSD.

I have just read some stuff on this - it is part of anxiety and stress. I will read more so I can understnd the why's.

Spirit x

 

[Auburngirl]

I've found that relatively intense exercise, that is complicated enough that I need to pay attention (ie an aerobics class with an instructor) has, at the most difficult times been the only time my mind wasn't racing - and that hour break was soooo worth it!

Have you tried this? Even a half hour off can make such a difference, and will help you feel saner even if just for a few minutes - those minutes can make a difference

 

[Portabella]

Hello, I have a racing mind too. I also experience what I have named "Mental Nausea". There is a difference. I have learned to do a form of self taught meditation. I am odd, I listen to music with headphones and keep my eyes shut, I then concentrate on a scenerio in my head, one that brings my mind pleasure and redo it over and over, this will put me to sleep. To a normal person the music I listen to would disturb them, I just force all negative thoughts from my head. If I get into full blown Mental Nausea, I stop and literally start over from scratch. I hope this helps, you need to find what works for you. I still have nightmares and terrors, but not as often I don't think. Best of luck

 

[lrs]

I have this myself, even today.
I did a google search and came up with this from cureresearch.com
They call this mania, and there is such an extensive list of causes of mania, the list is alphabetized.
Mania can be caused by everything from amphetamines to rabies.
Odd, it did not mention PTSD, I thought for sure PTSD would be on the list.

 

[Jet]

Yup...I do this. Actually it is one of my least favorite parts of all of this. I swear that sometimes it feels like it will never stop. There have been times when I have been awake for days if not weeks because of it....walked around all twitchy and felt like I was coming out of my skin.

As was posted above doing things that occupy the mind help, even if only for a bit. I have also found that exorcise helps somewhat but maybe that is cause I do it after work (before bed) and I am simply too tired to think then. Who knows.

 

[Grama-Herc]

I was told by a T. I saw once that our racing minds come from OCD.

This T. tryed to put me on some med--don't remember the name--to control the racing mind, but I took it for 3 days and flushed the rest of the pills.

The side affects and mixing with my other meds was not fun. The T. paid no attention to the meds I was on so I had a not so fun reaction. I never went back to that T. I am leary of T. who just push pills at you.

But the racing mind can wear you out. The thoughts jump from idea to idea. I do not enjoy mind that's for sure. I have to have the TV on while I sleep so I can go to AND stay asleep.

 

[Awakening]

I recently heard a motivational speaker liken the 'racing mind' to the 'a drunken monkey that lives in my head'.

He described how the drunken monkey is constantly telling him he should be doing this or
he has forgotten this or what the hell are you going to do about that, even waking him up at all hours of the night with another message.

Gosh it made me laugh. A drunken monkey is such a good way of describing it.

 

[Claire]

I've found meditation and relaxation slows my head down.

 

[sessnme]

Thank you all for your input and suggestions. It seems that there is a common response, that being meditation or relaxation. Well I did it and bought the Meditation for Dummys book. I will be reading it this weekend and trying my hardest to settle myself down.
I did go to a phyciatrist this week and she gave me new meds, Klonopin and upped my Celaxa dosage. It hasn't seemed to do anything yet, but we'll see.
Thanks all for your input.
I especially liked the "drunken Monkey" reference, so true!!