Thought Stopping, Does This Actually Work For Anyone?

[Deleted member 37474]

I love my CBT therapist, I really do. From me, that is saying a lot. I had some really horrible expe...

For me, when I have a quick flash where I see him holding me down or shoving me into a wooden closet wall and the same image keeps continuing over and over again (usually while I am driving). I sternly say inside my head: "STOP!" And it usually stops that image for awhile. It is one of the only things that work for those type of flashes. The sensory bridging works for me sometimes, but not as quickly. I have almost completed a ptsd workbook that has you work on one skill at a time. Usually a week or entire chapter. I think the gradual process of that helped. I just want to learn a way to make the flashbacks go away permanently like when I had initially blocked them out. Not sure how to do that. I want to/would see a therapist if they could do that, but I don't trust anyone but my closest friends, so I keep avoiding it.

 

[turtlemoon]

Glad that the stop command thing helps your flashbacks. Hmm, maybe if I tried that in context with mine... may help me more if I can train myself to replace those thoughts with something else.

As for counseling... I understand. For me, growing up there was so much negative stuff for me around mental health I could practically write a book. Definitely one of the worst anxiety triggers for me, at least prior to my assault. Took me quite a few tries to find the one I have now. Had to have my partner go with me to help keep the panic at bay.

It was worth it though. Now I have some workbook to get started on from my therapist. Hopefully it helps.

 

[ladee]

Thought stopping works for me Now. It didn't for the first two thousand years of recovery work..no typo..it really felt that long.

It works now because there is a lot less noise to deal with.

Maybe later it will help. Just put it in your recovery tool box. It may come in handy one day.

 

[turtlemoon]

Hhhmmm, good point. After my last session, T talked about some other stuff that is more helpful to me now. Will focus on those for now, and revisit thought stopping now and again to see if it is helpful down the road. Thanks for the input.

 

[I_will_recover]

"Stop/don't" is not a tool for everyone. For me it's like a heroin addict, for example. If addicts just stopped getting high or didn't think about it then things get better and they can stop. Overly simplistic? Yes. Using this addict example sometimes cold-turkey works.

Please mind my comment comes from a personal place of being told by others to "stop" feeling or doing whatever it is im experiencing that makes me uncomfortable even if it feels like a fire I need to walk through. Which I equate to invalidated feelings or someone feeling burden by my trauma. And for me it's always from non-professional that I hear this not a T.

Im think none of this ^^^ may make any sense and I'm likely way off base and possibly topic. I'm having a profoundly hard day today. Sorry - I don't want to hijack this post :banghead:

 

[turtlemoon]

I_will_recover, it makes sense and I think it is on topic. Also, I am really sorry you are having a hard day. I appreciate you taking the time to try and help me, even on a day when you yourself are struggling. Thank you.

I think I get it... like, being told by people to just get over it, let it go, stop beating yourself up, etc. Things people say...who have no real idea of what we are experiencing or how much we have to fight and struggle to get through the day... yeah. I can definitely see how the thought stopping can get tied up in with that mentally and contribute to more problems than it solves.

The more I think about it... maybe that is more of my problem with the technique than I had realized. Like... its me telling myself something similar to the unhelpful advice others like to give in an attempt to be helpful. Hmmm. Definitely gonna jot that one down in the journal.

This sure is quite the process, isn't it? Thank you all for making yourselves available to be a part of it, and for allowing me to be a part of yours.

 

[joeylittle]

I prefer the 'turning the mind' concept, from DBT/mindfulness. When an unwanted thought comes up - you acknowledge it, then turn your mind away from it, towards something else.

Essentially the same result, but a much less judgemental process.

 

[Fadeaway]

I'm doing CBT now and he is teaching me to not stop my thoughts, but to allow them without judgement. That my stopping the thoughts is what is keeping me stuck in PTSD.

That is pretty much my understanding of how it works when it comes to PTSD. Trying to ignore it, makes it worse. acknowledging it without labeling it as good or bad, and then redirecting yourself is what I understand to be the recommended approach.

 

[ladee]

Sorry, long day yesterday and I didn't give any more information on how I stop thoughts.
It is along the lines of what @joeylittle shared.
After reading 'The Power of Now' by Echart Tolle..and doing the practice of...'what is your next thought going to be'...my mind just stops.
It took practice..like the many things we learn to do..then I am able to replace the hamster wheel thinking with something more constructive or productive.
Also when I am thinking about my son, which can lead to all sorts of negativity, I stop and pray for forgiveness and pray for his saftey. Its a win-win for me then instead of going over the past which all the thinking never changes.
Sorry I gave such a simple answer. Made me sound magical didn't it!! Not hardly!

 

[Friday]

Not something that works with me. Possibly because of a different disorder chiming in, unless I'm on stimulants I don't have single thoughts, but layered thoughts/ different thought streams.

What does work in an ADHD trick; Can't control the 1st thought. CAN control the 2nd.

Which can be challenging the first thought, poking fun at it, coming to a decision about it, what have you. Shrug. Whatever is wanted or needed.

 

[turtlemoon]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. That may be half my problem.

 

[katz]

Agreed. I think a good example for me would be suicidal ideation. I have struggled with that one no...

This seems similar to what I learned to do. As a child I would just close my eyes and disassociate up to the corner of the ceiling. Now as an adult, I have learned to face the memory more head on. I do still look around the room and reassure myself that I'm ok. Actually, saying to myself "your ok, you will be alright, it's just a memory, it already happened and can't hurt you anymore". But, I am also looking for what caused my memory to come to the surface.

Once in a while, I can find what caused it. A smell , a memory from my day, or even a color. I have found out that if I can find it -- I no longer have the same problem with it.! It was amazing to me, the first time I did it. Now, I try to do it with every memory feeling I have. ( at least the ones that are minor) I haven't had a major ones yet. I'm probably still too afraid to think about them in that much detail.