Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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Existential/ OCD thoughts

SethAlan
SethAlan

Anyone else had existential thoughts? I have had these for quite some time now.  Not only that, I have thoughts that invade my headspace and brain. Thoughts about existential things I can't control. And when I try to push them away, they come back more aggressively. Anyone have any experience with thoughts like these? What about depersonalization? Or Derealization? 

arfie
arfie
Hello SethAlan. Welcome to DS.

I am far from certain what you mean by "Existential Thoughts" but OCD thought loops are one of my meanest psycho ticks. The more I push them away, the more aggressively they fight back.

"Depersonalization" and "Derrealization" are terms which pop up quite allot in discussions of a psych symptom my shrinks call, "Dissociation." Dissociation is another of my meanest psycho ticks. It causes me to socially distance to radical extremes. I might as well be alone in a space capsule when I dissociate.
Community LeaderMid
Mid
Welcome to the anxiety board at DS.

You've taken the important first step in writing it out.

One of the best gifts we give our thoughts is to release them to give our mind a break for calm.
moren
moren
I've experienced existential thoughts quite a lot and depersonalization. Often worries and questions about my meaning on earth, my purpose on earth, and fears about the afterlife. Also, I used to depersonalize quite a bit until I started meditating three months ago. Meditation really grounds me in the present moment and has stopped me from depersonalizing for the most part. It's very scary though feeling as if you are not real and the world around you isn't real.
Bobby5000
Bobby5000
Some people do better just being occupied and working at a variety of things rather than just thinking.
hyperpgal
hyperpgal
I've had existential thoughts, but not in an ocd kind of way--I usually come up with a positive conclusion, unless I am in a bout of depression. No depersonalization or derealization that I am aware of.
SethAlan
SethAlan
Hey Bobby5000, I agree 100 percent. I usually do try to keep my mind busy. For the most part it does work. I just try to stay in the present moment and think about what I have to do for the day.
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