Love the phrase “junk thoughts,” PP

Just started therapy myself for rumination. My therapist recommended the book Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally Winston and Martin Seif. It’s good and I think it’s helping.

A couple things that also help me: going outside and noticing things. Literally just look up or around. Oh, there’s a bird. I wonder what kind it is. Feel the breeze on your arms. Look closely at a plant. Or taking a hot shower and focusing on the physical sensations until the “junk thoughts” fade into the background.

Good luck, OP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had ruminating OCD - I found CBT and meds really helpful but what helped the most was removing as much stress from my life (in my case my moving further away from my wider family...)

Which meds?

I did the same with family and just cutting out friends that are drama. Keep a lot of boundaries. You don’t need to tell them they are cut off, just keep them at a distance and be vague.

I'm on lexapro and hydroxizine (to be able to sleep). I have no contact with my family of origin due to abuse. I definitely have PTSD. My job is in some ways wonderful and in others very demoralizing and sometimes unsafe. Lately I'm just constantly thinking about how terrible it is, but really, it's only partly terrible. Some parts of it are amazing. And 95% of my students are making huge gains despite the parts of it that are completely dysfunctional. I just want to stop thinking about the crappy parts. There's nothing I can do about those parts. I only have a few more years until I can retire and want to enjoy those!

Try boxing.

Anonymous wrote:I had ruminating OCD - I found CBT and meds really helpful but what helped the most was removing as much stress from my life (in my case my moving further away from my wider family...)

Which meds?

I did the same with family and just cutting out friends that are drama. Keep a lot of boundaries. You don’t need to tell them they are cut off, just keep them at a distance and be vague.

I had ruminating OCD - I found CBT and meds really helpful but what helped the most was removing as much stress from my life (in my case my moving further away from my wider family...)

I am almost always ruminating about how angry I am about this thing or that thing. It's a compulsion. I'm not currently able to stop doing this. I went through serious trauma as a kid, and I know this is tied to that. I've been through a lot of helpful therapy about other things, but this is different. I am going to try a particular sport I like (because being more in my body helps me get out of my head). But has anyone else had this issue and found something to be helpful? I'm already on lexapro and I take hydroxizine to sleep. I don't want to be like this.