YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Dunno...

Too many negative thoughts and frustrations piling up.

Work related..
Self-image related...
Memories that flash in and accuse me of inadequacy..
The way the planet is...

It's a physical feeling as well as a mental one...

When I get that flash of past inadequacy, I pretend it is there to remind me to be compassionate to others I encounter who have that inadequacy in the now. At least then I deflect a little of the mental blast, and at least the mean part of my brain is doing something useful to me.

Thank you for sharing. You are not alone.

I deal with a lot of negative thoughts too. I wish I could divorce my brain sometimes.

Thank you Sirs, for the responses!

I've regained my sense of humor today. Gotta remember that "This too shall pass"..

But the feeling is sometimes a physical one, like when your face burns with shame, but it's your whole body. A nervous-system kind of thing, as well as cerebral....

Manny - Yes, I wonder as I pass people during the day, what their struggles are, and yes, am learning compassion as I get older.

Here's an example of a crazy negative thought - I was in a nice local park yesterday after a stroll, still in a bit of turmoil, and got in the car. Remembered that I had a couple of books - "The Emotional Life of Your Brain" and "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dummies". Started to look at a couple of sections that I'd marked, and this uninvited mental guest popped in, as a car pulled in to park beside me -

"Hey, someone could shoot you right now as you're sitting here...."

Now WTF! Where do these things come from?

Intrusive thoughts. The brain does strange things.
I don't deal with the random ones like yours. My negative thoughts are more like "They'll see what you're reading and know that you're crazy/pathetic" or else "You should shoot yourself" You just have to realize that this is just a voice in your brain and not the actual "You". Separating these two things can be difficult.

Yes, part of the exhaustion that comes sometimes, is trying to 'deal" with them, and not just let them pass by.

When I'm stressed or tired, it's easier to take them more seriously.