GAD & Intrusive Thoughts (PLEASE RESPOND)

[JDawggS316]

I am hoping for some reassurance first of all, nothing negative at this point 

I was on Effexor for about 6 or 7 years and decided I would try to go off. I was on 150mg most of the time. I then went to 75mg for about a month. I talked to my doc and we agreed to see how I would do off the medication. I was put on 37.5mg for a week and then off completely.

I went a week with the withdrawal symptoms, but out of the blue, had a disturbing intrusive thought pop into my mind for a second (in regards to my family). This was literally out of the blue with no prior thoughts even similar to it.

Since then, I've been in the snowball effect and, of course, had a MAJOR panic attack about having the thought. A few weeks have passed and I've been put back on Effexor again (37.5mg for 1 week, 75mg for a few days, and now 150mg for about 4 days).

1. Has anyone had this similar experience? Where the intrusive thoughts, no matter how you don't mean them or have an intentions with them, keep replaying over and over and actually causing new unwanted thoughts? I wake up in the morning already feeling super anxious and that's how my day starts and continues on.

2. Also, I was off Effexor for 2 weeks, was that long enough for it to completely get out of my system where now I have to rebuild it in my system over several weeks before I notice a positive difference?

PS - I am seeing a psychologist for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and am just in the initial relaxation part of the process.

[kconnors]

Hello,

First, congratulations on working on CBT. It is a process, but what a great step for you to take.

Second, I cannot address your issues re: meds directly, but I do know there are folks in this forum who are extremely knowledgeable and they will respond.

Third, I don't think you can "control" intrusive thoughts, but you will be able to manage them and decrease their frequency and strength. And, it is not unusual for symptoms to reappear during withdrawal. We have to remember that when meds are involved, brain chemistry is in flux and readjusting. You do need to manage though turning one intrusive thought into a snowball effect and I do believe that CBT will help you to do that along with other stratgies re: diet, exercise, meditation, etc.

As much as I cannot give you concrete suggestions, I do want you to know that the journey that you have started does require great strength and self-value and the very fact that you are committing to it has to prove to yourself that you will be able to complete the process . . . please let us know how you are doing and thanks for letting us know of your experience . . .take care, kc

[Squeemy]

How are you finding the CBT? When I was in a sever 5 month long battle with anxiety & its symptoms I woke up daily with racing heart, trembles, feeling like I just had to leave, impending doom etc it was horrible. At that time CBT didn't work for me as sitting still with my thoughts was impossible. My GP tried to put me on Lexapro which made me far worse so I took myself off them & joined a gym. It was the daily 2 hour workouts which helped me I feel finally get out of the dark anxiety cloud.

Altough All my thoughts are consumed with myself during panic attacks. Anxiety can and is different for everyone. Your thoughts are just that thoughts & anxiety can make us think the strangest things.
Have you considered the thought as possibly due to withdrawal?

[JDawggS316]

Squeemy,

I for sure think they were due to withdrawal. I had been completely off Effexor (rather abruptly in retrospect). I was off Effexor for 1 week when I had that initial intrusive thought. And since then my anxiety has latched onto it like crazy.

I am finding CBT so-far-so-good. I am learning to relax parts of my body section by section 2 times a day. So I really am in the initial phases it sounds like. I do know though, after my Dr did his assessment, I was diagnosed with GAD. Which I already knew I had. But it's the current vicious cycle I'm in that has finally had me say "enough is enough."

I've normally had anxiety over my health. Literally, a week before my unwanted thought, I was having sever anxiety over the tinnitus (ringing in the ears) I have in my right ear. Now I don't even think about!

I hate GAD but am hopeful with this new venture of CBT.

[Jlo1019]

I think intrusive thoughts are the worst part of my anxiety.  They happen.all.the.time.  It happens more frequently when I'm happy.  Its as if my mind is trying to sabotage my happy thoughts.  It sucks  

I just try and ignore them and not give them power.  This might sound silly, but sometimes I try to trade the negative thought for a happy one.  It sounds silly but I just hate worrying about my future and my thoughts regarding my future, I'll try anything. Its so bad that I'm a step away from putting my fingers in my ears, and screaming "LALALALALALALA".  ;)  I'm sure that would draw some curious glances my way for sure...but I digress, I do hope you can get relief from CBT.  Maybe you can share what you are learning and help some of us with our thoughts.

[jesses]

I'm glad you posted this because I have had intrusive thoughts since I came off Efexor last year after being on it for 8 years. I have been struggling also so you are not alone there I have also developed health anxiety which came out of nowhere!
I think the best thing you is to continue with the CBT as it will change your bad habits of thinking negative habits into positive ones!

[Squeemy]

I'm glad CBT is working for you 

I have tinnitus in my left ear.... now wondering if it's something to do with GAD which I never previously considered. Now that my anxiety is at a mellowed stage, I find myself doing the tense each body part & release some nights to sleep better & it does work when anxiety isn't at an all time high.

Have you tried writing a 'let go' letter? It may sound silly but sometimes it helps putting things on paper to get them out of your mind. Then you can look at it & then dispose of it letting go of feelings with it. Then when the anxiety about it returns you can tell the anxiety that it's been dealt with & it's nothing to worry about. I sometimes try to separate my anxiety from myself... try 

Keep us posted

[coeus]

You're being very proactive by seeing a psychologist so please see that as a very good step in the right direction for your recovery.

In terms of your first question, intrusive thoughts are really a common occurrence. In fact, everyone comes across intrusive thoughts - it's just people with anxiety like us are comparatively more hypervigilant over our intrusive thoughts and our reactivity. So for starters, be gentle with your thoughts when possible and then do those CBT exercises when you can. It's hard to address thoughts when you're constantly irritated and oppositional towards them. Befriending or the intent to befriend your thoughts will calm you down to be capable of address those thoughts.

And yep, I've had similar experiences with that but I soon realised that it's not so much the content of the thoughts or the form of the thought that was alarming but rather it was our habitual reactivity that keeps us stuck in that anxious loop. I learned that the more I gave the thought such high regard, the greater I would reactive to it or less able to deal with it. And of course, unwanted thoughts did arise too. CBT is perfect for you to be able to incorporate a number of strategies to identify cognitive errors and help you address those. Mindfulness can particularly help you with these unwanted and intrusive thoughts too.

For your question about the medication, each person's body is completely different so it would certainly be a question for your GP. It may take 2 weeks to a few more weeks than that.

Hope this helps and you benefit from the therapy. Be well.

[JDawggS316]

Thanks for the responses thus far, when the constant anxiety is 24/7 you feel as though you're losing control and just want to RUN somewhere and have the problem instantly fixed.

I've let the anxiety come to a point where it's waiting for me in the morning (generally 6:00 AM) every day. I am suddenly awoken with dread and panic. I know in part it's become habitual as it keeps happening. But when I do wake up feeling borderline panic-attack like, I fear the anxiety will continue forever and that's also when I associate the anxiety with the intrusive thoughts (which are about harm to my family) which happened weeks ago.

It is embarrassing for me to even elude to what my intrusive thoughts are about, but I know I love my wife and family and would do anything for their safety. That's why these STUPID thoughts are soooo unacceptable to me and keep popping up. I also think they alarm me so much because I've never once thought such things before either.

I just am hoping now, after a month of this anxiety, and completion of CBT I can move on with life, anxiety-controlled.

[Squeemy]

When I was in my dark months with severe anxiety I was sleeping only 2 hours a night & waking with palpitation, tingling, nausea, headaches. I couldnt sit still, watch tv, anything. It was the worst. I found that worrying about it possibly fed the anxiety. I know its easier for me to say but try & become friends with it & accept it.

There's nothing wrong with you & your going to be ok. These thoughts you've had are anxieties little games it plays to try take control. Unfortunately I believe we will never be cured of anxiety but it's not terminal & is manageable. We just need to find what works. Medication didn't work for me & i preferred natural alternatives. I was anxious that it was a tumour causing all my symptoms so I had a CT & all was good. Of coarse now i worry i have increased my risk of cancer but i do tell myself to stop worrying as theres more chance I wont get cancer from it then I will. I then slowly started getting less anxiety over time as I told myself ' nothings wrong with you' . I met someone online who had anxiety & it helped as I didn't feel i was looney anymore & could believe that what I was feeling was just anxiety in its full glory. I would call an anxiety hotline & talk to whoever for hours. It was what I had to do to pull myself out of the anxiety swamp.

As quick as it started, I started feeling better & less anxious all the time. I still get anxiety & have stupid thoughts & symptoms but they are manageable now. 

Just try not fighting anxiety, accept it & the symptoms will lessen eventually.

[JDawggS316]

Let's say I go through CBT and it doesn't really help.

Do these intrusive thoughts eventually fade away?

I don't believe I had a single moment (other than sleeping) that I have not felt anxious over my obsessive thoughts. The thoughts mean nothing in reali life, and I know nothing will come from them. They just continually pop up now and fuel my already lingering anxiety.

[Manutd591]

Hello,

I think the best way to manage intrusive thoughts is to accept them. Accepting means that we know for a fact that thoughts dont depend on us and that they are not always true. Most thoughts that generate anxiety are guided by fear and insecurity thus, they are not true. Its important to indetify that because they are generated by your mind, doesnt mean that they are true or really happening. Its a little complicated but completly true, we have to choose our thoughts and understand that they are not generated by us, they respond to emotions which reasures my point: they are not real. An example: someone scared of flying: on the plane, they are nervous (emotion) so basically they think the plane is going to crash (thought), obviously, the thought is NOT REAL. Trying to stop a thought only will power-up the thought, you have to learn to accept them knowing that anxious thoughts are not really, and in most of the times, not happening.

[JDawggS316]

Over time will they fade away in most cases?