i think my biggest problem is that having no concentration on good thigns leads me to overthink everything. and i really hate it. it puts me in the deepest depression sometimes.
like if my boyfriend says something that he doesnt realize could be hurtful i will think about it for maybe two days. thinking... does he really still want me. i know he does its just the way my mind works. i hate to think every time some little thing happens what i would be like if i were alone. where would i go etc. i would hate to lose the only man who treats me right and i really love. thansk to stupidly overthinking things.
any thought?

I am a major overthinker...

.......it's just so tiring, isnt it?

I wanna go on vacation and leave me at home.

Dr Daniel Amen wrote a wonderful book called "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life". If you can get a copy, do so. Each chapter describes a part of your brain and what that part is responsible for. Then he lists "prescriptions", things that you can do to teach your brain to do something differently.

Over thinking happens in the Cingulate. From the book, he suggests that the moment you realize that you are over thinking, immediately stop and do something else. In one of the Anthony Robbins books he suggests that the something else should be unusual or slightly outrageous as that sends your brain a stronger signal to stop the behavior. Sing out loud, meditate on the visual image of a broom sweeping your brain clean, recite several lines of Jabberwocky. Anything that will side track you. You may need to do this several times, but you will break the loop each time.

Recite the Serenity Prayer. I use this one for a lot of things. It is an absolute acceptance that there are things I can change and things I can't. My job is to know the difference.

Write down the situation or thought that you are having. Write out all the reasons the thought is correct. Now list all the reasons it is NOT correct. If it is a problem you're having, this will also work.

Whatever you do, don't tell yourself that you are stupid or crazy or being ridiculous or anything else that is demeaning of you. When you do that, you will become resistant to letting the thought go. Instead, remember to give yourself praise for doing something about it.

Trust me, this isn't an issue that only effects women. This issue effects almost every decision I make, every conversation I have. I replay every word I said over and over.

Greg- print off the three possible solutions I mentioned above. Bold the part about congratulating yourself when you use one.

I've been taking the suggestions from Dr Amen's book and trying them out. The result is amazing. While I don't have them on automatic yet, I know that if I keep doing it, I will.

You might want to try working with affirmations for awhile. I know that we tend to automatically feed ourselves the same negative crap we have heard all our lives. The only way to break that cycle is to actively attack it.

And remember, progress not perfection.

Meditation really helps for this.

Here's an easy relaxation technique:

Take a deep breath and hold it for 5 seconds. Now pucker your lips and make as small a hole as you can with them and breathe all your air out. It should take quite a long time to breathe your air out.

Now, take two normal breaths, then repeat.

Also, this may sound silly but it helps. Every time I exhale, I think "peace." As if my exhaling is releasing all the "negative energy" or "bad feelings." And when you breathe in, pretend you're breathing in good feelings. As you hold your breath, let those good feelings fill your body.

Try it, it works.

Also, in the area of pharmeceuticals, dextromethorphan (DXM, found in cough syrup) is a wonderful "stupid pill" that helps quiet extraneous thoughts. It's not like alchohol, cause alchohol just relaxes you (before it messes you up). DXM is more of a "noise filter."

It's what's called a glutamate antagonist. When you "overthink" things, you have glutamate rushing around all over the place. It's a gift and a curse that we all ADHDers have, cause it can lead to brilliant conclusions, but it can also stress you out and leave you depressed. If you take a glutamate antagonist, it quiets all that "background noise."

Now I'm not talking about a robotrip here. Sub-hallucinogenic dosages. 100-200mg should be plenty. At the right dose, it's both a powerful "noise filter" AND antidepressant.



Now, I realize most of you would rather try meditation than chug cough syrup, and it's probably the best choice for most people, but I'm just throwing that idea out there as an alternative. I've found it to be phenominal for social anxiety, especially. It quiets all those "I'm dumb, I'm a loser, I have ADD" thoughts and allows you to focus on the actual conversation.

But, if you DO try the DXM thing, don't be dumb. Make sure there's no acetaminophen in it. And know that more is not necessarily better. Cause too high a dose would probably freak you out.

Trust me, this isn't an issue that only effects women. This issue effects almost every decision I make, every conversation I have. I replay every word I said over and over.

As a man also, i'd have to agree. My brain is on overdrive at what I say, what I do, and how I act around everyone. THEN we bring in what OTHERS say, do, and act... It's like my brain is overclocked, and since it has nothing else to think about it proceeds to think about things already processed, but into more detail... Very taxing mentally :o

Also remember... You're not as messed up as you think you are.

Not saying that overthinking things is never a problem, but there's a reason why there's no disease called "overthinking disease" or something along those lines. It's a normal human thing. ADHD or no ADHD, people overthink things all the time.

The opposite, of course, is apathy... which IS a disorder... So think about THAT... (but not too much :p )

Over thinking and over analysing things is a sign of anxiety. I suggest you find a favored method to relax and calm you down. If it's too much, a counselor or therapist can help.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is helpful in mild cases of anxiety.

at the same time don't you HATE when people say "you think too much?"
thanks for all the useful posts though I do this a lot ...

i've been doing this thing lately, where I all of a sudden realize I've been zoning out kinda for awhile, inbetween a task maybe, and I realize that whatever i'm overthinking about is stupid because it's not here in the now. I don't need to be miserable because i'm constantly thinking about how my life sucks and how every situation I run into is a boobitrap for disaster. It doesn't really help too much, well maybe a little if I reallly try to distract myself, but I forget that I'm thinking about it or I forget when i'm thinking about it and get caught in the trance. Being at work also completely shuts my mind up and makes me forget I have a problem at all, so i'm lucky for that. Anyways, it's not very easy to tell yourself and win the fight with it in saying theres nothing to worry about, but it's worth a try. I swear I wouldn't have ADD if I didn't do this.

I suggest you find a favored method to relax and calm you down.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is helpful in mild cases of anxiety.


So is C2H5OH used sparingly as needed :)

Over thinking and over analysing things is a sign of anxiety. I suggest you find a favored method to relax and calm you down. If it's too much, a counselor or therapist can help.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is helpful in mild cases of anxiety.


Well, look at that, I'm an overthinker that analyzes everything to minutia and I never linked the overthinking with anxiety. I thought my anxiety has gotten worse, with regards to social situations or anything that puts me in contact with others at all, but I didn't realize that I've probably always just had a problem with that. I always knew I was a worrier, but your post kind of opened my eyes a bit. I guess I've always been this way to some extent, though it is still getting worse by the year.

I've never been able to just let things go. I keep a list in my mind of everything I need to do for the day, everything my wife needs to do, what is going on in the GFC here on the forums, everything for my businesses that I need to do or who I need to make sure gets contacted, along with a million other things. I think about everything, all the time. Drives me bonkers at times, but when I get bored and have nothing to do or to occupy my brain with, that's even worse.

So is C2H5OH used sparingly as needed :)

I prefer C₈H₁₀N₄O_{2 to}C₂H₆O
<sub>
@mADD Mike:

I can sympathise: I used to be like the pre-meds and diagnosis.




</sub>

Well, look at that, I'm an overthinker that analyzes everything to minutia and I never linked the overthinking with anxiety. I thought my anxiety has gotten worse, with regards to social situations or anything that puts me in contact with others at all, but I didn't realize that I've probably always just had a problem with that. I always knew I was a worrier, but your post kind of opened my eyes a bit. I guess I've always been this way to some extent, though it is still getting worse by the year.

I've never been able to just let things go. I keep a list in my mind of everything I need to do for the day, everything my wife needs to do, what is going on in the GFC here on the forums, everything for my businesses that I need to do or who I need to make sure gets contacted, along with a million other things. I think about everything, all the time. Drives me bonkers at times, but when I get bored and have nothing to do or to occupy my brain with, that's even worse.


damn you must have a really good working memory. :p

damn you must have a really good working memory. :p

It's funny you mention that, but since starting on Lexapro, I've noticed I'm more forgetful because I don't have things running around my head all the time.

haha I know what you mean. I was actually more focused when I had anxiety, but it was all on my anxiety and the reality that life was never going to change. I started noticing I was forgetting all my worries when I started taking doxepin and I was saying to someone that my mind felt a little more blank and less of never letting go a worry, and I didn't like it. I wanted to remember why I was sad because it was the result from never paying attention. I still remember, but not so conscious of it now. Kinda oblivious.

haha I know what you mean. I was actually more focused when I had anxiety, but it was all on my anxiety and the reality that life was never going to change. I started noticing I was forgetting all my worries when I started taking doxepin and I was saying to someone that my mind felt a little more blank and less of never letting go a worry, and I didn't like it. I wanted to remember why I was sad because it was the result from never paying attention. I still remember, but not so conscious of it now. Kinda oblivious.

So, basically you used to over-think things all the time. But now you don't, and the fact that you don't bothers you as well? lol. Make up your mind. :p

I can understand where you're coming from, though. It's totally different that what you're used to. Even though you didn't like over-thinking things, you were used to it, and when you suddenly stop, it freaks you out. Kinda the same thing what happened to me.

You get used to it, though. And eventually you'll either adapt to it, or alter the dose and find a happy medium. Totally eliminating over-thinking is just as bad as doing it all the time. It's good to be introspective and analytical, cause you learn things better.

And you might once in a while come to a great conclusion... such as "OMG, maybe I have ADHD! I should see a doctor!" And there you go. :D

well they still wouldnt give me meds adhd meds specifically but atleast now i have wellbutrin xl 150 mg ahnd more to come

well they still wouldnt give me meds adhd meds specifically but atleast now i have wellbutrin xl 150 mg ahnd more to come
A lot of docs are cautious about putting a first-time patient on stims. Mainly just to make sure they're not a drug-seeker. Kind of the way a pain doctor won't prescribe Vicodin the first time you come in complaining about a sore back.

It's kinda sad that you usually have to go through a few crappy meds before you get to ones that actually work, but that's often the reason behind it: to weed out drug-seekers.

Not saying that wellbutrin is a "crappy" med. I actually liked it. But it was nowhere near as effective as the amphetamines.

lucky my memory is so bad, that in your case id be ****ed off, yell at my boyfriend. and then blissully forget everything in two seconds. he will sulk for hours...

And you might once in a while come to a great conclusion... such as "OMG, maybe I have ADHD! I should see a doctor!" And there you go. :D[/quote]

I'd like to say I've probably been worrying a bit like before but not as bad/ letting go of believing like sucks and it has to. So I guess the part of me that isn't worrying is the ADD finding something interesting.........."oh yea sure my stimulant works, when I'm interested." HMMMMMMMM;)