HOW TO STOP YOUR MIND FROM PLAYING TRICKS ON YA | OVERCOMING DEPRESSION & INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS
Three wise men that went by the Geto Boys once spoke some wisdom. And if you are...
sitting alone in your four-corned room starin' at candles
Pay close attention to how to stop your mind from playing tricks on ya.
Here I write about how to find true and lasting freedom in the area of mind battles: depression, anxiety, fear, paranoia or maybe you just simply battle intrusive thoughts.
Reality is:
Our mind can make or break us. Quite literally.
When you put your focus on a particular place, person or thing, and obsess over it, you will continue the attacks on your mind.
Rule your mind, or it will rule you.
Depression Cycles:
Most humans experience recurring episodes of depression.
It is normal now a days.
However, you can break the cycle and prevent future bouts of symptoms.
For many humans, depression is a chronic mental health condition, and it’s common to experience recurring episodes of depression.
It even causes a ripple effect on all aspects of your life.
Ever heard of seasonal depression? Yeah. As a kid who didn't get many Christmas gifts as a child or ever, one of my depression cycles is around Christmas.
Intrusive Thought Cycles:
Intrusive Thoughts: Disturbing thoughts that pop into your mind unbidden may make you feel uneasy, but they are common — and there are strategies you can use to manage them.
While intrusive thoughts may be disturbing, they aren’t harmful or a sign that you have a secret desire to do the things that popped into your mind.
These thoughts seem to pop out of nowhere — a strange, disturbing thought or a troubling image that pops into your mind. It might for some even be violent or sexual, or it can be a recurring fear that you’ll do something inappropriate or embarrassing.
People are often too embarrassed or ashamed to talk about it this. Confiding in close friends and family is useful and encouraging to stop these cycles.
Intrusive thoughts, as these are called, are thought to affect some six million Americans, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Sometimes intrusive thoughts are associated with a mental health disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, where thoughts become so bothersome that they prompt repetitive behaviors or compulsions to try to prevent them from occurring.
They are also common in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which can be triggered by a life-threatening or extremely stressful event you went through.
Intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety. They can be a short-term problem that is amplified by biological factors, such as hormone shifts in the body.
If anxiety is a reaction of a thought ask yourself these questions:
1. Identify the thought as intrusive:
Affirm to yourself and call this thought out: "Yo, that's an intrusive thought. It's all in my head. It's not true. And I reject it and keep my peace."
2. Don’t fight with it. Attack it straight from source:
When you have an intrusive thought, just accept it and take a moment to reflect on it. Don't try to drown it with any other force nor deny it. It all piles up and we store this trauma. Eventually we blow up when the trauma starts to hit all at once.
3. Don’t be hard and judgmental on yourself: Know that having a strange, disturbing, or unpleasant thought doesn’t indicate that something is wrong with you at all.
Depression & Intrusive Cycles then lead to Negative Reactions to others:
These are cycles when we are still suffering from either intrusive thoughts and/or depression cycles. This causes us to have a negative reaction (not a response) to others in an interaction.
Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. - Deepak Chopra
When these patterns creep up take a deep breathe.
Sit outside for 5 minutes.
Journal.
Reflect.
Breathe.
1.....2......3......4.......5.......
Ok now you're realiazing you're alive. That's already a one-up on those who didn't wake up today.
Feeling better?
Wonderful.
You have to recognize patterns. It's all mental and instrumental in how you operate on a day to day basis.
Seek professional help if this becomes a problem you can manage. But don't give up.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one strategy that is often successful for helping people manage intrusive thoughts and breaking cycles.
Tell your mind: I see you bro, quit playin tricks on me.
What you obsess over you magnify.
Instead of staying stuck in your mind, release it, and ask yourself:
What is that thing you're worrying about?
That thing your mind won't let go of?
Take a moment to surrender it to God and thank Him for working on your behalf.
Divine Timing = GOD'S PERFECT TIMING
Get out of your head. Stay in prayer. The G.O.D. does answer prayers. If you are waiting on unanswered prayers: be patient.
Protect ya neck.
