[kbird]

Hi Folks,

It would be really grateful if someone can shed light on what I am going through.

I have constant race of thoughts even during sleep, my mind is constantly ruminating over events or things or thoughts not not necessarily connected. I can feel that mind is active, when i wake up i can still feel am waking up with mind running. This has been there for a long time and I am used to. My GP has initially given me cloimipramine then Setraline after a depression ( which is induced by loss of relationship ). I am currently on Setraline and Cloimipramine. I also experience anxiety, say I want to give a presentation or public speaking, anxiety overwhelms me with jittery, palpitations sweating. I socialize with others without much problem.

It would be grateful if someone can shed some light on this. I thought this was OCD, hence posted the question here. Any experience or cope up techniques that you guys can recommend it would be much helpful.

Thanks in advance.

[Skeezyks]

Hello kbird: I don't think I can really comment with regard to your particular concerns. However I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! May the time you spend here be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

[kbird]

thx mate.

I looking forward to hear some thoughts and advice regarding my condition. it would be grateful if some one can shed some light on it.

Thanks again.

[Unrigged64072835]

I usually have racing thoughts at bedtime. Even with a sleep aid it can take up to two or more hours to finally fall asleep.

The biggest thing is to find something else to focus on until I fall asleep. Breathing is a good thing; Inhale for five counts, hold for three counts, exhale for five counts. Guided meditation is good, too. When I was in IP, I did one that tightened and then loosened the muscles.

[Rob1713]

It seems giving presentations/public speaking is quite a common fear/phobia and certainly shouldn't indicate anything is wrong with you. Even the palpitations!

It's something I share with you, and having to frequently speak publicly and give presentations can cause me similar problems. Who I'm delivering to, and the content, can make the fears worse, and my background - that my audience would seemingly know something about - only seems to make matters worse.

But I have this fear, and all I can say is that having to often face it usually helps. Not always though. If I - for reasons I still don't understand - feel particularly anxious and jittery, before getting up I'll breathe in through my nose for 4 secs, hold for 7, and breathe out through my mouth for 8, and repeat. It isn't a magic cure, but does seem to be one of the few coping mechanisms I've tried that takes the edge off it all.

It's relatively easy given the very real fear you might feel about all this that there's something wrong with you, I've often felt that way, but then it's also quite common. And some people can become pretty good at being able to hide these fears when they're up there. Maybe you're also better at doing so than you might think.

Another coping mechanism I tried that was VERY useful was to record myself using my phone doing a dummy presentation a few days before. It was really insightful. One aspect I realised, watching myself in the video, is that I take myself too seriously! I basically seen myself from a perspective I didn't normally, and noticed some aspects I could focus on a bit more. And the night before, I went to bed without the fear.

Good luck.

[kbird]

Originally Posted by Fharraige

I usually have racing thoughts at bedtime. Even with a sleep aid it can take up to two or more hours to finally fall asleep.

The biggest thing is to find something else to focus on until I fall asleep. Breathing is a good thing; Inhale for five counts, hold for three counts, exhale for five counts. Guided meditation is good, too. When I was in IP, I did one that tightened and then loosened the muscles.

Thx Fharraige, I will start on working breathing technique, hope it would help. One of my friend also suggested me to go Mindfulness mediation, which also i would like to try out.

I wondered if this what I am having is something very unusual. Even in the morning during I wake up I can feel mind is active with some thoughts. This is what I am accustomed to for a longtime. I did some search in web, where some people with same like symptoms pointing root cause anxiety disorder, OCD , Bipolar , etc.

My life is pretty overwhelmed by this anxiety, jittery is something i can not control. It is quite embarrassing and I am almost like Parkinson people who chronically suffer with movements.

Decision making has been quite exhaustive exercise for me, and I do over analyze things and often end up with wrong choices. Lately I am realizing as my anxiety mind is oriented towards Negativity, I was giving extra emphasis on trivial negative things, rather than failing value positive aspects.

Overall there are certain times i felt I am not matured enough with age in terms of my thoughts and thinking, and often pondered if my anxious mind riddled my personality as well.

Hoping get some more insights from anyone who might be going through.

[kbird]

Originally Posted by Rob1713

It seems giving presentations/public speaking is quite a common fear/phobia and certainly shouldn't indicate anything is wrong with you. Even the palpitations!

It's something I share with you, and having to frequently speak publicly and give presentations can cause me similar problems. Who I'm delivering to, and the content, can make the fears worse, and my background - that my audience would seemingly know something about - only seems to make matters worse.

But I have this fear, and all I can say is that having to often face it usually helps. Not always though. If I - for reasons I still don't understand - feel particularly anxious and jittery, before getting up I'll breathe in through my nose for 4 secs, hold for 7, and breathe out through my mouth for 8, and repeat. It isn't a magic cure, but does seem to be one of the few coping mechanisms I've tried that takes the edge off it all.

It's relatively easy given the very real fear you might feel about all this that there's something wrong with you, I've often felt that way, but then it's also quite common. And some people can become pretty good at being able to hide these fears when they're up there. Maybe you're also better at doing so than you might think.

Another coping mechanism I tried that was VERY useful was to record myself using my phone doing a dummy presentation a few days before. It was really insightful. One aspect I realised, watching myself in the video, is that I take myself too seriously! I basically seen myself from a perspective I didn't normally, and noticed some aspects I could focus on a bit more. And the night before, I went to bed without the fear.

Good luck.

Thx Rob1713. Your thoughts are encouraging to me.

Breathing technique is something I am definitely willing to give a try and recording a dummy presentation also makes sense to adopt. I certainly do not remember when I have done a presentation in front of some audience last time, as literally i have been hiding out on those occasions. But i can't be like this forever.

Hopefully there will be some light in the tunnel in future.

[Rob1713]

There's definitely some light. You say you can't be like this forever, so there is only really one option! Knowing how horrible an ordeal it can be beforehand, and that huge desire to avoid it all, facing up to it is going to be really tough. I know. Man, do I know. I know all the racing thoughts and over-thinking!

Often once you're up there it isn't so bad after all, and often you can end up really energised afterwards. Maybe through having gone through the process and coming out the other side relatively unscathed.

Ultimately you're going to have to figure out your own coping mechanisms that work best for you, and maybe think, what's the worst that can happen? You come across as nervous? For the audience it's hardly going to be a big deal; maybe make a joke about it, at you're own expense! Have a laugh at yourself! Don't take yourself too seriously, for example. You'll still be able to present a professional presentation whether you're nervous or not, and it'll be likely you won't come across as being as nervous as you feel.

Maybe you can start yourself off gently; ease your way into it with smaller audiences for example?

Something I ask myself: what's the worse thing that's likely to happen? You appear nervous? Voice stammers shakily, and so on? It's no big deal! Really. And remembering to breathe property during the process - nice yet subtle deep breaths - this'll help no end, and help prevent a shaky voice.

[kbird]

Originally Posted by Rob1713

There's definitely some light. You say you can't be like this forever, so there is only really one option! Knowing how horrible an ordeal it can be beforehand, and that huge desire to avoid it all, facing up to it is going to be really tough. I know. Man, do I know. I know all the racing thoughts and over-thinking!

Often once you're up there it isn't so bad after all, and often you can end up really energised afterwards. Maybe through having gone through the process and coming out the other side relatively unscathed.

Ultimately you're going to have to figure out your own coping mechanisms that work best for you, and maybe think, what's the worst that can happen? You come across as nervous? For the audience it's hardly going to be a big deal; maybe make a joke about it, at you're own expense! Have a laugh at yourself! Don't take yourself too seriously, for example. You'll still be able to present a professional presentation whether you're nervous or not, and it'll be likely you won't come across as being as nervous as you feel.

Maybe you can start yourself off gently; ease your way into it with smaller audiences for example?

Something I ask myself: what's the worse thing that's likely to happen? You appear nervous? Voice stammers shakily, and so on? It's no big deal! Really. And remembering to breathe property during the process - nice yet subtle deep breaths - this'll help no end, and help prevent a shaky voice.

Thanks mate for kind words appreciate it lot! TC.