Intrusive thoughts of things I've seen,read etc mainly tv shows and so forth can anyo

Hey,

So i first of I don't think this is OCD but just anxiety in general I've had it on and off for years it's weird so let me explain. So basically sometimes I'll see, read or watch something it can be anything at times and it just gets stuck and I keep playing it on a loop over and over in my head which causes extreme anxiety and sometimes wastes days on end.

So for example I'll finish a tv series and then I'll have the images of things I saw basically playing them like a projector in my mind and of course you can't re create it so i end up wasting days sometimes going back and watching it again and again to see what really happened or what was said if i try and ignore this it gets really bad and I just have to go and find it.

I'm really stuck on one at the moment finished a tv series on you tube the other week last Friday and since then I have about 5-6 scenes from that whole series I just keep looping over and over again in my mind I'd say it's starting to die down a little now I did have a watch again earlier but not as bad as it was when it first started


Anyone else have this or similar or am i alone in this one?

Cheers, Jack

Hello Jack: I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral. By the way, I also watch TV series on YouTube. What I watch are primarily old BBC crime dramas that members have posted. (I don't subscribe to YouTube TV.)

I guess I experience something of what you describe. But clearly not to the extent you do. (I do avoid watching anything that contains graphic violence.) Anxiety is something I have struggled with. I don't know if what you're experiencing would be diagnosable as OCD or as anxiety-related. That's something that would have to be determined by a mental health professional which I am not.

Here are links to 7 articles, from PsychCentral's archives, that offer tips on how to manage anxiety, the first by our host Dr. John Grohol, Psy.D.:

Anxiety Disorders - Learn the Symptoms & Treatment

Living with an Anxiety Disorder

15 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Improve Anxiety Symptoms

9 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Right Here, Right Now

Top 10 Lesser-Known Self-Help Strategies for Anxiety

https://psychcentral.com/blog/11-tip...anage-anxiety/

https://psychcentral.com/lib/20-tips...e-your-stress/

I hope you find PC to be of benefit.

I can relate a bit, I do the same thing. But it's not as overwhelming... I'm sorry you have to deal with this, it must be very annoying.

It is annoying it is a strange one though most definitely it's not triggered by anything to do with violence, i think sometimes just scenes I like get stuck in my mind. On the plus side this time it's nearly gone now it usually lasts about a week ish have had them up to a month previous though.

I have had this most of life. It's nothing traumatic or even special about the scene or sometimes it might be a passage from a book. I think its my brain protecting me from traumatic things in my life.

Have you tried to curb your screen time? Is there something else you can occupy your time with? I don't just mean as a distraction from the intrusive thoughts but the program watching to begin with. It is no wonder you are obsessing over these programs if it turns out you are spending excessive time watching them. The solution I believe is to limit your screen time - especially before bedtime. Try to practise good sleep hygene which means no electronics a minimum one hour before bedtime.

Even if you are not spending excessive time watching these things I still suggest finding distractions.

There is another practise which I have heard is very effective. That is to pause what you are doing every 20 minutes for a minimum of 20 seconds. For instance I have heard it recommended that you even get up and stretch or walk around for a bit before returning to your screen.

Also, what kind of device do you typically watch these programs on? It is said the bigger the screen the less intrusion.

yea I've experienced what you have. Both positive and negative intrusive thoughts that just continue to rummage in my mind. The positive one I usually don't mind especially if its something fun that I enjoy. But the negative ones are the worst. Thats why I stay away from anything tv, music, media, etc that I know will give me anxiety. Thats really the only advice I can give is to not watch, read, or listen to the things you know will cause you to have those thoughts.

Yeah I have this real bad. I walked in on a particular scene in the movie Resevoir Dogs. That was in May 2017. To this day I still get incredibly disturbed when I think of it. The thoughts just creep into my head and I try to push it out but it’s hard. Also I feel like throwing up every time I hear the song “Stuck In The Middle With You” on the radio.

I do this with a lot of other TV shows and other things. I’ve done it since I was a kid. I’m kind of embarrassed by it so I’ve never mentioned it to anyone else expect people on PC and one other friend on Facebook.

For the past 4 years I’ve been watching just Nickeloden, specific sitcoms and reality TV and that’s it.