How do you turn off your brain?

For days now I have been having family problems with my dad and his wife. Long story short I have to talk to my dad's wife eventually and resolve some conflicts but I'm just not ready yet.

But for the last 5 days this issue has been occupying my mind day and night. Even on Seroquel (which usual shuts my brain of at night) my mind won't stop thinking about this family stuff, I have nightmares all night.

Any ideas how to calm all these thoughts? I feel like I can't even rationally think about the situation because my brain won't slow down enough to sort out my emotions.

It's a vicious cycle...

Turn off your brain?? Is that even possible? Mine doesn't have an 'off' switch.....

do a really repetitive thing in your head.mine is counting backwards form a hundred and if I miss counting with my breath then I have to start all over again.

I read and read and read (with loud music on headphones) in to the early hours of the morning to distract 'till I'm too tired too physically stay awake! It's not a long term solution, but it works when things are really bad *hug*

I haven't found an answer to your question. As I too, have the same problem. Worry has become one of my major issues and it really fires up when I lay down to go to sleep. Wish I had a solution for you, but just wanted to let you know you are not alone.
Gayle

I have racing thoughts constantly and meds don't help much what I do is put on my headphones to shut my brain up

I haven't found that my brain really ever shuts off. Soemtimes reading will distract it.

Somtimes, if I keep dwelling on a problem? I sit down with a piece of paper and write pro/con lists or lists of solutions or things like that. Or write down what I'm afraid/worried about and list off all the possible bad outcomes and then sit and make myself think of the good outcomes.

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You start by reducing the acidity of the tissues and fluids of your body.

Check some sources to find out how to do that. One is posted on
the Depression forum some weeks ago called "Why 'The Lemon Thing' Works
for Some of Us". It explains how either lemons or limes are the most
alkaline food we can ingest and why they are so effective in calming
the emotions for some of us.

It's your thinking that is creating the stress and stress is a very strong
builder of acid in tissues and fluids. Lemon juice and lime juice will
reduce that for you from time to time if you apply it when these rapid-
fire thinking events hit you.

It might not work for you; but it's genuinely worth a try. Give it at least
2 days before you resign yourself to the idea that it isn't going to work
for you. (Squeeze 2 fresh lemons or limes into about 4-5 oz of water; drink it; if you aren't better in 4 hours, repeat it. That should calm things
nicely.)

Mine never turns off either. It just has varying speeds.

If it gets really bad sometimes the only thing that helps is very loud and fast music.

I'm going to add one reply to this, and then I'll shut up; I promise.

One psychiatrist has told me that bipolar illness encompasses a rapid-firing
portion of the brain. Doctors don't know why yet, but they will in time.

Every time we permit our minds to worry, we are building stress and stress
builds up acids in tissues and fluids rapidly and will overload us with far
too much acidic residue.

It all is a stimulant to the electrical system just as the light on your tv screen or too bright light on your computer screen will cause a slow-down in melatonin production (the sleep- inducing chemical secreted by the Pineal gland in the brain), making it difficult for you to get to sleep at night. You know how to correct that, just by turning the tv and computer screen off a couple of hours before bedtime.

We need to keep the acidity of our fluids and tissues (I'm not talking about
the balance of the system (that's entirely different and is controlled by
the brain, varying only minuscule amounts in the ph of the system); I'm
talking about the actual acidity of saliva, for example--among other things--.

A build up of those acids will cause the rapid-firing to keep at its work.
In order to slow that we must reduce our intake of acid foods, reduce
stress, increase exercise mildly (too much will create lactic acid), and
get restful sleep.

I have lived long enough to know that this rapid-firing of the brain, while
it may resolve problems at times, it will cause a rebound of extreme fatigue,
greater build-up of acids, lower feeling tone, and make depression worse.
For me, I think it's responsible for having created greater wear on my
electrical system over the years. (As you know, I'm an elderly person.)

If you really are serious about wanting to do something about it, you need
to go to a pharmacy, buy some ph sticks and check your fluids (saliva is
a good one to check for acidity). Then work at reducing the build up.

That's what's called pro-active intervention in your treatment for bipolar
illness or depression. You've got to teach yourself to rid yourself of
excess acid daily, by reading meditative works, (meditating itself will help)
changing your diet to increase alkalinity and cutting out things that create
acid in your diet.

Look online at http://www.Acid-reactingfoods.com to see which ones
are best for your diet.

It works if you'll apply it diligently. It doesn't happen overnight, but it
will improve within months if you continue to work on it. If you've been
involved in alcohol use or heavy sugar use for a portion of your life, you've
got a longer period of work ahead, but very worthwhile.

I really hope we all get this thing resolved for our comfort and contentment.

Take care.

Thanks all for your input! I am going to try both the music and the lemon thing. Who'd of thought lemons could do so much?

Now that I think about it, I think I use to read when I got like this but I'm out of books. Maybe I should fine some new ones too.

Again, thanks so much for your help! Its greatly appreciated!

I think you are right! Writing this stuff out is an order! Maybe once I write all these thoughts down I can sort through it...

Thanks so much!

Meditation and mindfullness... which is more the act of non doing than doing. And yeah when your racing it seems impossible but if you just keep trying a few minutes at a time you will get the benefits even if you find it difficult. When I first started I would envision a flame or candle and just keep bring the mind back to it, or the point of a needle. Another is just laying down in a comfortable position and just bring your focus to your breath, but not manipulating the breath. Just feel the breath coming and going and focus on the feel of just breathing. Maybe try for 2 min and then try to increase the length of time.

Meditation is basically not turning the brain off but turning the thoughts off and just being. It's really helped me so much. When your mind wanders which it will just bring it back. It's so natural for our minds to constantly be doing but I swear its only because we were not taught how to be silent and still and just be completely present in the exact moment.

If you are worrying about things writing it out like suggested is great. Maybe after you write it out you can lay down or sit comfortably and just envision all the worries leaving out your finger tips..toes..head with every out breath and with every in breath envision all the clean vibrant white energy filling your lungs and passing through your viens further pushing out the worry on the exhales.

Worth a try anyways, I know I feel much lighter, clearer and calm even energized in a good way after some good internal clearing.

I hope you find some calm for that busy brain. Genetic is always a wealth of knowledge and the lemon does help. As CheshireCatGrin said focus on the positive outcomes ( couldn't agree more ), give the positive some power by focusing on them and starve the negative possibilities off by lack of attention. I really think that does help us create the outcome we desire.

When you are reading it is sort of like meditation, the mind calms and stills, it become present on each word right in each moment. So yes maybe get some more books and make some time to sit and read if that was working and enjoyable.

I dont know if you read fiction and I myself don't read fiction often but this is kind of interesting http://www.buzzle.com/articles/readi...editation.html explains much better than I did.

I take seroquel too but it doesn't always work.

If you figure it out let me know. Please and thank you!

I realize this might not be a popular suggestion, but marijuana works really well for racing thoughts.

LOL! Mandrec - I've definitely done that. And it is the only time where I might actually only have one thought process going on.

So. It's very very much not a regular thing for me. And I haven't tried anything since starting meds. But even then, it's only if friends have any and they offer it.

How do you turn off your brain?

I sleep. Then I nap. If I'm not doing that I'm mediating on specific things. It's the only way I don't go out of my mind.

My post got lost somehow so this is a repost.

How do you turn off your brain?

I sleep. I nap. I meditate on something specific, a former of focused daydreaming. If I didn't do this I'd go mad.

I think sweet, sweet maryjane makes my racing thoughts worse. Or at least more specific, I will obsess over one thing. Maybe its better if used in moderation, but I've always lacked that filter. And its been a year or two for me, and I've gotten medicated since, so who knows?

Always wondered what that would do to me.

Well since its been a couple days I'd figured I'd check in and let you know that I tried the lemon thing and it seemed to have helped. I also started cleaning. Don't know where the energy came from but cleaning tends to be the only time I become OCD so it took my mind off of my situation. Also, it might have been the fact I was off my meds for 5 days (mostly laziness, and hating the fact I need them to stay sane) so after a few days I think I'm on the right track.

I know it sounds silly but I have no idea how to meditate... Maybe I should learn.

Also, I use to use MaryJane 5 years ago... use to help but my current BF is not cool with it so I gave it up. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking!

Now I am off to write about my conflicts and maybe I can get them resolved next week... wish me luck!

And a great big THANK YOU to all who came up with suggestions, now I have plenty of tricks to try if this becomes an issue in the future! So thank you again!