[dwfieldjr]

If you make things up in your head and it causes anxiety anger etc.

[Leah123]

Perhaps catastrophizing: I do that. Imagine scenarios getting out of hand in an unrealistic way and have the accompanying physiological reaction. Although I don't make things up completely, but rather thank a situation like, my husband being home late from work, and catastrophize that he's been killed in an accident or something.

Maybe you could share a bit more, give a couple examples, so we could help better? It sounds upsetting.

[Petra5ed]

jumping to conclusions?

[HazelGirl]

Mind reading?

But really, what it's called doesn't matter. What matters is you recognize it's happening and can stop it.

[dwfieldjr]

Yeah I thought maybe if I knew what it was called I could stop it.
And what if they lead to violent thoughts?

[Lauliza]

When you say making things up, do you mean being afraid things will happen or are happening without any evidence that they are? When my anxiety was at its worst I would be so frightened of bad things happening that I would be paralyzed with fear. I used to be convinced people thought things about me when there was no evidence, also. If this is what you are referring to, I don't know that there is a cognitive distortion to match it with. Jumping to conclusions would be the closest I guess.

[dwfieldjr]

Being afraid things will happen not are.

[Leah123]

Well, if you're worried about bad things happening, yes, I'd call that catastrophizing, basically, seeing a disaster where there is not one, or thinking of the worst instead of something neutral or good.

It can be a way to keep safe, to anticipate problems, but has bad side effects when it gets out of hand.

[Lauliza]

Originally Posted by dwfieldjr

Being afraid things will happen not are.

I have had the same fears. My doctor told me this was chronic generalized anxiety. I'll be honest and tell you the main thing that helped me with this was medication. with meds I was able to address anxiety in therapy. However, I did not have violent thoughts. If you're afraid you might have violent thoughts, I thinks it's wise to see a psychiatrist. Do you have one or access to one?

[dwfieldjr]

Yes I see one I'm not saying I do have them just saying what if.

[dwfieldjr]

What kind of medication did he put you on?

[dwfieldjr]

He took me off of my anxiety medicine and just left me with the risperdal. He said he didn't want me developing diabetes and I did gain some wait.

[Lauliza]

Originally Posted by dwfieldjr

Yes I see one I'm not saying I do have them just saying what if.

It's hard to say since it hasn't happened yet. But I'd keep it on your and your pdoc's radar as a concern. And I'd consider seeing a recommended CBT therapist. I think this is something done with the help of a professional. You can't make them stop by yourself without guidance.

[dwfieldjr]

OK I have a upcoming appointment in a little while. I'll keep this in mind

[Perna]

I don't think that's a cognitive distortion, I think that is just letting one's imagination do whatever it wants instead of working/learning to harness it.

[InRealLife45]

Originally Posted by dwfieldjr

If you make things up in your head and it causes anxiety anger etc.

thoughts cause feelings. you see something happening and tell yourself a negative story about it that in turn causes negative emotions. if you try to spin it in a positive light you may have feeling in response that are positive and prevent the bad feelings from coming.

[Lauliza]

Originally Posted by dwfieldjr

What kind of medication did he put you on?

The SSRI's are very effective for me and really keep my anxiety under control. I still have it but it's not the paralyzing kind (borderline agoraphobic)

I've been on all of the SSRI's over the last 20 years, and the best one for me is Prozac because it has the least side effects and least withdrawals. I've found that the stronger SSRI's like Paxil or Lexapro, while very effective for this anxiety, tend to flatten my affect to the point where it looks and feels like serious depression. So it's a dosage balancing act. I take Prozac along with Adderall for ADD and it does it's job very well. At the right dosage and even with a stimulant, that horrible intense anxiety is really kept under control.

I will add that I have taken the MAOI Nardil in the past and it was a wonder med for me. There are dietary restrictions hat you must follow or risk harsh/dangerous side effects. But if you can handle the dietary restrictions and have a seasoned psychiatrist, it could be worth looking into. It eliminated that horrible anxiety without the flattening of affect that comes with an SSRI. I had no issues with the dietary stuff but had to come off it because my glucose level spiked while on it. This is a rare side effect and doesn't happen with most people, I was just unlucky.

[archipelago]

I don't really like the cognitive approaches to psychology so I can't really comment on how to label whatever is going on. Perhaps they are not thoughts at all but rather are emotions? or things that are coming from emotions that may not be recognized?

For instance, if you mention concern about violent thoughts, I immediately think of both suppressed anger and unmet needs, both of which can produce a lashing out effect. I was just reading about how anger is the least acceptable emotion in our culture, even though it is quite normal and in fact healthy to experience and express anger. Having anger is closely connected to a sense of a strong self. If we are taught to not have any anger, we end up becoming weaker as a self and the anger is still there anyway. Learning healthy ways of connecting to your emotions and then expressing them seems to be a way to handle such things, instead of seeing them as distortions and trying to eliminate them.