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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bigcat on October 28, 2005, at 12:23:35
I'm currently taking Nardil and Adderall which have elevated my mood significantly, but I have this latent symptom where my mind is always talking to itself. There are persistant, cluttered thoughts resembling obsessive thinking (I'm guessing??), but my main issue is that I'm always envisioning myself talking to certain people and imagining/planning what I'm going to say, and hearing how I'll sound in my head, envisioning my speech impressing people. It's basically not living and reacting in the moment. (I literally talk to myself, anticipating situations and questions I may come across, and designing a word for word response).
I don't have the "empty" or peaceful mind which reacts spontaneosly without fear of fluidity or clarity. I'm too aware and caught up with myself, and feel like I'm on a stage when it comes time to speak my obsessively REHEARSED ideas. I guess I would consider it a loud, ruminating, and anticipatory voice in my head which I consider my own, not something from the outside. Any med suggestions to combat this symptom? It's blocking the peace of an empty, quiet mind.
Posted by ed_uk on October 28, 2005, at 15:43:36
In reply to Drugs to empty/calm a loud, ruminating mind, posted by bigcat on October 28, 2005, at 12:23:35
Hi Matt,
I find that SSRIs empty my mind of unwanted thoughts. Some people have the opposite experience, especially those with bipolar disorder, who often find that SSRIs cause racing thoughts. You did say that SSRIs don't help you. Anyway, you can't combine them with Nardil.
Your current symptoms sound like a form of social anxiety. I remember you saying that benzos don't help. I wonder whether you'd benefit from Neurontin? Some people find it anxiolytic.
Kind regards
~Ed
Posted by Declan on October 28, 2005, at 17:02:03
In reply to Drugs to empty/calm a loud, ruminating mind, posted by bigcat on October 28, 2005, at 12:23:35
Matt, is this so odd? And if it is, what drug would help? (I'll bet you anything it'd be illegal or horrible.) We're creatures of language.
I don't understand living in the moment. Does it mean saying that it's all cool, these conversations in our heads, they come and go, it's just what we do etc?
Nobody can control their thoughts and you're best off not trying IMO. (What about CBT? Not to my taste, I guess)
Would it have been easier when we believed in demons and could just say we are under demonic attack?
Declan
Posted by Jakeman on October 28, 2005, at 20:37:32
In reply to Drugs to empty/calm a loud, ruminating mind, posted by bigcat on October 28, 2005, at 12:23:35
I know what your're talking about but I don't really have an answer. It seems that many antidepressants while lifting mood also increase the speediness of mind. It's been an ongoing effort for me to find some balance.
warm regards ~Jake
Posted by Phillipa on October 28, 2005, at 20:54:58
In reply to Re: Drugs to empty/calm a loud, ruminating mind » bigcat, posted by Jakeman on October 28, 2005, at 20:37:32
Oh Boy I thought this was normal that everyone did this. I've always rehearsed what I'm going to say. Find it helps me cope. Like when I'm dring my hair I'm already thinking of something I'll say. My mind is never empty or quiet. What's wrong with me? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on October 29, 2005, at 7:20:24
In reply to Re: Drugs to empty/calm a loud, ruminating mind, posted by Phillipa on October 28, 2005, at 20:54:58
Yes, that sounds like me too!
I do the same -- I'm always talking in my head and day dreaming and things. Is it 'normal' to have a quiet mind?? I thought everyone did this??
Posted by SLS on October 29, 2005, at 9:42:41
In reply to Drugs to empty/calm a loud, ruminating mind, posted by bigcat on October 28, 2005, at 12:23:35
Hi.
Medication is not the answer to all psychological discomfort. I'm sure you know that. Of course, I wouldn't know to what degree your concerns are of biological or psychological origin. What professional resources do you have to be able to determine the relative contributions of one versus the other? It might be worth your time to go for a consultation with a psychologist if your psychiatrist functions only as a psychopharmacologist. Some psychometric testing might prove helpful.
Low self-esteem can be the direct result of depression. Conversely, depression can be a consequence of low self-esteem. However, self-esteem itself does not come in a bottle. It has to be affirmed and nurtured. Low self-esteem can be responsible for your feeling inhibited, self-conscious, and continuously rehearsing events and conversations. If this is the sort of dynamic with which your mind works, it might be the mind that needs to be treated and not only the brain.
I guess the bottom line is that you might need to be more thoroughly evaluated for psychological issues and not just rely on medicating an Axis I disorder.
- Scott
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