How do YOU extinguish unwanted thoughts?

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I've often read that a hallmark of OCD is that the compulsions are actually directed at distracting oneself from obsessive, unwanted thoughts.
It seems like I am daily trying to be free from one un-called-for circular thought pattern to the next. I frequently find myself doing things to distract myself from intrusive and unwanted thoughts. I may blast them away with loud music, drink them away with hard liquor, walk them away on endless laps around the neighborhood, or even type them away, as I think I'm doing now. If I'm focusing on writing, my mind is there on screen in the letters, not in it's own little world, drifting off into places I don't want it to go.

I am curious about the things that you may happen to do to keep these sorts of thoughts at bay.
Keep in mind, this is different than stimming or other self-relaxation techniques. I am talking specifically about the sorts of practices that you may engage in which direct the whole course and flow of your thoughts and states of mind.

I apologize if I've been unclear on any of these points. Thanks for your replies!

Many times if I try to fight the obsessive thought I become more anxious and upset. I let the thoughts flow through and then they finish.. until the next time. I just simply don't fight it because in my experience fighting it does more harm than good. I let the thoughts come in, and know they do leave at some point.

I imagine myself hacking away at such thoughts with an axe or setting them afire with a flametorch. Or beating them up, like a ninja or a warrior. My obsessive thoughts tend to be violent and depressing in nature, so maybe that kind of imagery only works for those kinds of thoughts

I have OCD, and when I have intrusive thoughts I tend to have a lot of different 'escape plans'. I could invent a sort of 'if I do this, then these thoughts aren't true' thing that involves touching something or something simple like that, though that is probably not the best choice. Sometimes I simply try to tell myself outright that my thoughts are irrational and force myself to start thinking of something else or why it's irrational, though the anxiety from the scary thought may last throughout the day. Sometimes I google the fear, and seeing that other people have similar issues with OCD and thought disturbance can calm me down a bit. Sometimes I just tell someone, though I'm often afraid to.

hmmm. i find that when i'm more stressed than is normal (overstimulated, overexposed etc) and i can't escape from people my thought processes begin to go crazy. if it's bad it reaches a point where i pace furiously, start banging myself against walls, swearing uncontrollably....anything in order to stop the thoughts/get them out of my head. usually things that i will do repeatedly in a furious sort of fashion - i guess i feel like what i'm trying to do is get lost/hypnotised or 'stuck' in the sensation, noise, mantra or whatever, that is being repeated, and trying to escape the thoughts. luckily this doesn't happen too often, because i control it by hiding away from the world, which is a nuisance when there's things i want to go out and do. i use music a lot too. music is my saviour. thank apple for the ipod, otherwise there'd be so many things i'd never be able to do.


*wanders off to burn incense at little ipod shrine*

I find that learning something new helps me change the frame of mind, and then the dark thoughts change as a consequence too. My Photography studies are working very well for this.

Finding something to break the spiral. Usually blasting music while going for a stomping walk. I hate awful ruminations

The best way I found to deal with obsessive thinking was to fully accept it for what it is... repetitive thoughts. The more I focus on making them go away, the more energy give the thoughts. Instead, I try to accept it for what it is (no matter how horrific) and move on. If it resurfaces, I again accept it & move on. I try not to let the thoughts induce too much fear, the more anxious I am, the more my mind clings to the thoughts and ideas. If I'm feeling really brave, I'll welcome and embrace the thought... try to make it happen, over and over until my brain just gives it up on it's own, this way, my mind somehow gets bored of it.

I used to be horrified from age 13 until age 29 about death. The thought of living in a world after my parents were deceased made me sick to my stomach. I've now lost both parents and both of my brothers. I don't want to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but honestly it just wasn't. At first it was unthinkable, but in time it's become just another part of life. And somehow, their deaths have helped me to prepare for my own one day.

Either way, I spent 16 years in knots over what I cannot control. I wish I could have accepted death earlier so my focus could have been on spending time, not fear.


On an added note, Zoloft was like a gift in dealing with obsessive thinking for me. Zoloft (after a few weeks) gave me the chance to cut free from repetitive thoughts. Along with acceptance. Good luck to you, I hope there are more ideas to follow.

I have a suggestion.

Make a list under the heading of "Unwanted Thoughts" Then list every unwanted thought that you are plagued with. Don't be afraid of the thoughts or of writing them down. If you want, you can put them in order of most offensive to least offensive. Then, look at your finished product for what it is - nothing more than unwanted, unwelcome thoughts. These thoughts are most likely, basically, fears. The more you repress these fears, the more they will resist and persist. You've just got to accept them for what they are which, in reality, is nothing. You are being bullied by your own mind and must take a stand against the bully.

How do we defend ourselves or protect ourselves from bullies?

1) Report them - you have, by acknowledging their existence, (and also, by telling us about them).
2) Ignore them - a bully likes attention, thrives on attention, because it (as a concept) is weak, inferior, a WPOS. It likes to throw it's weight around and make people suffer.
3) Take a stand - Get support, form a mental support group, invite good thoughts into your mind. Replace or negate each disturbing inferior (in-fear-ior) thought with a positive superior thought.
4) Make a 2nd list of superior supportive thoughts to correspond to and counteract the inferior unsupportive disturbing thoughts . For example: Disturbing thought "I'm going to kill someone" vs Superior thought: "I wouldn't harm a fly; I'm a gentle loving person who would never hurt another human being."

This kind of thinking works for me. Maybe it will be of some help to you. I am not a professional. It is always good to get professional advice or counseling from someone you respect and trust. I wish you peace.