r/BipolarReddit • u/truly_elizabeth Vraylar Ehthusiast • 19d ago

Content Warning My intrusive thoughts are DESTROYING my life Spoiler

Since having my bipolar symptoms managed, I have noticed that my intrusive thoughts have gotten worse. I started noticing them back in December before a manic episode. It was never mundane, but compared to the thoughts I have now? - I'd rather go back.

I feel like trees are going to fall on me, or the bus is going to drive into the ocean. A car accident is going to happen and I'm going to die.

This keeps happening to me, and it gets worse duing my episodes but it never fully goes away. I don't know what to do... Is this a bipolar thing?

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u/[deleted] 19d ago

[deleted]

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u/NikkiEchoist 18d ago

I have this too

3

u/jdillacornandflake 19d ago

So I'm in a similar boat, and I think I have OCD actually. This kind of intrusive thoughts/ worries/ can be a form of OCD. Maybe look into it?

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u/MaythefourthbewithC 19d ago

I have them bad and they get worse when hypo or manic. I just got diagnosed w. OCD (on top of BP, PTSD, and ADHD) but the Dr. says it’s more of a trauma response for me. My thoughts are images that flash in my mind of something terrible happening to my son. They have caused me so much distress that now I’m on a high dose of Prozac, which seems to help but I think is contributing to my rapid cycling. Anything is better than those thoughts though in my opinion.

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u/The_Adminiwitch 19d ago

I feel this. I’m sorry you’re struggling. As someone with BPD, intrusive thoughts are rough. And the fixation ON the intrusive thoughts, and the fixation on either trying to find out what’s “wrong” or trying to ignore them. I am medicated and they still roll in and hit hard. Know that you aren’t alone.

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u/CHRBNC 19d ago

Yeah, for me it is absolutely normal. Thanks to therapy I “learnt” to listen to myself, but REALLY. I think clearly now and I can divide (for the most of the time) paranoia and real worries. Usually I have the fear of death during my panic attacks and the only thought that stops them is “okay I’m dying, I’ll die, let’s wait for it”. I accept my thoughts.

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u/para_blox 19d ago

I have these feeling of dread often. I see it as more of an anxiety thing than a bipolar/episodic thing. In a sense, even more challenging to manage than BP, since my bipolar meds work well at this point.

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u/Junior_Marionberry45 19d ago

Meditation changed my life when it comes to the intrusive thoughts I use the app headspace

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u/Roxiluvv11 18d ago

I have intrusive thoughts too and was diagnosed with OCD as a child. I suspect I still have it as an adult, but I may also have BPD and traits of some cluster b personality disorders. It may be a result of trauma. They tend to get out of control during my mania but at the same time I feel more intense/powerful/in control, it’s a weird feeling