Overthinking and Intrusive Thoughts - 6 Phrases to get Unstuck from Overthinking and Uncertainty

Therapy in a Nutshell

Therapy in a Nutshell -Emma McAdam

Mental Health, Education, Health & Fitness:mental Health, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 658 Ratings

🗓️ 25 October 2024

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Download the free PDF: "6 Phrases to Help with Intrusive Thoughts or Repetitive Worries" https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/pl/2148585686 Do you struggle with intrusive thoughts, worries, or constant "What if?" scenarios? Whether you're imagining catastrophes or obsessing over something you said, these difficult thoughts can quickly spiral out of control. In this podcast, we break down why this happens and how to manage it effectively. Using relatable metaphors and evidence-based techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we’ll show you why trying to suppress thoughts only makes them louder—just like a mischievous 2-year-old! Learn how cognitive defusion can help you break free from overthinking and regain control of your mind. Overthinking often happens when we try to create certainty in uncertain situations, that can lead to us believing our thoughts, worrying too much, wondering what intrusive thoughts mean, or arguing with our thoughts- aka Overthinking... here are 6 simple phrases you can use to break the cycle of overthinking, worrying, or dwelling on intrusive thoughts. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction. And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services. Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome back to another episode of the Therapy in a nutshell podcast. I'm Emma McAdam and I'm a licensed
0:07.6	marriage and family therapist. And this podcast is all about taking the life-changing, but usually kind of
0:13.5	complicated topics of therapy and boiling them down into simple, easy to understand concepts that you can use in your daily life.
0:20.8	If you find today's episode as helpful to you, please pass it on to someone else who could benefit from it as well.
0:25.9	Each podcast episode comes from a corresponding video you can find on the Therapy in a Nutschele YouTube channel.
0:31.3	Also, these podcasts are educational and don't replace the advice or direction you may be receiving from a therapist or other health
0:37.5	professions. Now please, enjoy the episode. Is your mind kind of annoying, or do you deal with
0:47.1	intrusive thoughts or worries, or do you have visions of catastrophes happening? Maybe you get
0:52.1	hit with a lot of what-s, like what if my daughter gets
0:54.8	in a car crash or what if I said something offensive at the party? Now it's really common to deal
0:59.8	with difficult thoughts, but if we don't have the right strategies to manage them, they can get out
1:04.8	of hand. And that's because our brain is kind of like a two-year-old. What we give attention to
1:09.6	gets louder. So just like if a two-year-old says a naughty word and everyone laughs, she'll say it again.
1:15.1	But when mom or dad gets serious and say like, you have to stop that, then she does that she has all the power and she says it more and more.
1:23.4	The more upset you get, the more she thinks it's funny. Now many of us engage in four unhelpful strategies to deal with unwanted thoughts.
1:31.7	When we try not to think about something worrisome, that accidentally sends a message to our brains, that worry is actually dangerous.
1:39.2	So, our brain worries more.
1:41.1	This is the classic, don't think about a pink elephant scenario. The more you try
1:45.9	to suppress a thought, the louder it becomes. What we pay attention to, we get more of. That's how the
1:51.6	brain works. When we believe an intrusive thought, our brain makes it even louder. So, for example,
1:56.9	if you're driving and you have a thought like, oh, what if I drifted into oncoming traffic and caused a crash? If you believe that thought, if you believe that that thought means something
2:07.1	about you, that it means that you're dangerous, maybe then you avoid driving. And the more you
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Therapy in a Nutshell -Emma McAdam, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Therapy in a Nutshell -Emma McAdam and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.