I’m unsure if this topic has been discussed before.
When I was actively drinking in my work management days, one reason I told myself I needed to drink is that after a couple days my mind would just be revving. I would be thinking about things steps ahead of where we were with total clarity, I would speak more articulately but fast, with lots of ideas and thoughts rolling off my tongue.
It helped me a lot in my career with building new process, training, ideas on improving our business.
Since I quit, amazingly that didn’t happen this go round. I was more even keeled, calmer not quite so excitable.
But that all changed recently and I noticed that amped up energy in my thoughts coming on again… what frightens me is this is why I thought I had to drink to slow those thoughts down.
Has anyone else felt this way (I’m certain I’m not the only one), have any insights and or any idea as to what worked to slow the speeding train down? Keep in mind, I’m mid 50’s and have done okay for myself but it’s always something that’s been there and I never knew quite why or what…
I always assume it’s due to some changes in brain chemistry. My mind sometimes feels like a unruly race horse. So I take care of it like I would with one. I let it run on a daily basis, but I also constrain it cause I don’t want it to run into exhaustion. I maintain good sleep hygiene, meditate, exercise, do yoga, practice mindfulness. Maintaining a daily mental hygiene routine is key for me.
No, I don’t think I get anything that I’d consider too low. Occasionally some blue feelings during the long days of winter. Sometimes struggle with loneliness being in an isolated area and most friends/family are an hour or more away, so no visitors with regularity and being semi retired no work mates to see.
Otherwise though I wouldn’t claim to be a depressed person in any regards.
But appreciate the thoughts.
Cycling works for me. MTB, road, gravel or winter fatbike. Clears my head (mostly) of anxiety, stress, etc. and makes me more grateful. I’ll put in a lot of kms or hit some tough trails or just do a hills day. Sleep is much easier and the brain feels rested and happier.
We tend to call it washing machine head, where thoughts tumble around one thought jumping to another one and you can’t control it. The only way I managed to stop it was by taking ‘Mirtazapine’ which works like a dream for me and I’m still taking it almost 20 years AF and it still works. I’ve tried not taking it and the heads right back, luckily they ‘kick in’ in minutes, not like weeks for depression &
I don’t really have any advice for a possible diagnos (like adhd and other things listed above) because I don’t have any of it.
However I’m a master in overthinking and my brain also races like crazy from time to time. With a million ideas about everything. I’m an expert in getting things started and then change in the middle of a project and re-do it another way
Last time I tried to stay sober an old friend (also a former addict who is clean and sober now) said something I’ve followed that makes it a little bit easier.
He said that I need to get out of my own head, or get it out of my head. No matter what it’ll be.
So now when things like that starts I make lists, not necessarily lists to follow, most to get it out and sort it out in a manageable way.
Sometimes I list things with a solution and a plan on how to work on it. Other times it’s to do lists. But it can also be just lists about what I’m currently thinking about without any special order. Or an idea board for whatever I’m working on at the moment.
Not sure of that’s helpful or even possible for you to do. But it has sure helped me.
I didn’t drink to sort my thoughts out. I drank so I don’t had to think.
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