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5 Signs Your Mind is Healing From Intrusive Thoughts · Bye Bye Panic

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: For years I did everything to make my intrusive thoughts go away, and the harder I thought them the longer they stayed.
• 0:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I have thoughts like what if I never heal?
• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: What if I'm getting worse?
• 0:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: What if I'm struggling with something more serious?
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: What helped me heal wasn't eliminating these thoughts, but learning to treat the thoughts like they weren't dangerous, urgent, or reflection of who I was.
• 0:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: See, I would monitor my progress based on whether to thought was there or not.
• 0:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: But that just reinforced the cycle.
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: So in this video, I want to share with you the five signs you're healing from intrusive thoughts, even though they're still present.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Number one, you begin shifting from what if to even if.
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: The first thing to understand when overcoming intrusive thoughts is understanding what if thoughts and how they actually work.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: A what it thought is simply your mind trying to stay ahead of danger.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's scanning the future, imagining the worst case scenario, and bringing it to the present, because it thinks that if you can plan, prepare, or worry enough, you can prevent pain later.
• 1:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: So when you think what if I never heal, that's not your mind telling you the truth about the future.
• 1:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's your mind trying to create control.
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so instead of trying to solve what if thoughts, you follow it up with even if this happens.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now this is easier said than done.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: So there's a couple of frameworks I want to give you to help here.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Number one is recognize that what it thoughts are actually just your nervous system being overly sensitized.
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: What this means is when your body hits a stress threshold, your body starts producing excess stress hormones.
• 1:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: This includes adrenaline, and cortisol.
• 1:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Your heart rate increases.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of people deal with palpitations.
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll also notice your respiration goes up.
• 1:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But one of the things that people neglect is that their mind begins to race as well.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: You start getting a lot of what it thoughts.
• 2:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's almost like your body's trying to burn off access adrenaline through the brain.
• 2:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: So the first thing to understand is that these what if thoughts is also just a symptom of anxiety.
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just excess adrenaline.
• 2:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Once you realize that these thoughts aren't true, it's just excess adrenaline.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: When people are in this anxious state, they feel like they're helpless.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Many people feel fragile.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: But part of the healing journey is learning to develop resilience.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: And part of that is, even if something happens, you'll handle it in the moment.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you do this, over time, the confidence builds on its own.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so as you start shifting from what if to even if this happens, I'll handle it, you're heading the right direction.
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now as you make this shift, you'll start noticing that a lot of things that you were doing was actually keeping you stuck.
• 2:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: And this leads me to point two, which is you're starting to see rumination for what it actually is.
• 3:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Rumination simply is constantly going over the same thought in your mind over and over as an attempt to feel certain, safe and assured.
• 3:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Rumination fundamentally can become a compulsion.
• 3:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even if it doesn't feel like it.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: For a long time, it probably felt like just thinking, like you were problem-solving, like you were doing something responsible.
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you can solve this what if problem, well, this thought will go away.
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: This works in certain aspects of your life.
• 3:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: But when it comes to intrusive thoughts, this actually reinforces the cycle.
• 3:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because rumination had nothing to do with finding the answer.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: What you were really trying to do was feel certain in the moment.
• 3:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: you will naturally feel safe.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: This way you feel reassured enough to finally relax.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: So the mind keeps going back to the same thought, not because there's something new to learn, but because it's looking for a feeling it can't get through thinking.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so you'll notice you're getting better, not by whether the thought is there or not, but how much you're thinking about it, how much you're rumanating.
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: A great framework for this is understanding the difference between thoughts and thinking.
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: thoughts you have no control.
• 4:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thoughts come and go.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: It has a lot to do with your past experiences, your identities, how you view the world, how you think the world views you, thoughts come and go.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Thinking is choosing which thought to re-engage with.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, we would think that if we engage with the thought, it will eventually go away once it's solved.
• 4:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: But what happens is that when you engage
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: you're teaching the brain of feedback loop that this thought is important, so the mind keeps showing up the same thought over and over again.
• 4:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so as you begin ruminating on this thought, you're reinforcing the thought and now you've developed this feedback loop.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's recognizing that thinking is within your control.
• 5:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thoughts are not in your control.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Having a thought doesn't mean anything.
• 5:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: are you engaging with it?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Are you reacting to it?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Are you trying to fight it?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Are you trying to fix it?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Are you focused on it?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Are you fearing a thought?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: All these engagements will reinforce that thought.
• 5:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so healing and truths of thoughts is recognizing that you're not rumanating on the thoughts as much.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: You might feel like you want to rumenate on it, but you go back to living.
• 5:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: You actively choose to focus on something else.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's active, non-engagement.
• 5:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: So healing doesn't look like thinking better.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: It looks like catching yourself mid-loop and realizing, I'm not solving anything at right now.
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just dealing with a habit.
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You begin to see a thought as a thought regardless of its emotional punch.
• 5:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you catch yourself in this rumination pattern and you redirect your focus and attention,
• 5:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll notice the third sign of healing, which is, you just view a thought as a thought.
• 6:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's important to recognize that you are not your thoughts.
• 6:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: So many times we are identified with the specific thought.
• 6:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're so focused on the content of the thought.
• 6:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: What if I never heal?
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: What if there's something medically wrong?
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: What if I actually act on these thoughts?
• 6:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: But healing is recognizing that you can just take a step back and just view the thought for what it is, just a thought.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not a warning, it's not a message, it's not something you need to figure out right now.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And this is subtle, but important.
• 6:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because an intrusive thought doesn't stop by going away, an intrusive thought stops by you trying to prevent it from coming in.
• 6:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: What makes a thought intrusive is that you don't want to have the thought,
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: it's like thinking don't think of a pink elephant.
• 6:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: The mind works that way when you try not to do something it actually reinforces it.
• 7:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so overcoming it intrusive thought and you start learning is that you don't need to stop a thought.
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can let a thought be there.
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to be free of something to be free from something.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: You start to notice that thought shows up, and instead of trying to analyze it or react to it, you simply see it as just another thought.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Even if it feels intense.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even if it comes with the rush of emotions, even if it sounds convincing.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: You begin to understand something really key.
• 7:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: a thought can feel real without being true, and it can feel loud without being important.
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: So healing looks like this.
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: A thought shows up, you notice it, and you don't engage.
• 7:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: No fixing, no answering, no checking in, and that space, even a small amount of space.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Can be a sign that your nervous system is beginning to settle.
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: The first shift isn't changing the thought, it's stepping back from it.
• 8:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: In this stage, you realize you're not the mind, you're not the body, you're the awareness of these thoughts.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And as you notice this, you'll find something interesting.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even when you have a thought that has a strong emotional punch, you'll notice your body recovers faster after the spike.
• 8:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: This leads me to the fourth sign you're healing, which is the emotional punch begins to settle.
• 8:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is something you can feel inside your body.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because with intrusive thoughts, it's not just the thought.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's the emotional and physical reaction that comes with it.
• 8:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you ever had an intense thought, you can even feel like it can give you a panic attack.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: You will notice your body just reacts.
• 8:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll notice the emotions show up.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: When you're in a sensitized state, your nervous system really isn't able to tell if something's a real threat or an imagined threat.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And so when you're in this state, it's even stronger.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: But as you heal, something changes.
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: The thought may show up, and your body may still react at first, but it doesn't stay stuck there for long.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Despite comes and then it passes, your body settles faster.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: The adrenaline doesn't linger as long.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: You lose maybe a few minutes instead of hours.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Now as you do this, you'll get to the final stage, which is, the thought is no longer the metric.
• 9:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's your response.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: For a long time, you probably measure your progress based on whether a thought showed up or not.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: How often is it there?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Is it gone yet?
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And every time it appeared, it felt like a failure.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like no matter what you did, it just wouldn't go away.
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: But at some point that changed, you realize something important.
• 9:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thoughts are automatic, you don't control whether they show up, but you do control what happens next.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So healing stops being about thought frequency and starts being about response time.
• 9:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: How quickly do you notice the interest of thought?
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: How quickly do you disengage?
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  [SPEAKER_00]: How quickly do you return to your life?
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Early on a single thought could hijack your entire day, then it becomes hours, then it becomes minutes, then it becomes moments, and then there'll be a point where you don't even realize or think about intrusive thoughts.
• 10:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: You may have a thought, and you'll think it's so silly, that you won't even be conscious of the way that that thought came in.
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: There will be a point you genuinely won't care whether the thought is there or not.
• 10:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: You notice it, you don't engage, and you move on.
• 10:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Most people don't realize this, but a mind that creates intrusive thoughts isn't weak.
• 10:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: In fact, it's very sharp.
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have a very strong intellect, it's fast, it's very good at imagining outcomes and spotting potential threats.
• 10:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: But when a mind like that isn't guided, when it's not taking instructions, it can turn inward, and that's when it feels overwhelming.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because nothing is wrong with you, you're extremely capable.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: With such a powerful tool like your mind, you just need to learn a few principles so that it works for you instead of against you.
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you heal, you don't lose your depth, you don't lose your intelligence, you just gain direction, and when a mind like yours has direction, it stops being something you fear and it becomes something that works for you and something you can finally trust.