Andrey Vladimirovich Russkikh, Obsessive thoughts, fears and VSD. How to regain a full life - read online in full

Doesn't anything just happen? Anyone can believe this, but not an anxious person with VSD. With vegetative-vascular dystonia, symptoms sometimes appear out of the blue and this is another reason for a person to panic in front of them, feeling helpless.

By confusing the nervous system and the functioning of the entire body, VSD can even reach mental activity. Suddenly a person feels that he is losing control over his thoughts, as if some virus has settled in his head and is producing bad images frame by frame. Also, this strange virus forces a person to believe that something bad will happen to him, which can be prevented by performing certain tasks. The inner voice is not heard, but it dictates to the VSDshnik the rules of the game: if you do not do this, something terrible will happen to you.

Obsessive thoughts with VSD become scarier and more sticky day by day, and close people convince the person that he is “suffering from nonsense.” But what really stands behind the scary pictures in your head and the “obligatory” rituals?

Sticky Thoughts: The Real Picture

Let's start with the fact that every person with VSD is to some extent a hypochondriac, an impressionable creator, thinker and dreamer.
Each patient believes that his feelings and mental anguish are unique and hopeless. Many VSDers hide a significant part of their iceberg from their loved ones, and there is no point in judging by the tip. One thing is certain: dystonics do not lie about their fears and truly cannot cope with them. And if loved ones do not change their attitude towards the VSD, this will become an additional step for the patient into the abyss of mental torment.

People with VSD, almost from childhood, are sensitive to their health, worry about the slightest reason and try to convince themselves that they are not dying. Over time, this attitude to life becomes a habit, the nervous system is constantly under tension, and the psyche is shaken. All fears come down to thanatophobia - the fear of dying.

Sometimes obsessive thoughts during VSD draw such terrible images of death - one’s own or those of loved ones - that a person shudders and winces, unable to “see” his pictures in his head. The patient begins to fear his own feelings that arise from bad thoughts. By trying to forbid oneself from imagining terrible things, a person drives his brain into a trap. After all, if you say to yourself, “Don’t think about blue buttons,” these are the first things that will appear in your head. And if you always forbid yourself to think about death, to imagine it in colorful variations, the images will begin to haunt your consciousness even more strongly.

Text of the book “Intrusive thoughts, fears and VSD. How to get your life back to the fullest. Advisory book"

Obsessive thoughts, fears and VSD. How to regain a full life Advisory book Andrey Vladimirovich Russkikh

Created in the intellectual publishing system Ridero

This book is a practical course designed for 3-4 months of applying methods and techniques in order to finally free yourself from obsessive thoughts, cope with panic attacks, recognize your own capabilities and learn to master your mind.

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be used for the purpose of making money or publicly posting on the Internet without the written consent of the copyright owner. Book for personal use.

ISBN 978-5-4483-8045-7

Created in the intellectual publishing system Ridero

Introduction

A few words about myself

There is nothing surprising in my story, in fact, everything is like most. I was born in a small town in Belarus, into a prosperous but not rich family.

In general, I had a wonderful childhood, I was not deprived of attention and care, they always gave me gifts on holidays, and at school, until a certain time, everything was great. And I had, as many would say, the best grandmother in the world, who took the most part in my upbringing and often spoiled me, although sometimes she got the cake.

In my youth, I had good athletic abilities, and I often went to various competitions, received certificates, but, in general, nothing special.

I won’t go too deep into the history of my childhood and will move on to the more important thing, where it all started for me.

As I already said, until a certain age everything went well, but at some point I began to notice that they began to pay less attention to me, to which at that time I was already accustomed, this manifested itself both at school and at home. From that time on, various kinds of experiences and discontent began to appear, complexes began to appear, and signs of an obsessive state, as I recall, were present in me already at the age of 12-13, at least there were already some episodes then.

I could spend hours obsessing over some nonsense, although at the time it didn’t seem like nonsense to me at all.

Subsequently, my life proceeded through periods of prosperity and periods of severe stress, this continued for most of my life, until I was 33 years old. There were some thoughts associated either with my insecurity, appearance, or with friends, or even with some situations, they could not let me go for a very long time, and it seemed so important to me to think about it that I could only think about it for days on end, trying to find some kind of answer. It seemed to me very important to think of something, to figure it out so that life could return to its normal course.

The problem with the so-called OCD in psychology became especially acute in the first year of military service, when conditions developed in such a way that it was very difficult to switch from some annoying thoughts and, of course, the situation itself influenced. True, by the end of the service everything changed somewhat, I would say that I was released, I began to enjoy life again, communicating with acquaintances and friends, I again began to have some interests and hobbies. This period continued with some periods of decline and improvement for several years.

And at the age of 26, life brought me together with a wonderful woman, she was 10 years older than me, but very lively, open and wise. I remember that period of my life as one of the most wonderful in my life, although problems with my numerous complexes and obsessions continued to annoy me, but somehow everything smoothed out, and first of all, thanks to her, she was able to support and restore my mood.

But closer to 30, everything went wrong, the next few years of my life became just a nightmare for me. Because of my excessive selfishness, I lost the person most dear to me. Then the idea came to me to create my own business, it seemed to me then that this was the solution to all my problems, but at that time I had no idea how to do this at all, for some reason it just seemed to me that everything should work out.

I won’t go into details, but it’s not difficult to guess how it all ended. I quickly lost the money I earned in Russia and proceeds from my apartment. And then - deep depression, which flowed into my, which had already become familiar to me, OCD, only in a more acute form. And after some time, the first panic attack occurred, then I still didn’t know what it was, and I didn’t attach much importance until it happened again. In general, I remember that period, which lasted about a year, as if I was in a coma.

Trying to solve my problems, I showed some courage, I looked for and turned to 4 psychologists. 3+1, that’s what I call them to myself, because three were generally useless, and the fourth, as I began to understand later, I simply could not hear then, although he told me the right things. And once I even managed to stay in the hospital, this happened after another breakdown, the next day I pulled myself together, and realizing that something needed to be done, I turned to the local psychoneurological dispensary for help, where they seemed to listen to me attentively, then they referred me to a psychotherapist, who, after listening but without explaining anything, prescribed an antidepressant and immediately offered to stay in their mental hospital. I was there for 10 days, they injected me with some medications, they asked me a couple of times how I was feeling, but I didn’t find any real treatment there at all, and I still don’t understand why people like me are sent to such institutions.

In general, I pretended that everything was fine with me, they discharged me, and at this point I firmly put an end to all these state institutions.

And then, against the backdrop of ongoing OCD and PA, a somewhat strange event occurred, which determined the entire future direction of my life. This happened during another panic attack in the store, when I was wandering around and choosing some products.

The attack that came on then suddenly brought me into such despair that I wanted to end everything right at that second; by that time I was so tired physically and mentally that I not only didn’t have the strength to do anything, but I just didn’t want to do anything at all. That's when something amazing happened, which I will talk about in this book, as well as many other things that, I am sure, will help you solve your internal problems, if, of course, you apply what is described.

Around the age of 34, studying various information and using the knowledge gained, many of my internal problems began to recede, although many still continued to greatly disturb and impose themselves, sometimes something captured me and did not give me peace for a long time. But the improvements became obvious, and more and more often periods began to appear that I could call periods of real comfort and pleasure. Everything slowly began to improve in my inner world, but there was still a very difficult situation in the financial sector.

There was no permanent registration, no housing, no stable job - there was none of this. The most interesting thing is that I began to notice to myself my attitude towards this situation, I looked at all this calmly, perhaps with episodes of slight anxiety. It simply stopped bothering me that I had nothing, but I really began to feel consistently good, and confidence began to emerge.

By that time, I already knew about blogging from a friend of mine, had already created my own website and started writing some articles. I met people in website promotion and promotion, and realized that it was possible to start a new business, even without any financial resources.

Then I began to realize that I could help people with my knowledge and experience, although I still did not know how to convey the material. In short, everything came together, I began to see an opportunity to help myself and others.

But I admit it as it is: I began to maintain my website, first of all, for myself, so as not to forget the most important things, like a diary, and of course, hoping in the future to build my own business on this, to create an additional source of income to begin with, it was my driving force. And only then - the desire to help those who are experiencing what I experienced.

Therefore, it was not good or some lofty intentions, but necessity that served as the beginning of the creation of certain things and my further self-development.

Who is prone to panic attacks and OCD?

Now let's see who is generally prone to such emotional problems, because many people are not affected by OCD and PA. It is important to analyze this point in order to see some of your erroneous actions[broken link].

First of all, those who are prone to these disorders include suspicious people who look for and find some kind of essence in everything, in any events and phenomena and attach meaning to everything.

These are often creative people with a moving mind and a vivid imagination. People whose thinking, to a greater or lesser extent, is saturated with images.

Also perfectionists and maximalists with their pedantry and excessive demands on themselves and others. For such people, everything goes to extremes; if you do something, then only ideally, without allowing concessions even in trifles and the smallest details; if you are someone, then you must be the best; if you live and feel somehow, then as well as possible, etc.

I have read in some sources that strong people are prone to these disorders, I do not entirely agree with this, although in some respects this is probably true. But I rather think that here we are not talking about a person’s willpower, but about perseverance, when people, for various reasons, including because of laziness, fear or some of their beliefs, persist in one chosen direction, in solving certain problems, and this persistence ultimately backfires on them.

From my observations and interactions with many people, I noticed that smart and, often, even very smart people are very often susceptible to obsessive states. Who, unknowingly, having fallen into the trap of disorder, begin to use their developed mind not creatively (inventively), but perversely. And being under the influence of an obsessive state, they can distort and complicate everything so much, even the most basic things, that it leads to serious, unfavorable consequences.

And finally, I want to highlight people who are indecisive, cowardly, if not in general, then in certain moments, people who are not decisive in their actions, but try to solve everything with logic, which often also stems from suspiciousness.

A few words about the book

The information presented here assumes that you have already been checked by doctors and do not have any physical illnesses. If you have not been examined before, I recommend doing an ultrasound examination of the heart, a tomogram of the brain and disturbing organs, this is important in order to exclude a physiological factor.

The book contains the knowledge that I collected bit by bit over 6 years, having become interested in psychology to solve my problems, as well as my own experience of application and awareness with detailed explanations.

Step by step, studying the information, at some point, I suddenly got a certain picture of everything that was happening to us, so I decided to write this book, if only simply because everything described here helped me a lot.

In some chapters I repeated myself, sometimes I deliberately did it from different angles, but only in the most key moments, so that you could clearly see the whole essence. In addition, from my own experience and experience of consultations, I am well aware of the characteristics of people suffering from OCD, who seem to listen and understand, but sometimes they simply do not perceive the information; for them it is better to clarify everything several times and in a different way. Therefore, treat this fact with understanding, besides, as they say, repetition is the mother of learning.

As you read the book, you will notice the text in bold and in different colors, so I have indicated the most important points that you should pay special attention to.

When reading for the first time, be sure to read all the way through, without stopping at any particular chapter in which you may think you have found the solution to your problem. The fact is that this can only be a partial solution, and it is important for you to see the situation as a whole. Therefore, be sure to read the book to the very end, without re-reading the same thing 10 times.

Lastly, I will not claim to be giving you any absolute truth here. I believe there is no such truth. Rather, I simply offer you scientific knowledge, methods and experience that really work and, importantly, do not diverge from natural laws.

And I understand that the book at some points may seem dubious, especially for those who are new to psychology and have not read materials on this topic. Therefore, before you move on to the book itself, I want to say that you should not immediately draw any hasty conclusions, because the meaning of speaking confidently about something appears only when you have passed a certain stage and gained your own practical experience.

1 part. The relationship between body and mind

As you know, the most terrible enemy is invisible, we do not understand and are not aware of it. Our ignorance leads us to many internal problems and, accordingly, to a deterioration in mental and physical condition[broken link].

And we wouldn’t need this awareness if we initially looked more closely and trusted ourselves, as they also say - listened to our heart’s voice.

Many people live well without studying the basics of psychology, enjoy life and do not suffer from various mental disorders, and only because from the very beginning they listened and trusted themselves.

And now, in order to improve our lives, we need to figure out some points, then it will be possible to change everything. This happened to me and many others.

I had to spend a lot of time to open the circle of my internal problems, misconceptions and find the right way out of a difficult situation.

And I want to say right away that violence against oneself, that is, attempts to forcibly reshape oneself, introduce something useful or get rid of something bad, is impossible

. Self-violence can only give some short-term results, but nothing good can be achieved; you either won’t succeed at all, or you’ll end up with some kind of hybrid that can become worse than the original problem. And we need reasonable effort, not violence.

In addition, many people hope to change something in themselves, for example, to become more confident by doing soul-searching, but this is a road to nowhere. By tormenting themselves, they only aggravate internal problems, and in this chapter you will understand where self-criticism leads.

Always try to be disciplined

and, at the same time,
be gentle with yourself
.

VSD or how does the psyche (thinking) affect our body?

First, let's look at how the psyche interacts with our body, why they say that all our diseases are from nerves, how this can be connected to each other.

Everything discussed below is based on facts and scientific research, and not on any guesses or assumptions.

And now we will look at all this internal work of the psyche and body. In small steps, we will begin to understand how our brain, nervous system and body interact. And what is very important: let’s look at what our emotions are, including “fear.”

It is extremely important for each person to understand what limits him in life and what is behind his emotions and symptoms. And when he fully realizes this, any experience, even the most powerful, becomes understandable, and once understandable, then it becomes possible to control it. With each step, taking certain actions, you begin to feel more confident and stronger, you begin to make important decisions calmer and faster, and this allows you to expand the space of internal freedom, freedom of action.

If you are faced with vegetative-vascular dystonia, obsessive thoughts and insurmountable fear, then now it is important for you to understand what you are dealing with[broken link], to understand how our body functions, what are the main causes of your problems, what supports them, and see the direction

which will allow you to return to a full, healthy life.

And we will begin by studying the work of internal processes, this will give a clear understanding and idea of what is happening to you, why obsessive states, phobias or panic attacks do not go away and why your life has become controlled by anxiety, depression and despair.

I’ll say right away that VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia), in short, is a disturbance in the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, when the nervous system and blood vessels do not work correctly and react too sensitively to various stimuli.

In general, it must be said that most people who are faced with a diagnosis of vegetative-vascular dystonia think that this is some kind of physical disease that cannot be completely cured, and associate VSD only with the physiology of their body. That is, for them the cause is physical, physical disturbances in the body (organs), although this is far from true and, I think, you will see for yourself as you read this chapter.

There is still a certain amount of truth in this, because VSD in some cases may be associated with a hereditary predisposition, when there are some pathologies in the connective tissues, diseases, as well as with any congenital or acquired injuries that can affect functioning of the nervous and vascular system.

Let's consider the main physiological causes of VSD:

– infectious, allergic and other serious diseases;

– injuries;

– bad habits (alcohol abuse, smoking, drugs);

– physical fatigue;

– heredity (this factor has not been fully scientifically proven);

– hormonal changes in women can also cause certain symptoms.

When a person notices some ailments in his condition, begins to worry and seeks help from a doctor, after an examination he informs the patient that he is healthy: his heart, lungs, stomach, etc. are normal, and then simply recommends being less nervous, take a sedative, get more rest, and maybe some medication.

In this case, the doctor can make an intricate diagnosis, such as hypertensive VSD or cardiac VSD (the diagnosis is made depending on the symptoms and organs with which it is associated). Moreover, the doctor informs the person about this, as if he is talking about something ordinary, which is almost in the order of things, nothing, without really explaining to the person, because, in fact, it is not easy to explain and the information must be given in a sufficient format so that it becomes understandable, but this takes time.

Therefore, for a person everything is like a dark forest, it seems he is not sick, but it’s hard to believe, because the symptoms are real

, they are physically felt and greatly spoil life.

So, the doctor recommends medications, for example, that lower blood pressure, or other drugs that eliminate some symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia, and the vast majority of people focus only on this type of treatment. Although medications only temporarily remove or reduce symptoms, that is, they alleviate a person’s condition, they do not eliminate the main cause of VSD, so the problem remains unresolved. Some people with a suspicious character begin to connect and look for a solution in mysticism, although this has nothing to do with it.

And it is important to look for a real, well-founded, research- and fact-supported practical solution to this problem that really helps, and does not give short-term relief and only suppress the symptoms.

On television, on the Internet and other sources, we very often see how various medicines are advertised to solve certain problems, including those related to potency, VSD, nervousness, etc. Basically, the creators of these products and advertising, no matter how they deny it, they are concerned about making a profit, hence their vigorous activity.

Although, of course, one cannot say that many advertised remedies are useless, in some ways they really help, especially when it comes to specific physical illnesses, but in many cases they only help partly, in other aspects they even act as an enemy.

Firstly, many drugs cause addiction, which is then very difficult to get rid of, for example, if you take strong sedatives, tranquilizers, for example, Phenazepam, antidepressants or energy drinks. Secondly, their use somehow reassures and calms a person, and this leads to his inaction

A person simply begins to completely rely on some medicine in the hope that it will get rid of his problem. Indeed, relief appears, but, by and large, the quality of life does not change, because in order to change something, I repeat, you need to eliminate the real cause of your ailments. And the main source provoking the appearance of vegetative-vascular dystonia, as we will find out later, is precisely the psychological factor.

And now we will look at all this internal work and the connection between the body and the psyche. In small steps, we will begin to understand how our brain, nervous system and body interact, and we will also consider why the problem does not go away even if a person understands his mistakes and tries to correct everything. This is important to finally see the causes of certain bodily symptoms and begin to do something about it.

To begin with, to understand how this all happens, let’s consider what our nervous system consists of.

So, into our nervous system, briefly NS

, includes two departments.

The first is the CNS - the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. This is a system we manage.

The central nervous system is a system with which we can control our movements. For example, if we want to raise our hand or sit down, we will consciously control all these actions through our brain.

Also, with the help of the central nervous system, thanks to the senses, we perceive information about what is happening around us. In general, as a rule, everything is in order with this department, so we’ll stop here.

The second section is the PNS - peripheral nervous system

[broken link].

As you can see in the picture above, it also consists of two systems: ANS

and
SNS
.
But we will not go into details, this is not so important, but we will focus on one of these systems, namely the ANS - autonomic nervous system
, which is responsible for the work of our internal organs (regulation of internal functions in the body).

It is the ANS that is most interesting for us, since, basically, thanks to this system we experience all sorts of both pleasant and unpleasant bodily symptoms, including accelerated heartbeat, high blood pressure, breathing problems, frequent headaches, stomach cramps, fever , chills, tremors (shaking), derealization or depersonalization (alienated, unrealistic perception of the world or oneself), poor sleep, and much more.

Now be careful what I describe. This may seem complicated at first glance, but in reality it will be easy to figure out. If necessary, re-read and watch again.

So, the ANS, mind you, is an autonomous (uncontrolled) system by us, that is, how it works practically does not depend on us.

There are always a lot of autonomous processes going on in our body, to which we do not pay attention at all, but thanks to which we live. Our heart and lungs work autonomously - we do not control our every inhalation, exhalation or every heartbeat, all this happens on its own. And the same is with any of our organs, when we, for example, consume food, the stomach itself secretes gastric juice, we ourselves do nothing for this

and
we do not control
this process.

And if, for example, you are lying or sitting, that is, you are in a calm state, the heart and lungs, on their own, will work slowly, the pressure will be normal, but if you go for a run, the heart rate will immediately, automatically increase, breathing will become faster , and blood pressure will jump. All these processes are necessary to supply the blood and muscles with more oxygen and glucose due to the increased workload. That is, our body itself will adapt
to the changed conditions
.

But here it is necessary to note the fact that all this will happen exactly in this normal (healthy) mode, if there are no mental factors that will influence the autonomic system. If there are any problems with the psyche and nervous system, then your heart may pound or your breathing may become difficult (difficult) even if you just lie there and do nothing. Why this is so, more on that below.

In general, our autonomic system (ANS) covers the entire body and is responsible for the functioning of our internal organs.

It includes, as you will see in the picture below, two departments.

Sympathetic system

, she is responsible for excitement and mobilization.
I specifically highlighted it in red to make it easier for you to remember that this system is responsible for excitation and mobilization of the body
.

It turns on when we are physically active, tense, emotionally aroused, or in pain. For example, when we run, somehow actively move, fight, or, for example, react emotionally to a situation: we get irritated, angry, experience fear, shame, excitement, etc., this system automatically activates (mobilizes) our body.

And the second department of our ANS is the parasympathetic system, which is responsible for relaxation and peace. When we, for example, simply relax or engage in quiet activities or go to bed, it turns on and slows down the cardiovascular system, that is, it autonomously promotes our relaxation.

If we come home from work very tired, sit in a chair to rest, close our eyes and don’t deliberately remember or overwhelm ourselves with anything emotional or anxious, let go of all thoughts about problems and matters, then the parasympathetic system will be launched, which will lead our body to state of rest. Our calmness in thoughts and behavior will be a signal for her to relax.

It is the autonomic nervous system, with the help of these two departments, sympathetic and parasympathetic, that is responsible for the autonomous functioning of the heart, digestive system, blood vessels, respiratory system, muscles and genitourinary system. In addition, it is also responsible for body thermoregulation and sexual desire.

Now, using an example, let’s look at how the ANS works in life, when every day we are faced with certain life situations.

If a frightening event happens to us, a real threat to life arises, for example, we are walking down the street, approach the road and suddenly see a passing car taxiing towards us, we, of course, will first experience fear.

At the moment of danger, our brain will instantly, using the senses, perceive and interpret this event as life-threatening, instantly process the information and send a signal to the body.

Our autonomic nervous system (ANS) will react to this signal (frightening event) and, literally, in a split second, mobilizes our body.

Let me remind you that the sympathetic system is responsible for mobilization. It will trigger many necessary biochemical reactions in the body so that for some time we actually become physically stronger, so that our reaction increases, and we can be as prepared as possible to face or escape from danger.

These internal reactions in the body are autonomic, chemical and physical processes.

– Release of adrenaline and norepinephrine to sharply increase blood glucose to supply the body’s muscles with energy.

– Redistribution of blood circulation, it is supplied to the muscles as much as possible, which, by the way, causes a deficiency of blood and oxygen in the brain, so during times of fear (severe anxiety), our consciousness (thinking) slows down, as if it falls out.

– The senses will be maximally involved, the focus of attention narrows and sharply intensifies (concentration increases). This natural mechanism allows us to improve our response in case of threat.

– Blood pressure increases (upper and lower), heart rate and breathing accelerate (breathing often becomes shallow and rapid). All this to maximally supply certain organs with the necessary substances.

– And at the same time, instant muscle tension always occurs.

Such or similar reactions in the body, to one degree or another, occur in all of us when we experience any stressful or any exciting emotions to some stimuli (situations, phenomena). Although everyone, in addition to the above listed and most common ones, may experience some of their own, pronounced, bodily symptoms, for example, a lump in the throat, dry mouth, painful squeezing in the chest, some tingling in the heart, redness of the face, numbness in the limbs, which is associated with the flow of blood to the muscles of the body, cramps in the stomach often occur, nausea and other symptoms are felt.

All these unpleasant symptoms happen, oddly enough, for our benefit

is
simply . And besides this, she tells us something.

indicates something to us

and it is wrong, even stupid, to simply ignore the symptoms or somehow suppress them if they are only heralds of an existing problem, that is, behind them there is a real, external (as in the above example with the car) or internal (hidden) cause .

If you grab a hot frying pan with your hand, you will experience physical pain (symptom) and immediately, without thinking, pull your hand away.

The symptom (physical pain) will instantly point you to the problem and thereby save you from an even worse burn, but the symptom itself was not the main cause of your suffering. The reason was your incorrect behavior: in haste and inattention, when, without looking, thinking about something, in a hurry, you grabbed the frying pan. And in order to avoid this in the future, you can draw a logically sound conclusion for yourself: there is no need to rush and you need to be more careful.

So, if the need arises, the sympathetic system will be activated, which will mobilize our body and we will feel certain symptoms. And the fact that we feel them at all indicates the mobilization of our body

, and
not about what is wrong with us
!
That is, in the appropriate situation, all these unpleasant symptoms (internal processes in the body) are appropriate and absolutely natural. This is a completely normal
physiological reaction of the body to some kind of irritant.

Manifestations of obsessive thoughts during VSD

Intrusive thoughts in VSD are typically assessed within the framework of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
They can have varying degrees of manifestation, but in any case they significantly ruin the patient’s life. It is impossible to relax and calmly think about something pleasant - everything is replaced by bad pictures. Everything that the patient sees around him is somehow mixed in his head with death or becomes part of new, even more terrible fantasies. The most common manifestations of OCD:

Doubt about your actions. Did I close the balcony door before leaving for work? Have you turned off the gas? It gets ridiculous, but sometimes a person has to photograph all the sockets at home and film the process of locking the door with a key. Only by reviewing his “evidence” does the patient calm down and relax.
Rituals to save lives. A person, having left the apartment and taken the elevator down, may suddenly go back home to eat a mint candy or comb his hair three times. He truly believes that this will save him from potential death. And he has no time for fun. Such rituals exhaust both soul and body. Sometimes the patient falls into the trap of his own rituals. He can simultaneously say to himself “Wash your face” and “Don’t wash your face” and suffer greatly: after all, only one of the two rituals will save him, but which one?
Imagining death - your own or a loved one. Fantasies can stick for a long time, tormenting and frightening the patient. And a person is unable to prevent these terrible images from appearing in his head. At the same time, the patient feels guilty and is afraid of “causing trouble” with his obsessive thoughts.

Woman Courageous

"Silver" winner of our list. She also wants to control everything, not only in the family, but also far beyond its borders. Such representatives of the fair sex try to play in male territory, competing for the possession of a priori masculine qualities and attributes of brutality. Often this is a business woman with hypertrophied self-confidence, rigidity and arrogance. They actively demonstrate their superiority in various fields and areas, forcing men to doubt their own abilities, knowledge, skills and masculinity. With such a woman you can get seriously “hurt”, and it’s scary.

Is this the beginning of madness?

Three obvious signs that a person with obsessive thoughts is not schizophrenic:

One’s own obsessive thoughts cause excitement, confusion, horror - this means that a person is not inclined to self-destruction and will not commit an absurd suicide out of the blue, or harm his loved ones.
A person realizes that his obsessive thoughts are delirium and have little relation to his real desires and intentions. Real mental patients do not see the difference between adequate and delusional thoughts.
A person wants to get rid of his frightening thoughts and clear his head. This means that the psyche is in order, and the patient is well aware of his actions.

Is it really possible to cope on your own?

Some VSDers, working with this problem in the right mode, really managed to curb their restless minds and learn to live again - without rituals and terrifying ideas. Here are some tips that everyone can use.

Correct not only your soul, but also your body. Only a healthy, toned body can help the nervous system improve its functioning. It is useless to treat nerves and thoughts while remaining in the state of a “dying swan”.
The first step is to establish peace of mind. A course of sedatives, agreed upon with a doctor, plus a conscious switch to some kind of fruitful activity can work a miracle. But the activity should not be related to diseases, phobias and studying medical forums. Take up an interesting hobby, go on a trip, do some general cleaning at home, start learning a foreign language. Over time, obsessive thoughts about death, as well as the annoying desire to perform the next ritual, will begin to subside.
Don't try to control your thoughts - this is naturally impossible. When we try not to think about something, we think about it;
Fill your life with positivity and exclude negative events, films, meetings, pictures, articles from it.

Nevertheless, it is extremely difficult to cope with obsessive thoughts during VSD on your own, so it is best to seek help from a good psychologist.

And most importantly, remember, if everything bad in the world happened just because someone didn’t wash a glass three times or didn’t put on blue socks instead of black ones, our planet would already be ground into powder. It's not our fault that we don't control our thoughts. But we are responsible for how we use them.

How thoughts affect your physical state

A lot of experiments and studies have been carried out to prove the influence of thinking on physiology.

In a hospital in Paris, a young successful psychologist, Emily Qui, decided to conduct an experiment. He gathered a group of seriously ill people and gave them the task of repeating the phrase “Every day I feel better and better” 3 times a day 10 times. The doctor explained to the patients that the phrase should not be repeated automatically, but while plunging into this state as deeply as possible. That is, the patient really had to believe what he was saying and try to feel that he was getting better. The duration of the experiment was 1 month.

After a month, most of the seriously ill patients were cured, and some had their operations canceled. Soon not only the entire clinic, but also the whole of France began talking about this case.

Another interesting experiment was conducted by neuroscientist and chiropractor Joe Dispenza. He personally experienced the power of thought when he received a serious spinal injury. Doctors said he would never be able to walk. By working on his consciousness, Dr. Joe recovered in 9 months and was able to get back on his feet.

To prove how consciousness can influence physiology, he conducted the following experiment: he gathered 2 groups of people and gave them tasks. In one group, subjects had to press a spring mechanism with the same finger every day for a certain amount of time. People in the other group spent the same amount of time just imagining pressing the spring mechanism.

As a result, the fingers of the subjects from the first group became stronger by 305%, and those from the second group by 22%. Only 8 percent was the difference between the actual physiological impact and the mental one.

These are only the most famous experiments, and there were hundreds of times more of them and they all proved the colossal power of thought and its influence on the physical state.