To manage bipolar racing thoughts, doctors primarily use mood stabilizers (like Lithium, Valproate, Lamotrigine) and atypical antipsychotics (such as Quetiapine, Olanzapine) to calm manic symptoms, sometimes adding benzodiazepines (like Clonazepam) short-term to reduce agitation and slow thoughts, though the main focus is on long-term management with mood stabilizers and antipsychotics to prevent relapse.
There are many ways to calm a racing mind. Try mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, grounding exercises, and physical exercises. If your racing thoughts are persistent, seek professional help from a licensed therapist or psychiatrist.
Olanzapine, lamotrigine, divalproex sodium, and olanzapine/fluoxetine combination have been found to be effective in the treatment of nonspecific anxiety symptoms that are comorbid with BD. Lithium is not likely to be effective as monotherapy; augmentation of lithium with lamotrigine or olanzapine may improve efficacy.
Divalproex, valproic acid or valproate
Divalproex (and its various forms) is used for acute manic episodes. Brand names include Depakene and Epival. Common side-effects of divalproex include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and blurred vision.
Commonly prescribed antidepressants for anger issues
Research shows that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might be an effective anger medication for some people. Some commonly prescribed SSRIs for rage or anger include: Citalopram (Celexa) Fluoxetine (Prozac)
According to the DSM-5, racing thoughts can only be found in depressive and bipolar disorders. Thus, racing thoughts are not expected to be found in adults with ADHD.
Stick to a routine
Having a routine can help you feel calmer if your mood is high, motivated if your mood is low, and generally more stable. Your routine could include: Day-to-day activities, such as the time you eat meals and go to sleep. Making time for relaxation, mindfulness, hobbies and social plans.
Research suggests that people with both bipolar disorder and anxiety often experience more severe mood instability, faster cycling, and greater difficulty managing daily stress. Anxiety can also intensify feelings of insecurity, disrupt sleep, and make it harder to recover from depressive lows or control manic highs.
Cyclothymia is a mild form of bipolar disorder. Most people's symptoms are mild enough that they do not seek mental health treatment, or the emotional highs feel nice, so they do not realise there's anything wrong or want to seek help. This means cyclothymia often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
You can use a 48 hour rule where you wait at least 2 full days with 2 nights sleep before acting on risky decisions. Review your decision to avoid a tempting, but risky, behaviour.
Racing thoughts can be experienced by anybody, especially during times of stress or after consuming stimulants like caffeine. However, they can also be seen in those with bipolar disorder, insomnia, ADHD, anxiety, and chronic stress.
The Takeaway. A poor diet can contribute to bipolar mood episodes, and certain food choices may help manage them. People with bipolar disorder should avoid or limit caffeine, alcohol, sugar, salt, and saturated fats.
Propranolol is a beta blocker first approved by the FDA in 1967 to treat heart conditions and high blood pressure. Today, many clinicians also prescribe it off-label for short-term, situational anxiety because it calms the body's stress response.
If your racing thoughts are related to bipolar disorder, antipsychotics, such as Abilify (aripiprazole), Risperdal (risperidone, and Seroquel (quetiapine), or mood stabilizers, like Depakote (divalproex sodium) and Tegretol (carbamazepine), may be prescribed.
3 techniques to calm racing thoughts
Symptoms of bipolar disorder
Best Medication for Bipolar Depression and Anxiety
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to the duration or frequency of bipolar cycles since they are as varied as the people who experience them. A change or "mood swing" can last for hours, days, weeks, or even months. Generally, a manic episode can last from seven days up to several months.
However, many people with bipolar disorder have found the following tools to be helpful in reducing symptoms and maintaining wellness:
While some individuals may choose to manage their bipolar disorder without medication, this comes with significant risks. Untreated or unmedicated bipolar disorder can lead to severe consequences and dangerous behaviors.
What types of bipolar disorder are there?
As mentioned previously, the most common misdiagnosis for bipolar patients is unipolar depression. An incorrect diagnosis of unipolar depression carries the risk of inappropriate treatment with antidepressants, which can result in manic episodes and trigger rapid cycling.
The ADHD "2-Minute Rule" suggests doing any task taking under two minutes immediately to build momentum, but it often backfires by derailing focus due to weak working memory, time blindness, and transition difficulties in people with ADHD. A better approach is to write down these quick tasks on a separate "catch-all" list instead of interrupting your main work, then schedule specific times to review and tackle them, or use a slightly longer timeframe like a 5-minute rule to prevent getting lost down "rabbit holes".
Racing thoughts are more than just thinking fast. Rather, they are a rapid succession of thoughts that cannot be quieted and continue without restraint. They can progressively take over a person's functional consciousness and gallop out of control to a point where daily life can be affected.