"Frequent racing thoughts may be related to anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, or other mental health issues that need exploring," says Fabrett.
Take deep breaths
The body's natural panic response is to speed up the heart and breathing rate. This may happen when the mind begins racing. MHA suggest that taking slow, deep breaths can reduce the body's stress response and promote a feeling of calm, helping to quiet or stop racing thoughts.
The two most common diagnoses associated with intrusive thoughts are anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They can also be a symptom of depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, or Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Racing thoughts – fast, repetitive thought patterns about a particular topic – are a common feature of anxiety and other mental health disorders. They can also happen any time you are in an anxious or stressed state, even if you are not experiencing other symptoms of a mental health disorder.
Racing thoughts can prevent people from living in the present moment, and make it difficult for them to complete tasks or fall asleep at night. Tips for dealing with racing thoughts include cognitive distancing, using a mantra, and breathing exercises.
The conditions most commonly linked to racing thoughts are bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sleep deprivation, amphetamine dependence, and hyperthyroidism.
Racing thoughts in ADHD can be a mental manifestation of restlessness, a result of your brain's unique self-regulation processes. While sometimes confused with racing thoughts in bipolar disorder, an ADHD active mind may last for an hour, a day, or a couple of days.
"Frequent racing thoughts may be related to anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, or other mental health issues that need exploring," says Fabrett.
Antipsychotics are commonly prescribed to help with symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or racing thoughts, but can also be prescribed for individuals without those symptoms. Some antipsychotics are considered mood stabilizers because they, too, even out the highs and lows.
Stress. Stress is one of the “usual suspects” when you can't seem to stop thinking. Stress causes your body to release cortisol, and cortisol helps you stay alert. This means that your brain stays alert, too — even when you don't want it to.
Racing thoughts might revolve around rhythms, almost like a broken record without sound. They might include a bar of music, a snippet of a conversation, a sentence in a book, or dialogue from a movie that repeats in one's mind.
Racing Thoughts Examples
I have a big test/presentation coming up and I'm going to mess up or get it wrong. I can't believe I said X, I must have sounded so silly . I wonder what they are thinking about me. I think they hate me.
Considerations. Hyperactive behavior usually refers to constant activity, being easily distracted, impulsiveness, inability to concentrate, aggressiveness, and similar behaviors.
Get up and get moving — exercise is a natural way to break the cycle because it releases endorphins which relieve tension and stress, boost energy, and enhance your sense of well-being. You can also distract yourself by doing something completely unrelated and different that forces you to focus on something else.
The most common cause of hyperactivity is ADHD. ADHD, in turn, is usually caused by genetic factors, abnormal brain development, or brain injuries occurring before, during, or after birth. 2 There are also many cases of ADHD for which the cause is unknown.
Racing Mind and Anxiety
Rapid thoughts are often a symptom associated with anxiety. They can make people feel out of control or as if they are going crazy. When it comes to sleep, this effect of anxiety is a cyclical problem. Because your brain struggles to focus when it is tired, it often leads to racing thoughts.
Overthinking can be an all-natural process, it can also be the result if the creative and overly active ADHD brain. While most believe overthinking to be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it' actually relates more to ADHD.
People with ADHD will have at least two or three of the following challenges: difficulty staying on task, paying attention, daydreaming or tuning out, organizational issues, and hyper-focus, which causes us to lose track of time. ADHD-ers are often highly sensitive and empathic.
Your emotional brain is overactive.
When the brain's emotional centers and fear centers are overactive, it can be associated with depression and anxiety. If you have this common brain pattern, you may stay busy as a way to distract yourself from your anxious thoughts and feelings of hopelessness.
Most people overthink decisions or second-guess choices they've made at one time or another but when you have bipolar disorder, it can feel like you're on a hamster wheel without any signs of a slow down or an end in sight.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
In clinical practice, some patients diagnosed with anxiety disorder (AD) may develop bipolar disorder (BD) many years later, and some cases of AD may be cured by the use of mood stabilizers.