EDNOS thoughts are taking up too much space lately
Lately it feels like my brain keeps circling back to food, my body, what I ate, and whether I should “make up for it” later. I can be in the middle of something completely unrelated and suddenly I’m calculating or criticizing myself again. It’s exhausting, especially because from the outside I probably seem fine.
I remember sitting through a movie recently and realizing I hadn’t followed the plot at all. I’d spent most of it arguing with myself about a snack I’d eaten earlier. That really scared me. I don’t want these thoughts to keep claiming every quiet moment.
Has anything helped you create a little distance from the thoughts when they start looping?
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Theresa, the movie example really hit me. I’ve had evenings where I looked up and realized I’d missed an entire conversation because I was mentally reviewing something I ate. It’s unsettling, especially when everything looks normal from the outside.
One small thing that sometimes helps me is naming the loop without debating it: “That’s the compensation thought again.” Then I put on something that needs my attention, like a simple game or a phone call. It doesn’t make the thought disappear, but it gives me a little space before I react.
The movie example sounds especially unsettling, since you were physically there but the thoughts had pulled you somewhere else. I’ve had that happen during ordinary things, and it can make the whole evening feel stolen.
What helps me sometimes is treating the thought as a symptom rather than a problem I need to solve. I’ll say to myself, “This is the urge to compensate,” then focus on one concrete detail around me, like the dialogue, the temperature of my drink, or naming five things I can see. I’m not always able to shift away, but I try not to negotiate with the thought.
Do the loops tend to get worse at certain times, like after meals or when you’re alone?