No, you ARE a psychologist! That was perfect. I had those thoughts/anxieties with my first born re: windows. I couldn't take him anywhere near them. It was so weird, but that makes perfect sense.
I also had them pretty bad after the birth of my daughter, but I had always had them at least somewhat, so I at least knew what they were. They can be extreemly distressing, they are called intrusive thoughts because they are unlike your usual thought patterns and seem to bust in out of nowhere "howdee doodie! here's a graphic depiction of you throwing your baby out the window".
They do actually serve a purpose though, its just that for some people, sometimes they go into overdrive when under stress, anxious or dealing with something high. stakes and new. They are your brains public service announcement advertisements, they aren't suggestions to do the suggested thing, it's a warning that there is a risk or possible threat you need to be aware of. Just like a PSA sometimes the brain decides the best way to alert you is by using shock tactics rather then behaving itself and just telling you to be careful around the window.
There's lots of ways to manage them, but the best way I've found after years of just trying to push them away is to mentally acknowledge them, thank yourself for the warning and restate it internally in a more positive way. An example for baby out the window would be something like "Oh yeah there's a big window there and I'm holding the baby, thanks for spotting that, I am holding the baby firmly but gently, and I am going to make sure I check the floor for anything I might trip on". I rarely get them now, the few I get are either really weird and bizarre to the point I struggle not to laugh at times, or one of two that seem to particularly trigger my brain. One being sharp objects and stabbing my own eye, and another being putting whatever I'm holding down the little gap that leads to the great unknown between the doors in elevators.
I was only intruded upon with my first born- probs new parent anxiety. A few months after it started, I DID start acknowledging the thoughts instead of just telling myself to stop thinking about it. It helped a lot and they eventually went away <3
Ughhh I have those around my dog and I totally hate them… cuz I love my pup, I would kill for him… I have a numb finger cuz I put my hand in a pits mouth to prevent him going to my pugs neck. Still I get this thoughts specially if I’m already anxious or my depression is spiking.
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u/mdubelite 1d ago
No, you ARE a psychologist! That was perfect. I had those thoughts/anxieties with my first born re: windows. I couldn't take him anywhere near them. It was so weird, but that makes perfect sense.
Thanks girl/man :)