Does Your Mind Race Constantly?

[Sensi Star]

It seems my mind is racing constantly. What goes on in my mind is a relentless storm of scanning recent/past memories, analyzing social situations, weighing options/decisions, and tons of daydreaming.

It gets to be intrusive when trying to concentrate on a single activity. Reading is very slow, my internal voice drowns out the literature (resulting in re-reading passages a lot). Even when listening to music, no matter how loud, sometimes I can make it through a song without consciously hearing any of it. The small advantage of this is being able to use this constant stream of information to flow easily through academic essays, but the cons outweigh the pros.

Is this something typical of INTPs or is my situation exceptional? For those of you who share this, what types of relief have you found other than drugs.

 

[socialexpat]

It is not really typical no.
You may want to have it tested.

 

[a detached retina]

Everybody has thoughts all of the time. Content may vary.

 

[socialexpat]

Probably not what he means Retina... Else he wouldn't have asked.

 

[SilentChaos]

i'm not sure if i understand what you mean, but when the intensity of my own thoughts starts to distract me from the real things i need to focus on, i try to think about something that i find interesting.. but is very simple.. for example i might read a few pages of a children's story book.
In this way i can calm my thoughts and try to make sense of them.

 

[GottabeKB]

It seems my mind is racing constantly. What goes on in my mind is a relentless storm of scanning recent/past memories, analyzing social situations, weighing options/decisions, and tons of daydreaming.

It gets to be intrusive when trying to concentrate on a single activity. Reading is very slow, my internal voice drowns out the literature (resulting in re-reading passages a lot). Even when listening to music, no matter how loud, sometimes I can make it through a song without consciously hearing any of it. The small advantage of this is being able to use this constant stream of information to flow easily through academic essays, but the cons outweigh the pros.

Is this something typical of INTPs or is my situation exceptional? For those of you who share this, what types of relief have you found other than drugs.

Well you just summed up exactly how I think all the time. Glad to know there's others like me. The only thing is I have no idea how to counteract the crazy train full of thought processing. But at least you know now you're not the only one! I especially can relate when reading a book... I constantly have to re-read certain sections because my mind is elsewhere. I thought for awhile I had ADD because of these symptoms but I'm not so sure... Have you ever been tested for it?

 

[ElvenVeil]

I know the feeling I believe.. I have always been a very calm person, but if I wake up in the morning while being under a little stress or feeling some sort of pressure (reffering to how I felt in college when I had to wake up to get to school and be among other people whom I didn't not feel any real connection to). If that happens my mind would run constant scenarios, debates w/e for about an hour until I could calm my mind again. Now that felt so extreme that I had to do something about it (I am usually not very eager to take up any sort of action, but this was simply too much) .. So I started to actively engange in meditation techniques as soon as I woke up. I think meditation has always come as a rather natural thing for me, so that is most likely why I tried this active approach to counter the stream of thought.

So I would recomend meditation as a way to counter this horrible experience, to you as well
Mine was at least so strong I wouldn't think twice before taking action

Edit: Re reading the OP it would seem that I forgot what the OP said.. What you say in the OP seems completly normal to me .. you have a hard time focusing as you are lost in your own thoughts..
Now people may experience it differently but the way I experience it is that I sit and let's say read.. suddenly a word leads me to a whole new debate in my head and I go through all these thoughts.. then when I get a hold of myself again , half an hour has passed while I have been in this introverted world.
another situation could be that I sit and talk with a person.. then if I read at the same time I somehow stop the talk and completly forget about the other person because something I have read caught my interest - an interest that I could not block in any way

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

I don't know about "racing", but yeah I'm thinking almost constantly. Enough that I can be reading or listening to music without being aware of what I'm reading/listening to

...and then I have a "oh goddammit, I drifted off again..." moment and have to reread, or relisten to whatever it was that I was meant to be focusing on, only so I can drift off again.

The kinds of things I think about are totally different though - very much just an unfolding of ideas.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

I have it too, it's pretty common. You're not going mad or anything, it's just part of being an introverted person who has trouble concentrating on things I think...
I used to have real trouble falling asleep because of this, and paying attention to movies, music and sitting in class are still really hard for me.

Do you partake in any sport? I find that ever since I've started working out the racing thoughts have eased out a bit.
And since your name is Sensi Star, I assume you smoke weed. Try smoking a little less weed, or go for more indica strains.

I think it's not necessarily a part of being an INTP, but it does occur in some kind of people, I can't really describe who they are, but we are part of that group I think haha. Maybe it's ADD, I don't know. But really, try working out for a while. It's not some sort of quick solution to the problem, and I don't think such a thing exists, but it does help. Took a few weeks before the effects started to become long-term, but it pays off.

Also, try watching a lot of comedy series, like the Big Bang Theory, I always feel like I can relate to those guys haha. Oh, and talk more to others, always works, with almost every problem.

 

[Yet]

I don't know about "racing", but yeah I'm thinking almost constantly. Enough that I can be reading or listening to music without being aware of what I'm reading/listening to

...and then I have a "oh goddammit, I drifted off again..." moment and have to reread, or relisten to whatever it was that I was meant to be focusing on, only so I can drift off again.

The kinds of things I think about are totally different though - very much just an unfolding of ideas.

+1

 

[SkyWalker]

just put a digital counter above your bed with the number of days you have left (before you die).

it will shock you that there are not many days left (its not such a big number), and every day "-1"!!

that will make you focus

 

[Darby]

I play a song constantly in my head, the only time I don't is when I can focus on music actually playing, or I'm thinking really freaking hard. I find this helps with 90% of my thoughts, I can have one part that focuses and then the other half is all over the place.

With reading I just get bored, but I know what you are talking about, it doesn't get bad for me unless I'm really tired though. So only a minor setback in my case, not something I really put a lot of effort into fixing.

 

[Words]

Interact nonstop with people. Being engaged socially might create a "venom against venom" scenario, and help you.

 

[a detached retina]

People practice meditation for years to quiet their inner dialogue. I think daydreaming and distracting thoughts are a human thing not an INTP thing. Other types think! It's a challenge.

The two approaches are basically immersion: immersing yourself in a task that requires concentration and brings you into the moment like talking to people or balancing on your left tip toes while multiplying numbers by 7 in your head.

or meditation: whereby you silence your inner thoughts and replace them with peaceful awareness of your environment, which is preferable but more difficult and takes practice.

 

[Sensi Star]

Maybe "racing" is too strong a word. What I meant was a relatively constant stream of thoughts, but the subjects thereof change erratically and are often unrelated.

Do you partake in any sport? I find that ever since I've started working out the racing thoughts have eased out a bit.

And since your name is Sensi Star, I assume you smoke weed. Try smoking a little less weed, or go for more indica strains.

Also, try watching a lot of comedy series, like the Big Bang Theory, I always feel like I can relate to those guys haha. Oh, and talk more to others, always works, with almost every problem.

When I am able to force myself to work out (not often), it seems this helps for a day or two after. Funny that whenever I take an opiate pill recreationally I can actually focus and get things done. What do working out and opiates have in common? Both are a surge of Endorphins. IME there is most definitely a relationship between endorphins and concentration, but with all the stigma in the media I doubt opiates would ever be applied this way to help people like us, but it would be helpful.

Also, you're the first person to understand my user name!! Most people read it incorrectly and think I'm into martial arts. Yea there are very few strains that help my situation without sacrifice. Most Sativas are too stimulating and make it worse, and most Indicas (although they calm my thoughts) work too well and make me lethargic, and hybrids are just icky feeling most of the time. Sensi Star, though, is the one miracle strain I've fallen in love with. It's type is mostly Indica with some Sativa. It has all the good calming qualities of Indica, but does not produce the narcotic couch-lock effect: it's very relaxing but at the same time lucid and oh so CLEAR. Too bad it's rare and I only encounter it once every few years. Anyway I've cut back on cannabis use, and mainly save it for bouts of acute anxiety.

Big Bang Theory has become my favorite comedy series (rivaled by Curb Your Enthusiasm). I can really relate to Sheldon, apart from the INTJ, Though I think 'J's and 'P's have similar thought patterns. Good illustration..

Sheldon: (angrily) Aren't you going to check your messages!?
Leonard: No.
Sheldon: You have to check your messages Leonard. The leaving of a
message is one half of a social contract, which is completed
by the checking of the message. If that contract breaks down
then all contracts break down and we descend into anarchy.
Leonard: It must be hell inside your head.
Sheldon: .....(pensively) At times.

^ youtube.com/watch?v=rxgSEnJ7anI (0-1:33)

 

[Dimensional Transition]

Maybe "racing" is too strong a word. What I meant was a relatively constant stream of thoughts, but the subjects thereof change erratically and are often unrelated.



When I am able to force myself to work out (not often), it seems this helps for a day or two after. Funny that whenever I take an opiate pill recreationally I can actually focus and get things done. What do working out and opiates have in common? Both are a surge of Endorphins. IME there is most definitely a relationship between endorphins and concentration, but with all the stigma in the media I doubt opiates would ever be applied this way to help people like us, but it would be helpful.

Also, you're the first person to understand my user name!! Most people read it incorrectly and think I'm into martial arts. Yea there are very few strains that help my situation without sacrifice. Most Sativas are too stimulating and make it worse, and most Indicas (although they calm my thoughts) work too well and make me lethargic, and hybrids are just icky feeling most of the time. Sensi Star, though, is the one miracle strain I've fallen in love with. It's type is mostly Indica with some Sativa. It has all the good calming qualities of Indica, but does not produce the narcotic couch-lock effect: it's very relaxing but at the same time lucid and oh so CLEAR. Too bad it's rare and I only encounter it once every few years. Anyway I've cut back on cannabis use, and mainly save it for bouts of acute anxiety.

Big Bang Theory has become my favorite comedy series (rivaled by Curb Your Enthusiasm). I can really relate to Sheldon, apart from the INTJ, Though I think 'J's and 'P's have similar thought patterns. Good illustration..

Sheldon: (angrily) Aren't you going to check your messages!?
Leonard: No.
Sheldon: You have to check your messages Leonard. The leaving of a
message is one half of a social contract, which is completed
by the checking of the message. If that contract breaks down
then all contracts break down and we descend into anarchy.
Leonard: It must be hell inside your head.
Sheldon: .....(pensively) At times.

^ youtube.com/watch?v=rxgSEnJ7anI (0-1:33)

So... What are you going to do with the working out advice?
Really, I always thought people saying working out was going to help me were a bit annoying, but once I really started doing it three times a week, that one/two day long afterglow starts to get less and less intense everytime, but at the same time, when I'm not working out, I'll feel better. It feels like working out balances out the chemicals in your brain. It just makes you feel more stable and content mentally and physically.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still pretty much the same person, quite anxious at times, and with a pretty chaotic mind, but it has become way more controllable.

Haha, I love the Big Bang Theory so much. I'm still not quite sure if Sheldon is an INTJ or an INTP though, usually he seems pretty J, but he does observe and research for quite some time before making a decision...

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Lately, yes. I've got a lot on my mind.

 

[Jesse]

Always. Quite annoying that my memory is not as quick as my mind.

 

[preilemus]

just put a digital counter above your bed with the number of days you have left (before you die).

it will shock you that there are not many days left (its not such a big number), and every day "-1"!!

that will make you focus

BRILLIANT!



....


Yeah, this thread seems redolent of my daily world.

 

[Bird]

Yes.

 

[Stoic Beverage]

Yes.

+1

 

[Awaken]

My opinion is that everyone pretty much thinks the same amount each day. The difference lies in how much attention a person puts on their thoughts. In order to define the difference, we have the terms introvert and extrovert.

ADHD is more complex than the above. Look up the DSM IV criteria. It has more to do with being on a very extreme side of the spectrum in which thoughts are severely hindering your daily life(not just things you are not interested in).

Needless to say, yes, being an introvert my mind is racing constantly. The more you learn about thoughts, the more thoughts you realize you have. It is a never ending stream. As mentioned earlier, meditation helps.

 

[Sensi Star]

Has anyone had success with Stratera (for what ever reason)? This is allegedly less neurotoxic than Adderall/Ritalin, but I think it's still a stimulant.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

Sensi-- don't medicate yourself. Take responsibility for who you are. You said in the original post that you didn't want to solve this with drugs!

It is okay to have a rush of thoughts. I have it a lot, I feel like it's not uncommon for INTPs. We get excited about some idea, which sets off connections with other ideas... and poof, it's 3am and our mom is asking WTF we're still doing up.

I find a good way to describe it is Hypomania. It may not be accurate (like, we may not actually have hypomania) but it's a damn useful way of describing the rushing flow of thoughts. Especially with the way that each thought is so Grand, Awesome and deserving to exist.

I find that writing (through forums or journals) is a really good outlet. It allows your mind to release your gem of ideas... condemns them to paper to free your mind for sleep and other things.

I also found that it was not impossible to induce this state-- coming down from a pot high was like this for me. Occasionally useful, but mostly entertaining.

 

[snafupants]

Other than drugs? Why limit yourself? Things like chinese tonic herbs, ayurvedic herbs, exercise, meditation, good diet, restful sleep, light marijuana use, and focused reading can help tone down your sympathetic nervous system.

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

My mind doesn't race.

It marches casually, knocking down everything its path.

Like a motherfucking KILLER ROBOT, BITCH

TRIANGLE ANMS 'N' LEGS SQUARE BODY AN HAND

TRASE SHAPES

 

[digital angel]

I wonder what is going on in your life? I ask because it sounds like there's stress in your life. We all have stress from time to time. Sometimes it's good stress and sometimes it's not. If you're in a stressful situation, is there something (healthy) you can do to cope Depending on the situation, you may want to take yourself out of it.

Thinking or being thoughtful is a good thing. I too, have moments where I get lost into thought.

 

[xbox]

My mind doesn't race.

It marches casually, knocking down everything its path.

Like a motherfucking KILLER ROBOT, BITCH

TRIANGLE ANMS 'N' LEGS SQUARE BODY AN HAND

TRASE SHAPES

LOL

 

[SkyWalker]

Has anyone had success with Stratera (for what ever reason)? This is allegedly less neurotoxic than Adderall/Ritalin, but I think it's still a stimulant.

try cocaine, works even better

to kick-start that dormant Te in action, temporarily

temporarily, because on prolonged usage tolerance is reached, and then you just need the drug. And will be in a worse situation if you stop the drug. what a crazy world we live in, in which we advise this faulty ritalin scheme to our own kids.

still, if you need some temporary Te for an important meeting/performance for which you are unskilled and did not prepare and you use a chemical to make the best out of it, only once a month, why not? just dont do it every day. *although it would be better to train that skill you need*

 

[Sensi Star]

try cocaine, works even better
to kick-start that dormant Te in action, temporarily

I don't have access to it. Regardless, it would probably make things worse when coming off of it.

I wonder what is going on in your life? I ask because it sounds like there's stress in your life. We all have stress from time to time.

Actually, there is nothing stressful going on recently. My life had been constant stress from age 17 to 20 dealing with difficult social/family situations, but oddly enough my mind was much calmer back then.

I'm unemployed, live at home, sleep 10-12 hours, don't have any obligations, so my stress level is at it's lowest in some time. The only thing close to stress is not being able to decide on a career path at age 22 and feeling like life is passing by (I wish I were more decisive like an INTJ). However, this is nothing like job/situational stress.

 

[Sensi Star]

Other than drugs? Why limit yourself? Things like chinese tonic herbs, ayurvedic herbs, exercise, meditation, good diet, restful sleep, light marijuana use, and focused reading can help tone down your sympathetic nervous system.

In theory I have been doing all the right things for years. I exercise 3 times a week (table tennis, which is cardio AND muscle). My diet is not great but not terrible (pasta, whole grains, ORGANIC meats, ORGANIC fruits). I also take daily: Vitamin C, Omega-3/EPA/DHA fish oils, multivitamin, double vitamin D, and wheat grass concentrate.

I've tried meditation and it doesn't work. Cannabis helps a little, but I can't do it everyday cause I'll feel like a zombie. So as you see I've exhausted all helpful measures, which is why I am considering Stratera. It has no recreational value and is allegedly less harsh than Adderall. I rather not resort to drugs but I'm out of options.

 

[digital angel]

I don't have access to it. Regardless, it would probably make things worse when coming off of it.



Actually, there is nothing stressful going on recently. My life had been constant stress from age 17 to 20 dealing with difficult social/family situations, but oddly enough my mind was much calmer back then.

I'm unemployed, live at home, sleep 10-12 hours, don't have any obligations, so my stress level is at it's lowest in some time. The only thing close to stress is not being able to decide on a career path at age 22 and feeling like life is passing by (I wish I were more decisive like an INTJ). However, this is nothing like job/situational stress.

Perhaps being unemployed is stressful for you as well as not being able to decide what to do. I say this because I'm unemployed for the most part and it's stressful for me. One of the main reasons why it's stressful is that I don't have something constructive to think about on a more often than not basis. I'm a tax attorney and the market isn't good. I have contract work but it's not enough for me.

What are you interested in? What's your educational level? Can and/or should you go back to school? Would it help to keep in mind that you should look forward and not back, generally speaking?

 

[digital angel]

Sensi Star,

When you feel like life is passing by, do you feel like you're failing or do you feel like you've wasted time? I've felt both before.

 

[snafupants]

In theory I have been doing all the right things for years. I exercise 3 times a week (table tennis, which is cardio AND muscle). My diet is not great but not terrible (pasta, whole grains, ORGANIC meats, ORGANIC fruits). I also take daily: Vitamin C, Omega-3/EPA/DHA fish oils, multivitamin, double vitamin D, and wheat grass concentrate.

I've tried meditation and it doesn't work. Cannabis helps a little, but I can't do it everyday cause I'll feel like a zombie. So as you see I've exhausted all helpful measures, which is why I am considering Stratera. It has no recreational value and is allegedly less harsh than Adderall. I rather not resort to drugs but I'm out of options.

Meditation does work, I promise you. It requires commitment and setting aside time every day for that specific activity. No excuses.

Common pitfalls are getting up every three minutes and giving in to your mind's compulsions. To correct this, have a notebook by your side as you meditate so that you can jot down that can't wait thought and be done with it.

Make sure your spine is straight and your inhale and exhale is equal in intensity and feels reasonably natural; finally, aim for a quiet environment. A forum member who might help you is Moocow. He seems to enjoy playing around with this stuff.

What specifically are you trying to get out of meditation? Better yet, can you elaborate on your statement that you've tried meditation and it doesn't work? As an aside, I think you must be smoking an indica strain of cannabis.

This is hopelessly disorganized, but before taking pharms you could try an herb like mucuna pruriens or vinpocetine or huperzine a and see how that works for you.

Edit: when I say meditation works I mean the following: it sounds like you're in a constant beta mind state, and meditation "works" in that one can gradually shift to an alpha state.

 

[GYX_Kid]

do you know if strattera feels like a less potent adderall/amphetamine, or what?

 

[Sensi Star]

do you know if strattera feels like a less potent adderall/amphetamine, or what?

I am not sure what it "feels" like, because I haven't tried it yet. Since it is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, my guess is that it would raise heart rate without providing the euphoria that is marked with dopamine agents like amphetamine.

My research tells me that it is more suitable for relatively milder cases of AD(H)D than amphetamine. This suggests that it is in fact less potent. On forum topics I've read, many people claim it's not as therapeutically effective as amphetamine.

As an aside, I think you must be smoking an indica strain of cannabis.

Better yet, can you elaborate on your statement that you've tried meditation and it doesn't work? As an aside, I think you must be smoking an indica strain of cannabis.

I mean that the effects of meditation are too short-lived for it to be a reliable respite in my daily life. I experience a noticeable cessation of rapid/intrusive thoughts during the time I am able to sink fully into a meditative state, and feel somewhat relieved for an hour or so afterwards, but then I return to the original mental chaos rather quickly. I'm certain my breathing technique is good.

I prefer indica strains, because sativa strains are too stimulating and worsen the rapid thoughts. My favorite is of course sensi star, because it is the only indica I've ever found to provide the typical indica mental relaxation without the typical indica lethargy and couch/lock. At any rate however, I find that doing it too often severely reduces the quality of sleep (cannabis is known to inhibit the crucial REM stage of sleep) and leaves a highly lethargic afterglow.

 

[Moocow]

Meditation isn't like a drug that wears off after some amount of time. If you stop 'feeling' it's because you've chosen to stop feeling it. Part of the whole practice is realizing how and why you're making that choice, and what it is exactly that you're feeling in the first place.

 

[boondockbabe]

I don't know about "racing", but yeah I'm thinking almost constantly. Enough that I can be reading or listening to music without being aware of what I'm reading/listening to

...and then I have a "oh goddammit, I drifted off again..." moment and have to reread, or relisten to whatever it was that I was meant to be focusing on, only so I can drift off again.

The kinds of things I think about are totally different though - very much just an unfolding of ideas.

+1

 

[ummidk]

For the reading thing I often have to go back and re-read because of thinking of something else while I read, but If you're actually thinking about things related to what your reading I'd say its somewhat of a positive although not if you need to get it done quickly.

As far as music it certainly happens but usually not with something I haven't heard a few times already. Imo though I like to do this (makes sense since I'm an INTP, suprised you don't).

For me I think the pros outweigh the cons actually, but maybe I have more control over it because I can easily pay attention to a whole song or chapter in a book and just often times choose not to.

 

[myexplodingcat]

Yup, especially when I'm in a hurry or stressed, etc., or just trying to come up with a solution fast. I think the Doctor has a lot of these moments, because it always seems that his head is going much faster than his mouth.

Advice: Ride 'em. These things are useful.

 

[Minamimoto]

Ahh, I can relate. I most often analyze morality/past events, but in school, I've also developed a habit of analyzing people. I've gotten to the point where it's usually quite easy to tell who shares this depth of thought. When I meet others, I often feel inclined to pin them down and force them to share their perception of the world. I've managed to resist those urges thus far.

Like you, this really becomes a problem for me. I'll be analyzing irrelevant topics in the middle of class time and tests, even if just briefly, which has a cumulative effect of not completing the assignment at hand.

 

[Anub1s]

It seems my mind is racing constantly. What goes on in my mind is a relentless storm of scanning recent/past memories, analyzing social situations, weighing options/decisions, and tons of daydreaming.

It gets to be intrusive when trying to concentrate on a single activity. Reading is very slow, my internal voice drowns out the literature (resulting in re-reading passages a lot). Even when listening to music, no matter how loud, sometimes I can make it through a song without consciously hearing any of it. The small advantage of this is being able to use this constant stream of information to flow easily through academic essays, but the cons outweigh the pros.

Is this something typical of INTPs or is my situation exceptional? For those of you who share this, what types of relief have you found other than drugs.

Wow this describes my mind almost perfectly, although this hasn't actually ever been a problem for me. Usually i enjoy the experience of constantly reaching conclusions and exploring/analyzing data, it can be satisfying if you just go with it. The only thing i regret is that i often find that when i reach a train of thought i instantly move on to something else and 50% of the time i completely forget what i was just thinking about. Perhaps it is ADHD, but i refuse to take comercial drugs of any kind, a bowl () and a cup of black tea (hot) usually help me focus enough to try and get something done.

 

[Minamimoto]

Wow this describes my mind almost perfectly, although this hasn't actually ever been a problem for me. Usually i enjoy the experience of constantly reaching conclusions and exploring/analyzing data, it can be satisfying if you just go with it. The only thing i regret is that i often find that when i reach a train of thought i instantly move on to something else and 50% of the time i completely forget what i was just thinking about. Perhaps it is ADHD, but i refuse to take comercial drugs of any kind, a bowl () and a cup of black tea (hot) usually help me focus enough to try and get something done.

Ahh, indeed. I recently took a psychological assessment, ADD being the primary concern, but I'm more inclined to believe its just a part of our nature; not a dysfunction of the brain. I may end up on commercial drugs, though I'll doubtlessly be quite leery of their effects.

 

[Minuend]

i'm not sure if i understand what you mean, but when the intensity of my own thoughts starts to distract me from the real things i need to focus on, i try to think about something that i find interesting.. but is very simple.. for example i might read a few pages of a children's story book.
In this way i can calm my thoughts and try to make sense of them.

Problem is that when you are too lost in your thoughts you're not entirely conscious of your surroundings and need to be present. When I experience that, it doesn't last too long fortunately (5-15 seconds), but I'm completely unaware that I am lost in thought. I've even answered "yes or no" questions without realizing until I "came back".

Well, even interesting things can't make me focus properly. Or rather, that's what it feels like.

One thing that does block some thoughts are when I solve a jigsaw puzzle while simultaneously watch a movie or a series. Then it seems my brain doesn't have time for additional information processing.

Ahh, indeed. I recently took a psychological assessment, ADD being the primary concern, but I'm more inclined to believe its just a part of our nature; not a dysfunction of the brain. I may end up on commercial drugs, though I'll doubtlessly be quite leery of their effects.

Every disease is "part of nature". Whether it's part of nature does not tell us of its severity.

It's my opinion that in some people ADD/ ADHD is a real problem. Having some thoughts wander every now and then is not said disease. It becomes so when affecting ones life negatively.

I believe it's starting to become common knowledge that people with ADHD in fact do have different brain activity.

 

[Bobble]

I'm convinced my mind has been racing since birth. It hasn't slowed down at all and I just turned 30. What I understand in seconds takes 10 to 15 minutes to explain. My mind makes quick accurate complicated decisions then moves on to something else. I'm sick of people looking at me completely baffled. It's impossible to fully explain what I'm thinking. It's exhausting and frustrating. Explaining myself constantly. It's pointless. In the end I'm still miss understood. Am I smarter than everyone else? No. My mind just connects everything and it does this automatically. A single thought is like a single rubik's cube in a bin full of a rubix cubes and my mind is like a record breaking rubik's cube hall of famer That crabs it solves it in a matter of seconds throws it away then goes on to the next, solve it just as quick, throws it away then moves on to the next. It doesn't stop


I have no problem keeping up with my thoughts I'm just sick of explaining them.

 

[xbox]

I understand what you mean.

Also just to add, when people are explaining things to me, my mind filters and cuts out the bullcrap and registers the facts/important parts only, and it gets frustrating because some people just never get to the point sometimes.

I also find it funny, and slightly hilarious, that my mind's focus turns inward a lot, it kinda shows I dont care about many thing except the stuff that goes on in my head. I think the mind turning inward is a coping mechanism that happens when surrounding humans don't have anything intelligent/insightful/challenging/thought-provoking ideas to offer, which forces us to focus on topics and thoroughly analyze them to their cores.

My mind also races after ANY kind of social interaction with people, does an entire rewind of the conversations, and analyzes them thoroughly.

 

[pjoa09]

The worst is morning,

WHY WERE THOSE JOKERS TRYING TO KILL ME!!! OH SHIT I AM LATE.
NO BUT WHY? I DON'T KNOW IT WAS A DREAM! NO ITS THE UNCONSCIOUS!
WHO GIVES A FUCK! WHAT? Nice song... HOW THE FUCK DID IT GET IN HERE? I HAVEN'T LISTENED TO IT IN 4 MONTHS!

Yeah, if I don't rush myself I'll be in the shower for an hour thinking about a dream.

I also use music to fuel Music Videos in my head.
They give me that rush I need.

But mostly I think of trivial things and I some what make myself comfortable arguing with myself by providing a fake person to talk to in my head.

 

[Vecho]

From my experience I sometimes read then suddenly "what I am reading?" and while reading I am thinking what I am reading and this results in re-re-read the text I just read twice.

 

[Doodle]

It seems my mind is racing constantly. What goes on in my mind is a relentless storm of scanning recent/past memories, analyzing social situations, weighing options/decisions, and tons of daydreaming.

It gets to be intrusive when trying to concentrate on a single activity. Reading is very slow, my internal voice drowns out the literature (resulting in re-reading passages a lot). Even when listening to music, no matter how loud, sometimes I can make it through a song without consciously hearing any of it. The small advantage of this is being able to use this constant stream of information to flow easily through academic essays, but the cons outweigh the pros.

Is this something typical of INTPs or is my situation exceptional? For those of you who share this, what types of relief have you found other than drugs.

Everything you mentioned sounds exactly like me and it can be VERY annoying at times.

 

[Essence]

Yep. I'm slowly learning to keep one of my mental "eyes" on the world around me in a way. I can be going off on many tangents while daydreaming, but if someone asks me a question, i can respond in a few seconds without asking them to repeat themselves. Same when i'm reading. I still get lost in thought and have to re-read paragraphs a lot though. Takes forever to finish any book. (took me a week Fahrenheit 451 because of this. -.-)