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Obsessive thoughts, often which seem to come out of nowhere and have no logic, are typically a side affect of another problem rather than an actual problem in and of themselves. Anxiety disorders, which show themselves in the form of panic attacks, will bring on the thoughts and once they come, you may indeed obsess over them and not seem to be able to get rid of them no matter how much you wish that you could.

When a person is suffering with attacks of anxiety, they will feel many symptoms, some physical and some mental. Many people have even believed that they were having a heart attack during a severe bout of panic. There can be some or all of the following physical symptoms and more: heart fluttering or pounding, sweating, trembling, headaches, pains, numbness, and/or muscle twitches. Perhaps even more disturbing, however, are the obsessive thoughts that will invade your mind.

Everybody has the thoughts that become obsessive in some, but there is a difference between them and those with anxiety. In people who are prone to anxiety, these thoughts are not filtered as they are for others. The brain allows them to get through and dwell with them, causing a great deal of disturbance. For example, a person with anxiety may be driving and have the thought "I could drive right into that tree". A person without anxiety could have the thought as well, but their brain may discard it so quickly that they never even fully realize it was there. It is more a subconscious thought than one that they continue to go over and over in their mind.

If you are a person prone to obsessive thoughts, you may very well have an anxiety disorder that should be discussed with your physician. There are many medications today that can relieve the symptoms of this terrible disorder and you need not suffer in silence as people once did. If you aren't ready to take that step, there are still many things that you can do to help rid your mind of the bothersome thoughts that seem to be pervading everything else when they arrive.

*Physical activity-Exercise will release "happy hormones" into your body and will help to relieve some of the adrenaline that is running rampant through your body. If you exercise hard enough, your brain will turn to the agony of your body and away from all else.

*Prayer and meditation-Turn your thoughts heavenward and you can begin to see things from a very different point of view. Nothing seems as huge when you're in the presence of the Almighty Creator.

*Warmth-I am not sure why this works, but it does if you do it early enough. Run your hands under warm water at the first signs of an anxiety attack and this is often all it takes to fend off the whole thing, thoughts included.

*Friends-Call a friend for a chat about what's on your mind or something entirely different. Better yet, call to invite him or her to go out for a walk or coffee. Friends have a way of getting your mind in a better place.

*Games and puzzles-Playing a game or puzzle can effectively distract your mind from the thoughts that are bothering you. There are many online sites that offer these games free of charge or for a very minimal fee.

*Read or write-Again, the goal is to distract your thoughts. Reading can transport you to anothe place and time entirely. Writing your thoughts down can release them from your mind to the paper.

There are many things you can do to erase the obsessive thoughts from your mind. You are still in control, even though it feels like a whirlwind has entered and taken over. Don't allow these thoughts to destroy you or even a portion of your day. Take the bull by the horns and rid yourself of them with action!

Learn more about this author, Victoria Tiegert.
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