Random thoughts and images during sleep

I have been nervous about flying since I am going on a trip tomorrow and the thought of turbulence has unnerved me but I have been doing ok with that thought and slowly getting used to it. I have been looking at videos and articles explaining turbulence and what it is and why it happens and I have been feeling better about it. I go to bed and I am definitely tired. I am at that stage where I am falling asleep but still awake and all of a sudden I get a random anxiety hit feeling and a accompanying thought of "I wanna die!". I immediately wake up like I was just fighting for my life and I keep repeating the thoughts over and over wondering if that's what I want or something. I sort of calm down and try to sleep but now I am getting random thoughts from tv shows, music lyrics, and scenes from said shows playing in a random order. Feels like I am losing it and I can't focus. I am afraid I am having some psychosis or something which increases my anxiety. Any help or insight would be appreciated. I have had Suicidal OCD thoughts before but this one sort of hit different since I was partially asleep.

ivyleaftea

Date posted: 4w

i’ve absolutely been there. sometimes our brains are just big jumbles of BS, and having OCD can exacerbate that. just try to remember that as you’re falling asleep, your brain won’t always make the most sense. i hear random words and phrases as i’m trying to fall asleep, but i know that’s just something that happens. i know how unnerving it can be, but if you can, try to take a breath. sleep will come eventually. the thoughts will pass.

MisterNegative

Date posted: 4w

Do you think it's still background nervousness of flying even though I still feel a bit better about turbulence overall?

ivyleaftea

Date posted: 4w

@MisterNegative it could be! i know my subconscious holds onto some anxiety without me realizing and will give me some obsessive thoughts as a result. it definitely could be the same situation for you.

MisterNegative

Date posted: 4w

@ivyleaftea It has been funny whenever I experience anxiety recently, my brain wants to defeat to the Suicide OCD stuff. I have checked with my therapist and she evaluated that I wasn't at risk and I know nothing will happen but man those thoughts can be scary. Makes me afraid that if I experience too much stress at once that it will make me act on the thoughts one day or they will wear me down and I'll want that result. But I've been doing better by ignoring them when they come up. But this is annoying cuz I still need three hours of sleep left and I don't know if I can fall back asleep

Stay.Fluid

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 4w

Hi! From the post and comments I just had a few thoughts pop up and I hope it’s okay to share. It might be best for your OCD to limit research (possible compulsion) on turbulence for reassurance about this flight. Although, I am so glad you are feeling better about it!! Sometimes when our brains are experiencing burn out from anxiety we will have the type of thought patterns you described. Also, as you fall asleep those types of things happen between your different brain waves for the different sleep cycles. The in between of awake and asleep is where these things happen. It’s normal, and the more you focus your awareness on it as a threat as you fall asleep, the more likely it is to stick around. Perhaps use those odd thoughts as a signal to yourself that you are on the brink of falling asleep. Not psychosis.

Anonymous

Date posted: 18w

Alot is on my mind u feel like I’m going to lose my mind , not really a lot but if I think too hard I think I’m gonna lose my mind , I was trying to slp n I think I’m gonna lose my mind , I’ve always been having thoughts about going crazy it never really changed , I have other thoughts and triggers but they always somehow lead Bk to me thinking I’m going to lose my mind , guys I’m so tired , do I even have ocd

DiegoIsLit808

Date posted: 8w

Advice?

Ive been struggling with the fear that if i am suicidal or something and ive been having like fears or intrusive thoughts of jumping off or losing control and acting on these thoughts and i dont know if this is just some very bad case of anxiety? Im always thinking about it trying to prove it wrong in my head and its gotten to a point where its effecting my sleep, i use chat gpt. I know deep down i dont wanna do any of it, i mean the very thought makes me panic quick so idk i just want to forget all these thoughts and i was wondering if anyone goes through this as well?

Harm OCD

milkcarton19

Date posted: 5w

Help Out of Loop

I had a really bad nightmare revolving around one of my big themes and I woke up with the panic still left over the dream as if it was real and I kept thinking about the situations. I tried to tell myself it was just a dream, but then it made me question real life. So then it was a cycle of ruminating about the events as though they were real and my reality which really messed me up bc my biggest theme right now is becoming schizophrenic/catatonic/"crazy." I feel stuck in a loop, I've tried saying the "maybes" and even talking to my partner about other things but it just keeps looping in my head "am I crazy?" "I can't differentiate between dreams" "I feel like I'm stuck in my head and I can't even talk". Any tips? I feel like I'm at the crescendo of my 20 years (lifelong) ocd due to stress from moving soon.

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Random thoughts and images during sleep

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