multiple thoughts at once

[Echo]

Since I was young I can remember having multiple thoughts in my head at one time. In the past it seems to get worse when I get stressed. I'm not hearing voices so I don't think it goes quite as far as DID, but I thought this was normal until I googled it recently and found that it isn't.

I have been diagnosed ADD so it might be related to that and not CPTSD. Does anyone else experience this or something similar?

[Sceal]

I hear voices. But I also have multiple thoughts in my head sometimes. It's exhausting and exhiliarting! It usually happens when I'm about to get an energy surge, and the passion and will to do a billion things at once. But it can also be exhausting if I can't make heads or tails of them, or if the voices are yelling at the same time. Or if it's about worries and fears.

I don't know if it's related to ADD or ADHD. I was told that since I've been diagnosed with (c)PTSD they will not explore the possibilities if I also have ADHD/ADD, because some of the symptoms overlap and it would be too difficult for them to know when it started, why, and whether it's caused by this or that or both. Since ADHD/ADD is something you're born with and devellop very early on, and (c)PTSD is something that, in my case, started in childhood.

Not sure if this was particularly helpful, come to think of it. But I just really wanted to say: You're not alone

[ah]

Having multiple thoughts at the same time makes a lot of sense to me.

I personally think it's a myth that we just have one voice in our head at any given moment.
The thoughts we have are so fast they jump from one to the next too quickly for us to catch our mind moving but it feels as though there are many thoughts, like a whole orchestra is in my head.
When I'm more stressed it definitely feels worse, then sometimes it's like screaming or crying rather than just multiple thoughts. Yeah, then it feels like the voices are yelling at the same time. When my stress level lowers the cacophony in my head also gets more quiet. But I can't remember ever just thinking one thing at a time. I don't know if it's the same for everybody, but for me I can always notice different thoughts, needs, expectations, interpretations, ideas, ways of seeing myself, assumptions... it's never a quiet, smooth experience in my head.

What you wrote reminded me of advice I got when I started learning to meditate. I was surprised by how many thoughts and how much noise I noticed in my head (more than usual) and the teacher's response was that it was a good sign, because our mind is noisy but we don't look inside, we distract ourselves and focus on external stimuli so we don't notice it, but it's always been noisy, for everyone.

[BlancaLap]

Does anyone else experience this or something similar?

Yes, sorry I can't say much more right now

[Echo]

Thanks for the responses 

Sceal, it happens to me more when I get a surge of energy too. I wonder how much of ADD is related to CPTSD. There goes seem to be a huge overlap.
Ah, that's a good point about it being a myth that we all just have one thought at a time, definitely something to think about. I will have to try meditation.

[Mussymel]

I saw this recently and thought it was very apt! My 6 year old also describes her mind like this with millions of thought going at once. I'm surprised that it's not the norm. I thought everyone was like that.

[Sceal]

I'm not sure ADD/ADHD is related to PTSD. I know tons of people who has ADD/ADHD without any form of PTSD.
I suspect it's like with other mental illnesses, alot of them overlap a lot.
Like for example the tendency to avoid things. PTSD victims tends to avoid triggers and situations like the original trauma (no wonder!), even if it's safe. But Anxiety (in any form) also makes you avoid whatever it is that you're afraid of. And if you got avoidant personality disorder aswell, there's more avoiding. And all of these can also promote depression. It's a jucky mush of a swamp really.

I do hope that you get the benefit of the energy surges from ADD relatively often though. In a good way I mean.