19 votes

Who else gets concerned about random things at inappropriate times?

This question really came to mind to me about last week when I was hanging out with some friends. I always noticed it as a part of my personality but I never really thought about it as in depth as I have recently. That night I immediately got concerned to the point of it ruining my evening about the following things:

  • We're running out of helium in the world
  • Where is my birth certificate
  • The old VHS tapes of my childhood and important moments in my family are slowly degrading but I can't digitise them until I go home to my parents and that's not for at least half a year, will they hold up that long?
  • There's too much space junk
  • I used so much plastic just cooking dinner this one evening for my friends, imagine how much gets bought and consumed worldwide
  • Some languages are going to die out and there's nothing I can do about it
  • Are the rhinos doing ok?
  • What's my blood type and am I allergic to anything?

Does anyone else suffer from this idiosyncracy? If so, what are some things that concern you or what are some other things that I can be concerned about?

EDIT: This turned dark, I thought I was just sharing some lighthearted fun and now I have schizophrenia, OCD and should talk to a therapist... jeez louise

10 comments

  1. [3]
    MimicSquid
    Link
    I am not a therapist and am not trying to diagnose you with anything, but if such intrusive thoughts are regularly disruptive you should consider talking to a therapist.

    I am not a therapist and am not trying to diagnose you with anything, but if such intrusive thoughts are regularly disruptive you should consider talking to a therapist.

    15 votes
    1. [2]
      asep
      Link Parent
      Ah thanks for the concern but maybe I overstated how much it affects me, usually after some 20 minutes I can get distracted enough to stop thinking about it. I don't think it's any actual mental...

      Ah thanks for the concern but maybe I overstated how much it affects me, usually after some 20 minutes I can get distracted enough to stop thinking about it. I don't think it's any actual mental problem or anything just general concern.

      1 vote
      1. MimicSquid
        Link Parent
        I reiterate: based on your description it would probably benefit you to get a professional opinion. I mean, do what you like, but you could also live a life where you didn't have to take 20...

        I reiterate: based on your description it would probably benefit you to get a professional opinion. I mean, do what you like, but you could also live a life where you didn't have to take 20 minutes out of your night to quash your intrusive thoughts.

        4 votes
  2. PopeRigby
    Link
    I'm not entirely certain, but that sounds a bit like OCD, especially the obsessive part. I would talk to a therapist though if it's really bothering you. I'm not a doctor though, I just have OCD.

    I'm not entirely certain, but that sounds a bit like OCD, especially the obsessive part. I would talk to a therapist though if it's really bothering you. I'm not a doctor though, I just have OCD.

    5 votes
  3. [3]
    Davada
    Link
    The Sun will boil away the Earth's Oceans in about a billion years, so that's how long we as a planet have to produce a trans galactic space faring race. If humans die out in the near future that...

    The Sun will boil away the Earth's Oceans in about a billion years, so that's how long we as a planet have to produce a trans galactic space faring race. If humans die out in the near future that would set back the planets chances and make it unlikely that evolution would make another species capable of becoming it. I'll be long dead, and my wife and I aren't having children anyways, so it has nothing to do with me, but it still makes me sad that Earth may become a desert planet with a history that'd be completely gone because there's no one left to tell it.

    4 votes
    1. asep
      Link Parent
      Oh that's a good one, I'm going to add that to the list

      Oh that's a good one, I'm going to add that to the list

      2 votes
    2. gogoigo
      Link Parent
      So how you don't have your our child, don't you worry about others? (IMHO) You should think more about this.

      So how you don't have your our child, don't you worry about others? (IMHO) You should think more about this.

  4. jahnu
    Link
    Not a therapist, and not judging, but I have a mild case of schizoaffective disorder, and you are describing one of the issues I have had problems with. Fortunately, it is a compulsion that can be...

    Not a therapist, and not judging, but I have a mild case of schizoaffective disorder, and you are describing one of the issues I have had problems with. Fortunately, it is a compulsion that can be treated fairly easily with just a bit of training. If it starts to overwhelm you, consider speaking to someone.

    1 vote
  5. moocow1452
    Link
    All the time, usually it's a sense of wrongness that compels me to reflect on what I could have done differently, regardless if it was actually a thing of consiquence. When I was a kid, I got...

    All the time, usually it's a sense of wrongness that compels me to reflect on what I could have done differently, regardless if it was actually a thing of consiquence. When I was a kid, I got around it by freaking out over forgetting something I didn't actually own. Now I just bury it in work until it goes away.

  6. somewaffles
    Link
    I worry about the same things, but I am able to realize pretty quickly that these things are mostly out of my control. If it gets to the point where it ruins entire nights for you, I would...

    I worry about the same things, but I am able to realize pretty quickly that these things are mostly out of my control. If it gets to the point where it ruins entire nights for you, I would consider speaking to a therapist, like most people here have recommended.