Maybe the "thought spiral" is hereditary

posted by Jeff | Sunday, June 8, 2025, 1:20 PM | comments: 0

Simon apparently came in to our room the other night (I didn't wake up) and told Diana that he couldn't sleep because his brain was constantly racing. It kind of makes you wonder if it's hereditary, or the result of something hereditary like autism.

I've articulated before about what this is like. I have to emphasize that it's like this most of the time for me. If he has to endure that as well, that's heartbreaking to me. Sometimes it makes living in the moment and relaxing very difficult. But it's absolutely the worst when you're trying to sleep. As I get more tired, the context shifting is reduced, but then I get into tighter loops thinking about the same things, which might actually be worse.

I don't have a ton of solutions, because honestly I just learned a few years ago that most people don't have this problem. It can in rare instances be useful, because it's definitely why I'm able to say witty things now and then. But mostly I find it exhausting. I'm not entirely sure how to coach Simon around it either.

I can say that a few milligrams of THC does wonders before bed, but the developmental risks are way too high, even with limited research, to give that to non-adults. It definitely helps me though. In waking hours, there are certain activities, mainly video games, that help me turn it off. And this will sound weird, but if I can focus on sexual thoughts, the lizard part of my brain seems to take over and shut down the spiral. Maybe I'm tapping into biology for that one. Oh, writing helps a ton. If I write multiple blog posts in one day, that's me coping with it.

It's a rough way to exist. I'm trying to find something positive that I've passed to my kid.


Comments

No comments yet.


Post your comment: