When Your Brain Won’t Turn Off: Finding Relief from OCD, Trauma, and Racing Thoughts
Ever lay in bed at night, desperate for sleep, but your brain decides it’s time to replay every awkward thing you’ve ever said, or run through the worst-case scenarios of tomorrow like it’s prepping for an apocalypse? Yeah. You're not alone.
Whether you're battling intrusive thoughts that feel loud and relentless, living with the aftermath of trauma that still hijacks your nervous system, or stuck in a loop of racing thoughts that just. won’t. quit. — it’s exhausting. And it’s not just “overthinking.” It’s your brain trying to protect you, just in the most unhelpful way possible.
What’s Actually Going On?
For those navigating OCD, trauma, or anxiety, your brain isn’t broken — it’s in overdrive.
With OCD, intrusive thoughts often feel like they come out of nowhere, loud and alarming, paired with an urge to do something to make the discomfort go away.
With trauma, the past doesn’t stay in the past. It lingers in your body and brain, showing up as flashbacks, hypervigilance, and a constant sense of unease.
With anxiety, racing thoughts often show up like a mental to-do list on steroids, keeping you in a state of alert even when nothing is actually urgent.
It’s like your brain is stuck in “survival mode,” convinced it’s doing you a favor.
The Good News: You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck
The truth is, you can’t logic your way out of a dysregulated nervous system. You need tools that speak the language of your brain and body — and that’s where therapy comes in.
I use evidence-based approaches like CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) and ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) to help clients find real relief.
CBT helps you untangle unhelpful thought patterns and build new ways of responding. It’s about learning how to relate to your thoughts instead of being ruled by them.
CPT is especially helpful for trauma. It helps you identify stuck points — those deeply held beliefs that were shaped by trauma — and shift them so they no longer run the show.
ART goes even deeper — using imagery and eye movements to reprocess distressing memories or sensations, calming the nervous system and allowing your brain to finally let go of what it’s been gripping so tightly.
You're Not "Too Much" — Your Brain Is Just Tired
So many of my clients come in saying things like:
“I feel broken.”
“I should be able to control this.”
“I don’t understand why I can’t move on.”
If you’ve been thinking these things too, I want you to know:
You’re not broken. You’re not weak. You’re not alone.
You’re just a human with a brain doing its best to cope — and therapy can help it do better.
Ready to Feel Like You Again?
If your brain feels like it’s constantly buzzing, if intrusive thoughts are stealing your peace, or if the weight of trauma still feels fresh — there is help. And there is hope.
You don’t have to muscle through it alone. Let’s find some calm together.
