After many years I came across the term “thought broadcasting” which seems to accurately describe one of my main symptoms.
I can find very little written about it and even less about how people deal with it, in fact next to nothing on the subject.
All I have found is a description of the symptom and a review from Cambridge which talks about how the definition is not really well-defined, i.e. what people call “thought broadcasting” can actually take on different forms.
For me, thought broadcasting, is seeing people respond to my thoughts in a negative and controlling way, almost as if my ego is being broadcast and reflected back at me.
I feel powerless and overwhelmed by other people’s conversations that seem to refer to me indirectly and be controlling and judgmental.
How do people deal with this if they experience it and how do they overcome it?
I used to have that. When I stopped believing that you could somehow communicate in your head I stopped hearing things and that delusion went away. You just got to realise that it is impossible and it will go away. Which it is, and I feel stupid for that, but I suppose it is just what the illness does to you, so you cant blame yourself.
Best advice I’ve ever received, is that people are too engrossed with their own lives, and even though it may feel like it, they don’t actually give two craps about your life. Best way to deal with this for me personally, is too put your best foot forward, get on with your life and don’t stop to notice or care about what people say in response to your thoughts.
If they’re being really mean, the best remedy is take the wind out of their sails, and not respond or let it affect you.
I’ve had this for a good 3-4 years now, and I felt so powerless at the start, couldn’t even step foot into a supermarket and just holed up. My life got 1000% better when I got my confidence back and remembered I was trying to make a better life for myself, attitude is key!
Also side note I take olanzapine and fluoxetine for intrusive thoughts. Go out and grab life by the balls dude
I have been through cycles of this projection and reflecting back at me of negative and controlling ego for many, many years, and it has never gotten any easier.
Even music hasn’t helped me, though perhaps I haven’t tried it enough as I don’t carry a music player and headphones. But I find that beyond people’s conversations, my entire environment absorbs my projections and reflects them back as negative and controlling.
It is as if the damn fills up whilst I am sane, and bursts again and again every time I relapse.
I think there is something to be said for the idea that it comes from a desire for people to care about your life and issues as much as you care about them, a desire to be famous and people to be talking about you, also to know what people really think about you behind your back. It always comes out negative though, which is one of the biggest problems.
I’m not saying that there isn’t a bio-chemical component, that it isn’t caused by a malfunction in the brain, but I really do think that our reality begins with our desires and imagination, including the bio-chemistry, which is why I’m hopeful I can heal.
Another issue, is that when I experience it, one of my strongest thoughts or desires is to know “how can this be happening?”, which is related to the desire to experience it in the first place, however traumatic that desire may be. I want to know a chain of cause and effect that explains the phenomenon.
I don’t really know why I desire to experience it other than to understand what causes it. It is always negative, it always feels oppressive, at best it is a form of infamy, rather than fame. Perhaps I want to know how I would cope with fame, but I haven’t done anything in my life to be famous for in a positive way, whereas there are plenty of things that I am ashamed of that I have done, and these are the things that people seem to talk about.
I think practicing forgiveness, both of myself and others, can help. I have only just started to get into such a practice in a conscious way. I’m not Christian, but I do think that there is much wisdom in the idea.
I mean I know for a fact, I get really het up about certain things with my life, that I forget to step back and look at the bigger picture, I think perception is so important.
Law of attraction I suppose, the more you believe in something you’ll make it fit your reality and it gives it more power, which is why I think it’s such a good idea to just carry on whilst you were always doing the right thing.
In my delusion, it happens because we have a hive mind or a super consciousness as it were. We are all connected in this life.
And same about the shameful things, but I also believe I was given voices and thought broadcasting to be held accountable for my shitty actions and be sent on a course that was better for me and to help me not be so toxic.
As for practicing forgiveful ness that’s really positive, I like that
This belief in a hive mind or super consciousness is something I also share, it is one of my models for cause and effect. But I wonder why I only experience it sometimes at such high intensities with a focus solely on me. Why would the hive mind be concerned only with me.
I have found asking yourself this question when you are actually experiencing being the centre of attention is very difficult, and even reinforces the symptoms because it is seeking to justify them in a chain of cause and effect.
I do think there is something to be said for it coming from a desire to be the centre of attention and also to allow people to judge you as opposed to you judging yourself.
I think I really want to be judged a success, and this is why I want to experience being judged by others, but as I said, I always seem to experience being judged harshly or negatively, and this probably comes from all the negative judgments I make about myself, not least being ill.
What this has to do with bio-chemistry, I don’t know. I think the bio-chemistry aspect is that which enables us to experience it. Many people probably judge themselves badly or want to be the centre of attention, many people also have a belief in super consciousness, it was one of the theories of Jung for example, but though they have these desires and beliefs only a fraction actually experience thought broadcasting.
I don’t like to blame the bio-chemistry, but understanding it can help, not least with choosing the right medication.
