Stalling train of thought

Often when I'm thinking about something, I'll be interrupted by an intrusive thought along the lines of "I am currently thinking about X thing". For example, I'll be making novel strides into some problem I'm working on and I'll think "So nice to finally be making some progress, I just had to think about the problem, I am currently thinking about the problem" only to get caught up in a mental spiral, unable to move past that thought. Every subsequent attempt to move past it and get back to the problem immediately stalls as some part in the back of my mind is constantly thinking about currently having that thought from that point on, and draws it back in. I get completely stuck in that thought and that thought only. It only really stops after a while, when I give up and start to do something else and completely forget about it. Over time it seems to associate with certain trails of thought though, meaning it comes on sooner when thinking about some things than others. Maybe it's a stream of consciousness thing. I have other issues related to existential dread from something akin to the Boltzmann brain thought experiment from childhood, maybe this is more of the same. They don't feel as intrinsically linked as stream of consciousness interruption and say, sleep, for example, but maybe. Anyone else get something similar or have any thoughts on the topic? Maybe I'm just a retard caught in a beginner level mind-prison.

I dont exactly know what you mean, but im assuming you mean you literally get stuck on the thought of "I am currently thinking about the problem"? You havent said anything to indicate you actually have ocd but it sounds like an ocd-like internal monologue. Some people online talk about "Pure O" im not sure how official it is but at the very least its certainly a set of symptoms many share even if its just some form of anxiety. I asked my therapist about it and he didnt have much to say. I dont get stuck in quite the same way if im understanding but I do get stuck in my head replaying scenarios or imagining scenarios and its this weird thing where if I dont imagine or replay them then I on some level think they are going to happen/will happen again. I was not part of any weird experiments but I did have some intense existential dread as young as 6 or 7 likely due to my father passing as I dont think I quite knew how to deal with it. He wasnt always around and I didnt always like him when he did come around so I didnt really grieve but I also wasnt "happy" and we had some serious money troubles after. My rough theory is when your faced with that existential dread at a young age about things you cant really control you try to wrestle control back through kind of ocd like thought or actual rituals. And as an adult and you develop it changes into any number of things, maybe ocd or maybe superstitions or maybe just being a control freak or whatever. But the core of it is kind of still there even if it looks very different as an adult or maybe isnt noticeable anymore at all. I have things I do to help me but I dont know how much this impacts your life or the severity of it. Say if you did have ocd or something like it and I offered some thought to counter this thought that could actually make the problem worse as you become just stuck in a loop between the thought loop your already having and this other thought. So im hesitant to give any advice beyond I think you should see a professional. Not because this is uniquely insane or something but because unprofessional advice can make these sorts of things a lot worse whereas there is actually a very good treatment and remission rate for these things through the likes of dbt and other therapies. You often dont even need to end up taking medication for the rest of your life especially when addressed early. Its also totally possible im overestimating the severity of this and you will figure it out on your own just fine so dont take what im saying as scary or something and start worryin about about getting worse. Im just saying without knowing more this is sort of a sensitive or delicate issue.

It's completely normal for your mind to periodically take a step back so you can asses what you're thinking about, doing, or your general situation. The only unusual thing is that it scares you and you start to obsess about it.

You should like you have high serotonin (a stress hormone if you do your research). You kind of type like you do as well. I would recommend increasing caffeine, increasing fructose, decreasing starch (promotes endotoxin). It should help. I used to be similar. raypeat.com/articles