Are my thoughts intrusive?
Have you ever had an unwanted thought pop into your mind? A thought that may have provoked anxiety or distress, and prompted you to question your internal beliefs and desires? If so, you may have experienced what is known as an “intrusive thought”, and these are much more common than we tend to think.
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and often distressing thoughts that may feel contrary to a person’s nature. They tend to center around someone’s core beliefs and biggest fears which can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress. Some examples of these thoughts include: “What if I harm this person?”, “What if I don’t love my partner?”, or “What if I die in my sleep?”. As you can probably notice, many of these thoughts tend to start off with “What if…” language. However, intrusive thoughts can also present as urges, images, sensations, premonitions, or voices telling us to do something, such as: “Swerve off the road!” or “Something bad is about to happen.”.
Living with Intrusive Thoughts
You can’t necessarily stop intrusive thoughts, but there are varying things that you can do to manage them. You can: identify your triggers, identify your intrusive thoughts, take action (reduce stressors), practice mindfulness, remind yourself that these thoughts are automatic, face your fears (with the help of a professional - this could include exposure therapeutic approaches), and talk about your feelings (either with a professional or with a person that you deem “safe”).
As important as it is to understand what you can do, it’s also imperative that you understand what may not be helpful when managing intrusive thoughts. You shouldn’t: engage deeply with the thought, push the thought out of your mind, try to figure out what the thought means, seek reassurance through sources such as Google, replay memories, or imagine scenarios. Remember: the more that you engage with intrusive thoughts the more you teach the brain that they matter.
Intrusive Thoughts vs. Obsessive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are a common issue that are relatively short-term and fleeting. Obsessive thoughts, on the other hand, tend to occur when the intrusive thoughts become uncontrollable and result in behaviors (otherwise known as compulsions) as a means to end the thoughts. These obsessive thoughts may be related to a specific diagnosis, including OCD, PTSD, and others. Please consult with a professional if you believe that this applies to you.
What can you do about Intrusive Thoughts
Strategy #1: Recognition -> includes observing oneself as one experiences intrusive thoughts and understanding the emotions associated with them.
Strategy #2: Acceptance -> acknowledges the presence of intrusive thoughts without attempting to push them away.
Strategy #3: Presence -> requires grounding oneself in the present moment and continuing to do what one was doing before the thought appeared.
Through recognition and acceptance, the goal should be to allow ourselves to have these thoughts, but try not to get blindsided by their appearance, and then to use presence to stay in the present moment. By using these strategies, we can learn how to better identify and manage intrusive thoughts, learning how to observe them without judgement and understanding that any feeling of urgency that comes with a thought is not a signal for action but just a sign of discomfort.
All of these strategies help us to differentiate between thoughts and facts, and can break the cycle of anxiety in response to intrusive thoughts. However, it is important to note that these strategies may not be enough to completely eliminate intrusive thoughts. It is also important to address underlying issues such as stress and anxiety, as these can be associated with the occurrence of intrusive thoughts. Additionally, it is important to practice self-compassion and be kind to oneself when intrusive thoughts arise, as this can help to reduce the distress associated with them.
References
Faubion, D. (2022). How to stop intrusive thoughts and live your life. BetterHelp. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/how-to/how-to-stop-intrusive-thoughts-and-live-your-life/?utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=Search_PPC_c&utm_term=PerformanceMax&utm_content=&network=x&placement=&target=&matchtype=&utm_campaign=17990185911&ad_type=responsive_pmax&adposition=&gclid=CjwKCAjwzY2bBhB6EiwAPpUpZvBOjqiJCbGcGA9XzsWj-ZxFeaGTB826APy4QuZWguQyFqMe3j36gBoCSgsQAvD_BwE
Mental Health Advocacy & Education. Made of Millions Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.madeofmillions.com/articles/symptoms-explained-what-are-intrusive-thoughts?gclid=CjwKCAjwzY2bBhB6EiwAPpUpZh293HvR3VrEVAAxvsCfJ7NjiXR_pYzAXcCILYZJ_ViUidABM4rddxoC_YAQAvD_BwE
Seif, M., & Winston, S. (2018). Unwanted intrusive thoughts. Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/unwanted-intrusive-thoughts
DM Wegner."Managing unwanted intrusive thoughts in obsessive–compulsive disorder: Relative effectiveness of suppression, focused distraction, and acceptance."https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000579670900059X
C Purdon."Obsessive intrusive thoughts in nonclinical subjects. Part II. Cognitive appraisal, emotional response and thought control strategies."https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0005796794900035
AP Morrison., G Haddock., N Tarrier."Intrusive thoughts and auditory hallucinations: A cognitive approach."https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-and-cognitive-psychotherapy/article/intrusive-thoughts-and-auditory-hallucinations-a-cognitive-approach/6A260FEF8F5FC660BAE78540C9DBEEE9