How to Free Yourself from Intrusive Thoughts
Like two magnets suddenly snapping together, intrusive thoughts are almost like an impulse that your brain signals, and snap!
Youâre in the subway, waiting on a train to work, and suddenly - seemingly from thin air - an unfamiliar, unwelcome thought comes floating through your thoughts. It may be a whim to do something very uncharacteristic, or even shocking, that you would never do in your right mind.
Before you react to this intrusive thought, you catch yourself wondering:
What in the world is going through my head right now?
If you can relate, then you certainly arenât alone. We all have them from time to time. In fact, a recent study has revealed that 94% of people have had intrusive thoughts in the last 3 months. Âč
Itâs no doubt comforting to see these numbers and know we arenât alone. However, it doesnât explain what intrusive thoughts are, where they come from, or how to prevent them.
Not to worry, weâll run through all these questions here.
Take a look.
What Are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that occur suddenly and often without warning. Sometimes these thoughts can be a little distressing, upsetting, and against your better nature. They may also begin to occur more and more frequently, which can start to become a little disconcerting.
And, unfortunately, these thoughts are often quite dark, inciting violent or sexual acts, things weâd rather not think about or act upon. They are simply thoughts and as long as they are not acted upon they can do no harm.
Intrusive thoughts are really just thoughts that do not hide anything of too much importance. They donât make you a bad person and theyâre not warning signs or red flags; they are simply thoughts. As long as they are not acted upon they can do no harm.
What Causes Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts arenât always the result of an underlying condition and they often arenât an indication that you need to seek medical attention.
However, for some, intrusive thoughts are a symptom of a mental health condition. ÂČ Mental health conditions that may give rise to intrusive thoughts include:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD occurs when intrusive thoughts become uncontrollable and uncomfortable to sit with. These intrusive thoughts become obsessions that cause a person to carry out compulsive repeat behaviors. These compulsions are often sought as a remedy, in hopes that the thoughts will discontinue occurring in the future if a compulsive action is carried out. Âł
Eating disorders. People who develop eating disorders often experience intrusive thoughts. These thoughts carry a person to frequently worry about the physical impact food will have on their body. Obsessing over their weight can become distressing and further impact their mental and physical health. âŽ
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People who are living with PTSD often experience intrusive thoughts that are strongly linked to a traumatic incident. These intrusive thoughts can perpetuate symptoms of PTSD, leading to sweating, increased heart rate, and even flashbacks. â”
If you feel you are experiencing any of the above, it is important to seek medical advice. In addition to medical help, there are ways to help prevent these unwanted ideas from popping into your head.
How Do I Prevent Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts?
What gives intrusive thoughts power is our inability to ignore them or brush them aside. Sometimes they are so strange or sabotaging that it is easy to become fixated on breaking down why we had them in the first place. In doing so, feelings of guilt, shame, and even frustrations may arise.
And by focusing on these ideas, before you know it, intrusive thoughts become habitual. Coming up more and more often.
Rather than fixating on them, try instead to remind yourself that they are just thoughts and really you donât have any desire to act upon them.
The best way to stop intrusive thoughts is to follow these strategies:
Self-care. A great step to reducing intrusive thoughts is to recognize they are just thoughts and labelling them as such. Recognize that they arenât really your desire or intent and arenât worth your attention. Disengaging with these kinds of thoughts will help you stop fixating upon them. Meditation is a great way to help practice disengagement or non-attachment. Meditation will allow you to practice observing your thoughts and allowing them to come and go. Not placing any weight upon them.
Talk therapy. Talk therapy is a great way to help reduce the impact of intrusive thoughts. Talk therapy doesnât necessarily mean you have to seek the help of a professional therapist, although please do if you feel that would help, talk therapy can be as simple as calling a friend and talking to them about how you are feeling. In doing so, you can learn ways to better handle these thoughts and develop healthy responses that can help in reducing their frequency.
De-personalist the thoughts. Itâs important to remind yourself that intrusive thoughts donât define who you are as a person. They are just like any other thought, we have thousands of them a day. The difference, for whatever reason, is we decide to fixate on them. Instead of fixating, try to let go of them just as you would any other thought. If you held onto every thought you ever had your head would explode! So treat intrusive thoughts just like any other, donât take them personally, allow them to come and go as they please. You could also try to employ the use of a mantra if you think it would help. Try something like this: âSure, this thought could become reality, although the chances are extremely thin. Therefore, I wonât worry about it now. Iâll focus on what is really happening at this very moment insteadâ.
The Takeaway
Intrusive thoughts are only powerful because we give them attention. Yes, they can be a little disconcerting and worrying. However, they are only upsetting because they feel so foreign and devoid of us.
Having intrusive thoughts doesnât necessarily mean you have an underlying issue. They are simply like any other thought that will pop into your head throughout the day and should, therefore, be treated as such.
Allow them to come and go.
It is important to note, however, that if practicing the above strategies doesnât seem to be helping or you feel you would like to seek professional help, there is absolutely no shame in this.
Intrusive thoughts are very well recognized and understood by mental health practitioners and getting treatment can really help reduce your sensitivity to them.
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âââ. âPart 2. They Scare Because We Care: The Relationship between Obsessive Intrusive Thoughts and Appraisals and Control Strategies across 15 Cities.â Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders 3, no. 3 (July 1, 2014): 280â91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2014.02.006.
HealthMatch staff and HealthMatch Pty Ltd. âLearn What Mental Health Is and How to Keep Yours in Top Shape.â HealthMatch, September 13, 2022. https://healthmatch.io/mental-health.
Sandoiu, Ana. âOCD: Brain Mechanism Explains Symptoms.â Medical News Today, December 6, 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323905.
Byrd, Florence. âSigns of an Eating Disorder.â WebMD, February 10, 2011. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/signs-of-eating-disorders#1.
Orentas, Geraldine. âSigns and Symptoms of PTSD in Women.â Psych Central, August 2, 2021. https://www.healthline.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder.