Psychology Facts

▲ Intrusive Thoughts ▲

》Intrusive thoughts are sudden, involuntary thoughts that can be disturbing. These thoughts can be distressing for the individual, but they do not lead to harmful action.

》Intrusive thoughts and impulsive thoughts are often mixed up, so we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the differences.

》Everyone experiences impulsive thoughts, usually starting in childhood. Impulsive thoughts are ideas or images that pop into one's mind spontaneously and are considered "taboo".

》Unlike intrusive thoughts, impulsive thoughts are sudden urges or thoughts that lead to impulsive actions, without thinking through the consequences. For example, an impulsive thought could be going to a store and seeing a bag that you really like, then buying it without considering whether you can really afford it.

》Intrusive thoughts tend to be more emotionally disturbing and repetitive than impulsive thoughts, which only last for a short while.

》According to the National Institute of Mental Health, intrusive thoughts are among the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They can also be a feature of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

》Types Of Intrusive Thoughts:

Sexual intrusive thoughts -

Revolve around a person's sexuality or sexually harming others.

Examples include:

fear of being sexually attracted to infants

fear of being attracted to members of their family

fears regarding their sexual orientation

Relationship intrusive thoughts -

People may worry about their relationships, on which these thoughts can place a strain.

Examples include:

analyzing the strength of their feelings for their partner

obsessively and finding fault

constantly seeking reassurance from their partner

doubts regarding fidelity

Religious intrusive thoughts

Types of religious intrusive thoughts include:

God not forgiving them for their perceived sins and sending them to hell

having negative thoughts in a religious building

repeating certain prayers continually

fears that they have lost touch with God or their beliefs

constantly analyzing their faith

Violent intrusive thoughts

A person may experience thoughts about being violent toward themselves or others.

Examples:

harming loved ones or children

killing others

using knives or other items to harm others, which can result in a person locking away
sharp objects

poisoning food for loved ones, which can result in the person avoiding cooking

》Surveys were given to 777 college students in 13 countries across six continents. Almost 94 percent of the students said they'd had unwanted and intrusive thoughts during the past three months.

》At the end of the day, most intrusive thoughts are just thoughts. They're not a red flag, or a signal that you actually want to do the disturbing things you're thinking about. If they bother you, you can take steps to cut down on their frequency and intensity.

You can:

Recognize and label them for what they are -- intrusive thoughts that you can't control.

Just let them linger, instead of trying to push them away.

Accept that they will pass eventually.

Give yourself time for them to fade away. Prepare yourself for unwanted thoughts to come back.

Continue to do whatever you were doing when the intrusive thoughts flooded your head.

Don't:

Act or engage with these random, repetitive thoughts.

Try to question why you're having them in the first place.

Look for meaning behind them.

Suppress them. If you do this, you may fixate more on them.

》This can be hard to do. But over time, being less sensitive to intrusive thoughts can reduce the emotional effect they may have on you. It also helps you feel more in control of them.

》Sometimes, thoughts go beyond being intrusive.Unwanted, repetitive thoughts could be a sign of OCD. With this type of anxiety disorder, you have recurring, unwanted thoughts you can't control. You may also have the urge to repeat certain behaviors or actions over and over again.

》If intrusive thoughts consume your energy, cause you distress, or make it hard to go about your day, tell your doctor about them. If necessary, they'll refer you to a behavioral therapist, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist for further diagnosis and treatment.

》If you feel like acting on your intrusive thoughts in a way that could cause harm to yourself or someone else, get medical help right away.