PSYCHOLOGY
Intrusive Thoughts: Why Does Your Brain Never Shut Off?
What’s behind the intrusive thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, involuntary thoughts that can cause a great deal of anxiety. These thoughts can be about anything, but they are often about things that are disturbing or dangerous. Intrusive thoughts are a common symptom of anxiety disorders, though, they can also occur in people who do not have an anxiety disorder.
These thoughts can be so persistent and overwhelming that they interfere with daily life in a number of ways. People with anxiety may start to avoid situations that trigger their intrusive thoughts. This can make it difficult to go to work, socialize, get anything done or even leave the house.
How to know if a thought is intrusive?
An intrusive thought is an unwanted, involuntary thought, image, or urge that repeatedly enters your mind. It can feel difficult to manage or control. The content of the thought can be about anything, but it’s usually something that makes you feel anxious, stressed, or down. Intrusive thoughts are often repetitive and can become obsessions.
3 tips to recognize intrusive thoughts:
- The content of the thought is disturbing or upsetting. Intrusive thoughts are often dark, graphic, and taboo. They can be about sex, violence, or harm coming to you or those you care about.
2. The thought feels out of character for you. If you’re a generally optimistic person but suddenly have negative intrusive thoughts about the future, it may be cause for concern.
3. The thought pops into your head at odd times and interferes with your daily life.
Six common intrusive thought examples:
- The thought of hurting a baby or child
- Thoughts of doing something violent or illegal
- Thoughts that cause doubt
- Unexpected reminders about painful past events
- Worries about catching germs or a serious illness
- Concern you might do something embarrassing.
Examples of them:
- “What if I throw my phone in the water now” — being on the bridge
- Suddenly remembering an unpleasant situation with your toxic ex while brushing your teeth
- “What if I stab myself” while washing the dishes
- “What if I crash on this tree” while casually driving your car
- “She’s not responding because she’s annoyed” when your partner is just busy
- “What if I push this child to fall” when seeing a toddler
Why do intrusive thoughts occur?
For some people, these thoughts are a one-time occurrence and cause no further distress. However, for others, intrusive thoughts can be persistent and recurrent, which can lead to significant distress and impairment in daily functioning.
There are many theories as to why intrusive thoughts occur. One theory is that they are a way for our brain to process and make sense of trauma. Intrusive thoughts can also be a symptom of anxiety or depression. They can also be a side effect of certain medications.
Any big life stressor can increase your risk of having those thoughts.
Intrusive thoughts can be a symptom of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
“Thoughts are only thoughts. They are not you. You do belong to yourself, even when your thoughts don’t.”
― John Green
How to handle them?
A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has found that reactive control — acknowledging a thought and then shifting attention to something else — can help people prevent thoughts from immediately reappearing. It is a short term solution, though. The moment these very thoughts occur.
Full proactive control, which prevents thoughts from reaching consciousness in the first place, is much more difficult to achieve. It takes a lot more time and help from a professional, but it can be done and it is so worth it.
If you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts, know that you’re not alone. Intrusive thoughts can be very distressing and can cause a lot of anxiety. If you are experiencing intrusive thoughts, it is important to seek professional help from a therapist or counselor professional who can help you understand why they are occurring and how to deal with them.
Our thoughts are not facts.
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