What are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, involuntary thoughts, images, or ideas that can pop into your mind unexpectedly. These thoughts often cause significant distress because they are usually unpleasant, disturbing, or even shocking. However, it's important to understand that experiencing intrusive thoughts is a normal part of being human.
How Common Are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are much more common than many people realize. A comprehensive international study conducted in 2014 found that approximately 94% of people experience unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses (read more here: ScienceDaily).
These thoughts can vary widely in content but often involve fears of harm, inappropriate or violent ideas, or unwanted sexual thoughts. Despite their disturbing nature, these thoughts do not reflect a person’s desires or intentions.
The Relationship Between Intrusive Thoughts and OCD
While intrusive thoughts are common in the general population, they play a central role in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In OCD, intrusive thoughts become persistent and are accompanied by compulsions—behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce the anxiety caused by these thoughts. For someone with OCD, intrusive thoughts are not only distressing but can also significantly impair daily functioning.
Why Do We Have Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are often a result of the brain's attempt to problem-solve or alert us to potential dangers. However, the brain sometimes misfires, sending thoughts that are irrelevant or irrational. When we react with fear or attempt to suppress these thoughts, we can inadvertently make them more persistent and distressing.
Managing Intrusive Thoughts
Understanding that intrusive thoughts are a normal experience can help reduce their impact. Here are a few strategies to manage them:
Label the Thought: Recognize that it's just an intrusive thought and not a reflection of reality or your intentions.
Avoid Suppression: Trying to push the thought away can make it more persistent. Instead, acknowledge its presence without giving it importance.
Mindfulness and Acceptance: Practices like mindfulness can help you observe your thoughts without judgment, reducing the distress they cause.
Seeking Help
While the above can be helpful, it can be very challenging to implement these strategies alone. People often struggle with fears that their intrusive thoughts aren’t part of OCD, and instead reflect some deeper meaning. Working with a therapist can be incredibly helpful in managing this.
If intrusive thoughts are causing significant distress or interfering with your daily life, it may be a sign of OCD or another anxiety disorder. Professional help, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), can be highly effective in managing these thoughts.
If you would like to see a clinical psychologist about intrusive thoughts, feel free to reach out. I offer CBT and ERP in Sydney CBD as well as by telehealth.
