An intrusive thought is an unwanted, often distressing thought, that emerges in the mind, almost out of nowhere. Most people experience intrusive thoughts at some time in their lives. However, there are those who experience intrusive thoughts more frequently, which can cause high levels of distress. This is mostly a result of the content of such thoughts.
Common examples of intrusive thoughts are:
- A mother thinking about harming her newborn baby
- Sexual thoughts that are inconsistent with one’s sexual identity
- Thoughts of driving one’s car into pedestrians
It may be reassuring to note that intrusive thoughts are not intentional and are not an indication of one’s values, morals or desires. In fact, most people do not act on such thoughts, nor is there any intention to. The reason that intrusive thoughts are as distressing as they are, is because the content of the thought is very contradictory to the person’s beliefs.
While they are not harmful, intrusive thoughts are no doubt distressing and can consume a lot of a person’s time in trying to make sense of them.
Intrusive thoughts are sometimes (not always) a symptom of a mental health condition, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. However, they may also be a result of high stress levels, lack of sleep, hormonal changes or heightened anxiety. Intrusive thoughts form the core of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but they are often accompanied by compulsive behaviors aimed at minimizing the anxiety. E.g. someone with intrusive thoughts of a sexual nature, may experience the compulsion to scrub themselves to a point of hard. A person experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder often experience intrusive memories or images related to the traumatic experience. E.g. recurrent images of the scene of a car crash.
The fact that one is distressed by intrusive thoughts is evidence that these thoughts are inconsistent with their beliefs and intentions. The emotional aftermath of an intrusive thought often includes anxiety, guilt, shame or disgust. This can lead to avoidance and social withdrawal.
So what can you do if you are plagued by intrusive thoughts?
First things first – remind yourself that this is just a thought. A helpful tip is to mentally say ‘the thought that I am thinking is….’ followed by the intrusive though. This helps create psychological distance from the thought and reinforces the fact that a thought is harmless if not acted on.
Trying to suppress intrusive thoughts may actually make them worse. This avoidance gives the thought more power over us as it influences our behaviour. It is more helpful to acknowledge the thought and allow it to pass. This awareness should ideally be paired with a simple grounding exercise – e.g. looking around you and naming everything that you see. The grounding takes you away from your thoughts and refocuses your mind on the present.
Something that many patients of mine have found beneficial is first acknowledging the thought as an intrusive thought and then humming. Humming interrupts the intrusive thought and counters the anxiety with calmness.
While intrusive thoughts are not always an indication of psychiatric conditions, if they are concerning you and interfering with your quality of life, it is important to see a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist, who can make a diagnosis and assist with either psychological interventions, medication, or both.
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