From time to time, we can all suffer from intrusive thoughts, but some of us are plagued by them on a daily if not hourly, occurrence. These thoughts can cause great distress and seem to come from nowhere. The nature of intrusive thoughts varies from person to person. For some, it can be committing a crime, which leads them to believe there is something wrong with them. For others, the thoughts can be about a relationship, a looming decision, death, or anything that can’t be answered with certainty. Sometimes, the thoughts can be weird or explicit, causing people to be ashamed of them and therefore keeping them bottled in.
Triggers for intrusive thoughts are varied from person to person. However, the usual suspects are stress, anxiety, or an external event, such as a rude customer. Additionally, mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD can result in intrusive thinking. The occasional intrusive thought is nothing to worry about, but when they start happening regularly, become too loud in our head, or affect our daily life is when we need to work to manage them.
One misconception about intrusive thoughts is that they reveal who we are deep down. This is in fact, not true; intrusive thoughts are so opposite to who we are that the effort of fighting them can fuel their return. Furthermore, people tend to think since we have these thoughts they should be examined for their meaning. That’s not the case. Intrusive thoughts are not red flags or warnings that there is something wrong with us, they’re simply thoughts.
It’s been estimated that six million people suffer from intrusive thinking. When an intrusive thought begins to form it can feel threatening and cause anxious thinking to take over, which makes it seem like the intrusive thought has a power that it doesn’t have. People want to get rid of their intrusive thoughts and for many, the harder they try to suppress the thought the stickier it becomes.
Easier said than done, but people who suffer from intrusive thoughts need to work on a new way of thinking about their thoughts. Everyone has these thoughts because our brains are weird, and sometimes they just make junk thoughts, which are just part of the stream of consciousness. These junk thoughts are meaningless, and if we’re able to not pay attention to them, they’ll be washed down the stream.
Again, realizing that these thoughts are junk will take time, but some steps can be taken to overcome intrusive thoughts. The first thing to do when the thought appears is to label the thought as intrusive, and remind yourself that these thoughts are automatic and have nothing to do with you. Do not try to push them away, just take a minute and try to allow the thought to pass. Let it run its course and don’t try to rush it. Do not engage with the thought and try to figure out its meaning. Also, don’t try to push it from your mind.
This is just one approach to working to end intrusive thoughts. Some other activities that can help ward them off are:
- keep a routine
- follow a balanced diet
- practice mindfulness
- try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- spend time with pets
- surround yourself with nature
- stay physically active
Most of these activities help us focus on the moment and the body, which can enable us to not focus on intrusive thoughts and allow them to leave as quickly as they came on. If you suffer from intrusive thoughts, try different techniques until you see what works best for you. There is help out there. Just remember that intrusive thoughts will always be around since they’re part of being human. We don’t want them gone, we just want them manageable so we can have peace of mind.