We have so many thoughts running through our mind daily – from what we eat to what we are going to do later tonight. When these thoughts become intrusive and uncontrollable, that is when things change. Intrusive thoughts are understood as thoughts that stick to you and are hurtful in nature. It becomes borderline impossible to get rid of them – aside from the use of certain therapeutic techniques which will be discussed in this article. These types of negative thoughts are detrimental to mental health, because if given the power, they can control an individual and their actions.
What are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that can be quite violent or hurtful in nature and could include behaviors that are unacceptable. Individuals who suffer from intrusive thoughts are more likely to have anxiety as a result of them, considering that there is a correlation between intrusive thoughts and anxiety. Intrusive thoughts are also correlated with other mental health conditions such as PTSD and OCD to name a few. These thoughts are very random at times but are hard to control.
Intrusive thoughts become obsessive and uncontrollable for those who have OCD. These thoughts lead them to perform a series of actions to try and prevent this intrusive thought or diminish it. For example, if an individual has a persistent thought that someone might break in, they will be constantly checking the door to make sure that it is locked.
When it comes to a person having PTSD, these intrusive thoughts come in the form of flashbacks and unwanted memories that one cannot get rid of easily. These thoughts would be related to a traumatic event that an individual was involved in.
Intrusive thoughts could also be seen in individuals with eating disorders. These thoughts could be related to their body weight or the amount of food they intake, all of which may lead an individual to diminish these thoughts, by either purging on food or going on a strict and unhealthy diet
What helps manage intrusive thoughts?
- Cognitive behavioral therapy – This is a type of therapy that is bases on “talk therapy”, which allows you to make sense of what it is you are thinking and feeling in order to put them into perspective and control them.
- Understanding that intrusive thoughts are just thoughts. This is a form of self-care, because you would be learning to deal with your stress and formulate certain mechanisms to know how to take your thoughts for what they are: just thoughts that are not acted upon.