Has an unpleasant or strange thought ever come to your mind just because? This is how intrusive thoughts work, a type of thought that, despite being unfounded, can cause great concern. In addition, there are different types of intrusive thoughts depending on their content. Likewise, there are both positive and negative intrusive thoughts, but in this article we will focus on the latter, since they are the ones that generate the most consequences and worries when they appear, becoming serious obsessions if you do not learn how to deal with them.
In this Psychology-Online article we will explain in depth What are intrusive thoughts and why do they appear?.
What are intrusive thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, repetitive and disturbing thoughts that arise in a person’s mind and can cause anxiety or discomfort. These thoughts appear due to different factors, such as stress, anxiety, mental disorders or emotional problems and are usually unfounded or unjustified.
Generally, one speaks of negative intrusive thoughts, since they are the ones that most worry and draw the attention of those who “suffer” them. These types of thoughts are especially common in people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The problem comes when these thoughts, which if they arise occasionally we ignore and are not of major importance, they become an obsession. That’s when they start limit and condition life of the people who have them, posing a serious problem. Intrusive thoughts usually come in the form of vivid images or memoriesas well as thoughts that are very powerful, feeling like true certainties.
Are intrusive thoughts dangerous?
When this type of thought appears, we usually worry about the possibility that we have some type of mental alteration, which makes this obsession more harmful and harmful. For their part, older people often fear that they are developing cognitive impairments and deficits that alter the normal functioning of the mind. Moral values can also come into play here, because by going against one’s own values, these thoughts can be very disturbing.
However, It is important not to give excessive importance to these thoughts. Paying too much attention to them will only cause them to occur more frequently, becoming an obsession, which is overwhelming and very frustrating.
Types of intrusive thoughts
As we have already mentioned, we generally speak of intrusive thoughts when they are unpleasant, their content being something negative. In psychology, the following types of intrusive thoughts are distinguished, depending on their content:
- Aggressive intrusive thoughts: They are those thoughts that refer to harming another or ourselves. Some examples are thinking about or pushing or attacking someone without there being any reason to do so.
- Ideas that go against one’s own valuessuch as those referring to the religious or spiritual, political or family sphere.
- Thoughts intrusive sexual: based on desire and erotic fantasies, especially with people with whom it would be morally reprehensible to maintain this type of relationship.
An important characteristic of this type of thoughts is that they tend to be egodystonic, that is, they generate discomfort and confusion in the person who experiences them. When the appearance of these negative intrusive thoughts does not cause restlessness or discomfort to the person, they may be psychotic symptoms.
Why intrusive thoughts appear
Intrusive thoughts can arise as a result of episodes of stress and anxiety, traumatic experiences, chemical imbalances in the brain such as a lack of serotonin, or the presence of a mental disorder. In the latter case, intrusive thoughts usually show greater relevance in the following disorders:
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): It is an anxiety disorder related to the constant and recurring appearance of intrusive thoughts. In addition, compulsions, repetitive behaviors and many fears and worries appear that generate discomfort and nervousness in the individual. In this case, the most frequent intrusive thoughts are those related to harming others, those with sexual content, or self-harming or suicidal thoughts.
- Post traumatic stress: It appears after a traumatic situation that generates shock in the person. In these cases, the intrusive thoughts are usually related to the trauma or event that has generated that state.
- Anxiety disorders: People with this disorder feel fear, restlessness, and excessive worries about their lives and those around them. In this case, intrusive thoughts frequently consist of thoughts about one’s own death or accidents, tragic events or the arrival of an illness.
- Depression: based on a deep feeling of sadness, melancholy and dejection. In depression, thoughts of suicide or self-harm appear very frequently.
- Postpartum depression: A high percentage of women who have just given birth experience depression, due to the strong hormonal changes that pregnancy and childbirth generate in the body, creating a great imbalance. These women experience many intrusive thoughts about harming their own babies, which generate intense discomfort. In this case, they may be .
On the other hand, having to deal with the worry caused by intrusive thoughts can cause us to develop manias. This is a common mechanism for dealing with anxiety that in the long run causes more harm than good, and it is best to prevent its appearance.
How to overcome intrusive thoughts
There are some techniques that have proven to be very effective against intrusive thoughts. For example, one or other types of meditation can help reduce intrusive thoughts, in addition to providing multiple benefits for the individual at different levels.
Some strategies to deal with thoughts are:
- Visualize intrusive thoughts as clouds that pass through a blue sky or like flies that we have around us and that we can put up with until they get tired and leave.
- Figuring that intrusive thoughts are like noise: The more you focus on it and try to ignore it, the more it bothers you.
- Treat intrusive thoughts from the position of observers, as if they were a movie, without being anything related to us. Many experts recommend observing these thoughts, without analyzing them or giving them too much thought, because since they do not have any logical basis, we will achieve nothing by focusing and obsessing over them.
- Relativize thoughts and be aware that just because he arrives does not mean he is going to stay, he will pass and his passing will not cause any consequences.
The first thing we should do when we detect the presence of intrusive thoughts is to try keep calm, since intrusive thoughts are not real and are usually based on unfounded worries, with no real basis. Additionally, the more you try to ignore intrusive thoughts, the more obsessed you will become because it is virtually impossible to actively avoid a thought.
Examples of intrusive thoughts:
Here are some examples of the most common intrusive thoughts:
- “What if I hurt someone I love?“: Some people may have intrusive thoughts of causing physical or emotional harm to a loved one, despite having no real intention to do so.
- “I can’t stop thinking about committing a violent act”: Here, the person experiences intrusive thoughts about committing violent acts, which causes anxiety and distress, since these thoughts do not reflect their true desires or values.
- “I worry about being a bad parent”: Certain intrusive thoughts can lead a person to question their parenting skills and constantly worry that they are not up to par or may harm their children, even though they are responsible and loving parents.
- “I am constantly worried about the possibility of contracting a serious illness”: This person may experience intrusive thoughts related to illness and be obsessed with the idea of being sick or contaminated, which may lead to compulsive cleansing or avoidance behaviors.
- “I have blasphemous thoughts about my religion”: Intrusive thoughts that disrespect a person’s religion or spiritual beliefs can cause them distress and internal conflict, even though these thoughts do not represent a real lack of commitment to their faith.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Baer, L. (2001) The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts. New York, Dutton. ISBN 0-525-94562-8
- Julien D, O’Connor KP, Aardema F (April 2007). “Intrusive thoughts, obsessions, and appraisals in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a critical review.” Clin Psychol Rev27 (3): 366-83. PMID 17240502. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2006.12.004
- Winston, S. M., & Seif, M. N. (2017). Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts. Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=gu4hDgAAQBAJ