Do you ever have thoughts that make you feel ashamed, embarrassed, or just downright disgusted with yourself? If so, you’re not alone. Intrusive thoughts are a common occurrence for many people. In this blog post, we will discuss what it is and help you in dealing with intrusive thoughts.
Contents
What Are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome, involuntary, and repetitive thoughts that sometimes pop into your head without warning. They can be disturbing or distressing and are often accompanied by a strong emotional reaction such as fear, guilt, shame, shock, or disgust. Intrusive thoughts may involve anything from worrying about negative things happening in the future to feeling guilty about past events.
Examples Of Intrusive thoughts
Check some of the most common intrusive thoughts that many people experience.
- Worrying about making a mistake or doing something wrong.
- Feeling embarrassed or ashamed in public.
- Worrying about getting sick or dying.
- Having violent or inappropriate thoughts about others.
- Feeling anxious about a situation you can’t control.
- Doubting your decisions or abilities.
- Fear of not being good enough for others.
- Having violent or sexual fantasies against your will.
- Doubting your identity, beliefs, and values.
- Fearing for the safety of yourself and those around you.
- Feeling like you are not good enough or not up to the task.
- Worrying about losing control of yourself.
- Obsessive thoughts about health, death, or illness.
Is It OK To Ignore Intrusive Thoughts?
No, it is not OK to ignore intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts can be distressing and having them does not mean that you are mentally ill or dangerous. However, ignoring your intrusive thoughts can cause them to become more frequent and intense over time. It’s best to find healthier ways of dealing with them such as learning how to manage stress and anxiety, developing positive coping skills, or seeking professional help.
These Intrusive thoughts often occur as a result of underlying anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Both of these conditions can cause significant distress and interfere with daily life.
What Are The Treatments For Intrusive Thoughts?
Now, for Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts let’s have a look at the treatment for them.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
CBT is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on helping individuals to identify and address their intrusive thoughts. It can help people develop better ways of thinking, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and learn how to cope with stress. It can also be used to help reduce the intensity of intrusive thoughts and decrease anxiety-related symptoms.
The mindfulness-based CBT therapy focuses on developing greater awareness or understanding of your thoughts and feelings. This can help people become more attuned to their body’s responses and learn how to better manage intrusive thoughts when they occur.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is another treatment for intrusive thoughts. This type of therapy involves exposing yourself to the thing that causes your anxiety in a safe environment, such as in therapy sessions or through visualization techniques. The goal is to gradually increase your tolerance for fear-inducing stimuli without having an intense reaction so that you can eventually overcome it. It can also help to reduce the intensity of intrusive thoughts and decrease anxiety levels.
Imaginal Exposure is a technique used to help people confront their intrusive thoughts, rather than avoid them. During this, you’ll think of the feared situation or idea and practice confronting it in your mind until the fear reduces over time.
In vivo exposure is a type of therapy that involves exposing yourself to feared stimuli in real life. It is often used for people with OCD, as it can help to reduce obsessions and compulsions by gradually desensitizing them to their fear triggers. This technique can also be used to address intrusive thoughts, as it helps to confront the thought or situation directly until the fear associated with it decreases over time.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an approach to psychotherapy that helps individuals to accept their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without judgment. This can help people in dealing with intrusive thoughts by learning how to let go of them rather than trying to control or avoid them. ACT also teaches people how to be more mindful and present at the moment, which can help reduce anxiety levels overall.
Family-Based Therapy
Family-based therapies can also be beneficial for dealing with intrusive thoughts. This type of therapy involves working with family members to create a supportive environment and find healthier ways of handling stress, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. Family-based therapy can also help individuals to better understand their own thoughts and feelings, as well as develop positive coping skills.
Medication
Medication may be used in conjunction with other forms of therapy to help manage intrusive thoughts. Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, OCD, and depression that often accompany intrusive thoughts. For example, some antidepressants are Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro.
It is important to discuss any concerns or questions you have about medications with your doctor before taking them.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis can be used to help people identify the underlying causes of their intrusive thoughts and then address them. This may involve visualizing scenarios, talking through thoughts and feelings, and exploring new ways of thinking or responding to situations. It can also help to reduce anxiety levels by teaching relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves focusing one’s attention on the present moment, without judgment or attempting to control it. This can help people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings as they arise and learn how to respond to them in a healthier way rather than resist or react. Mindfulness meditation can also help reduce anxiety levels overall, which can make intrusive thoughts less intense or frequent.
Exercises are also a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, which can help with intrusive thoughts. Exercise releases endorphins, hormones that can make you feel happier and reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety. Examples of exercise include walking, running, or any other activity that helps get your heart rate up and increase blood flow throughout your body.
Self-Help For Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts
In addition to professional help, there are many self-care strategies that can help people manage intrusive thoughts. These may include journaling, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation, talking through your thoughts and feelings with a supportive friend or loved one, engaging in activities you enjoy (e.g., reading, listening to music), and getting adequate sleep. It is also important to practice self-compassion by reminding yourself that intrusive thoughts are common and do not define you.
It can be helpful to challenge them by asking yourself questions such as: “Is this thought true?” or “Am I sure this is going to happen?” This can help you realize that the thoughts may not be accurate and allow you to move on from them.
Are Intrusive Thoughts A Mental Illness?
No. Intrusive thoughts are not a mental illness. They can, however, be a symptom of an underlying mental health condition such as OCD or PTSD. If intrusive thoughts become difficult to manage, it is important to seek professional help in order to properly address the problem and find healthier ways of managing symptoms.
How Do I Overcome Intrusive Thoughts?
There is no single solution for overcoming intrusive thoughts, as the cause and severity of symptoms can vary from person to person. However, there are several strategies that may be helpful in managing intrusive thoughts such as counseling, medication, hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and self-care techniques. It is important to find what works best for you and practice it regularly in order to cope with intrusive thoughts.
Conclusion
Intrusive thoughts can be distressing and make it difficult to focus on day-to-day activities. However, there are many treatments available that can help people learn how to manage intrusive thoughts more effectively. Therapy, medication, hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and self-help strategies can all be beneficial for reducing levels of stress and anxiety associated with intrusive thoughts. Working with a mental health professional is the best way to find an individualized treatment plan that works for you.
Take care, and don’t forget that you are not alone! OCD is a mental health disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions. If you have any queries regarding OCD treatment, ERP therapy experienced therapists at OCDMantra can help: Book a trial OCD therapy session
