Learn more about psychology with this collection
How to overcome unwanted thoughts
How to manage intrusive thoughts
How to change your attitude towards intrusive thoughts
How to manage intrusive thoughts
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): you’ll work with a therapist to learn ways of thinking that can help you become less sensitive to intrusive thoughts. In a controlled setting, your therapist may also expose you to triggers for your intrusive thoughts so you can learn to react to them differently.
- Medication. Sometimes, medications are used to treat conditions like OCD and PTSD.
- Self-care. A good step toward treating intrusive thoughts is recognizing what they are: just thoughts. You can learn to label them when they happen and recognize that thoughts are not the same as intent or behavior.
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Intrusive thoughts seem to come out of nowhere
- These thoughts and images are unwanted and often unpleasant. The content can sometimes be aggressive or sexual, or you could suddenly think about a mistake or a worry.
- You might feel distressed when this happens, but having an intrusive thought once in a while is a typical part of li...
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Are intrusive thoughts normal?
It’s common to have an intrusive thought every once in a while. In fact, it happens to almost everyone.
Although intrusive thoughts are usually nothing to worry about, sometimes they can start to interfere with your daily life.
People who feel fear or guilt about their intrusive thoug...
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Types of intrusive thoughts
Some people may have intrusive thoughts about:
- germs, infections, or other kinds of contamination
- violent acts, aggression, or causing harm to other people
- doubts about doing tasks wrong or leaving tasks unfinished
- religion, blasphemy, or being an immoral person...
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What causes intrusive thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts may not have a cause. They can just happen randomly. Some thoughts wander into your brain. Then just as quickly, they exit, leaving no lasting impression.
Less commonly, intrusive thoughts are related to an underlying mental health condition, like obsessive-compulsive dis...
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Intrusive thoughts are unexpected images or thoughts that seem to pop into your head.
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Practical Steps To Handle Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts
- Acknowledge and label these thoughts as bad or negative, creating a distance between you and the thoughts.
- Write them down, to have it in front of you on a piece of paper, as you reflect on it and stop the worrying in the process.
- Recognize that the thoughts are real and a...
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