Intrusive thoughts are normal. Let me say that again.... Intrusive thoughts are NORMAL.
Absolutely anyone can experience intrusive thoughts. in fact, in my polls I consistently get over 90% of people saying 'yes, I experience intrusive thoughts!" - research backs this figure up!
And while most of us don't tell anyone about them, they are actually very common and NOT a sign of 'mental illness' OR intention to act on them.
Intrusive thoughts tend to alarm you, or freak you out... because they are sudden, persistent and often graphic, violent or disturbing to us.
👉 Of course intrusive thoughts can be a symptom of OCD, anxiety & depresson; usually they are harmless and happen to any of us.
Intrusive thoughts are actually a kind of threat response - or rather... they get stuck because they set off our threat response. Our brains have evolved to keep us safe and like to think of allllll the possible terrible things that could happen - that's where the intrusive thought pops in - your brain bringing your attention to possible threats it DOESN'T want to happen. And then your brain reacting to these thoughts... applying meaning to them.. freaking out about them... creating fear pathways and resisting them.
Intrusive thoughts are actually completely random junk thoughts - just as meaningless as a thought like "oh, my hand is itchy" or "I can see lint on that persons top"... but because the content of an intrusive thought is usually more... hmmmm, how shall we put this? Disturbing.... It gets your attention. You amygdala (the wee fear scanning alarm centre in your limbic system - the emotional centre of your brain) reacts to it.
It tries to push it away.
Or it freaks out and wonders what it means and what's wrong with you.
Then - because it sets off this fear response, and this reaction - it gets STUCK.
🚙 So yes, when you're driving your car and think of veering off the road, of course that could be a thought that scares you.... you might question if you are going crazy or worry that you're going to act on it..
And when you have a weird sexual thought or image...
or when you worry you're going to yell out in the library...
or when you fixate on something terrible happening to your child...
all of this causes that fear response.
You wonder if its a premonition. You fear that some deep part of you is sick, or wants to do it, or that it speaks to your character...
...but actually, (so long as you haven't actually acted on these thoughts) then it is really just your brain creating a total junk thought that you've then experienced a fear response to.
It's the nature of the thoughts that make them get stuck - because they alarm you and then you fixate on them. You try to understand where they came from and wonder what's wrong with you.
Check out these common intrusive thoughts:
Let me tell you this right now...
You are not sick
You do not want to act on the thought (yes... even though you experience weird physical sensations that you're confusing for an impulse)
This does NOT speak to your character (your actions do)
💛💭 How can you manage intrusive thoughts?
Here's the thing - the approach that most people take to their intrusive thoughts actually makes them MUCH worse.
And if you've been to therapy and had a therapist tell you to challenge the thoughts - run in the opposite direction. CBT is great, don't get me wrong - but it is NOT the approach we take with intrusive thoughts. It can actually make them worse.
Here's some simple tips to get you started:
Firstly - know they are normal!
Understand that they are your bodies threat response; your brain is doing it's job.
Tell yourself they DON'T mean anything. Thoughts are just thoughts. And intrusive thoughts are JUNK thoughts
Remind yourself they don't signal an intention to act on them
They are, what i like to call, 'junk thoughts'. They don't serve you and they're not true.
Try to simply acknowledge the thought and continuing with what you were doing
Use grounding and mindfulness techniques to bring you back to the present and to your senses
Try a 'sharp sensory grounding' tool
Practice deep belly breathing, with the intention of allowing the thought to be, not with the intention of getting rid of it and the anxiety it creates
Sit with the discomfort, reminding yourself the thought isn't dangerous and it doesn't signify an intention
Chat to a counsellor/therapist if you are concerned, struggling or the thoughts are affecting your ability to enjoy life
If you're ready to totally take your power back over intrusive thoughts then get started on my Intrusive Thoughts Be Gone Course.
It could change your life.
Here's what participants have said:
"i highly HIGHLY recommend it. Like, really, go watch it as soon as you can. I’ve had health anxiety for 13 years (before the birth of my second daughter it was just run of the mill anxiety, but after her birth it transformed), and I’ve had counseling up to my ears. This webinar helped more than anything else has in the last 13 yrs."
"your seminar literally changed my world."
"All the therapists I have talked to and no one has ever explained or understood what is happening to me so well. Thank you for this"
P.s. That course 👆🏼 is included free in the Journey to Wellness membership (along with ALL my other courses, classes & library of hundreds of powerful tools to help you revolutionise your relationship with yourself, rewire your thoughts, release stuck trauma & emotions and make your nervous system say 'ahhhhhh' ).
It's life changing.
And only $49NZD (half the price of the course on its own!) (roughly $30USD) a month. Cancel anytime. Find community, connection, support & potent practices to take you from surviving to THRIVING.