Intrusive Thoughts: What They Are and Why You React

What are intrusive thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts, images, urges, or memories that pop into your mind out of nowhere. The key characteristic that makes them intrusive is that they are unwanted. These thoughts often disturb and distress us, intruding on our daily lives and peace of mind.

Intrusive thoughts can generally be categorized into three main types:

• Unwanted violent thoughts — violent thoughts towards yourself or others. It could involve worrying that you might have done something harmful, or that you might do something harmful in the future.
• Unwanted sexual thoughts — unwanted images or urges related to sexual acts, concerns about sexual orientation, or fears about becoming a pedophile one day.
• Unwanted religious thoughts — thoughts regarding religious figures, doubts about eternal damnation or salvation, and other religiously themed concerns.

The real issue: how you react

One of the most crucial insights about intrusive thoughts is that having them is not the problem. The actual issue lies in how you react to these thoughts. For example, if you are driving on a bridge and think, “What if I just drove my car off the bridge?” that’s an intrusive thought. The key moment is your reaction to it.

When you face an intrusive thought, you have two choices:

• Reacting to the thought — trying to suppress it, questioning why you had it, or debating its meaning. These reactions give the thought credibility and fuel its impact on you.
• Letting the thought go — acknowledging the thought and then moving on with your day. By doing this, you rob the thought of its power and influence over you.

Compulsive behaviors: physical and mental

Compulsions to combat intrusive thoughts can be both physical and mental. Physical compulsions might include actions like avoiding bridges if driving over them triggers intrusive thoughts. Mental compulsions can include trying to suppress the thought, replace it with another thought, or question its meaning.