Intrusive Thoughts: Why Do I Think Bad Things Without Meaning To?
Have you ever had an intrusive thought come to mind? Have you thought things that you didn’t want or wanted? Discover how to control the intrusive thoughts that limit you in your life.
Sometimes people experience sudden thoughts that come to our minds without knowing why or why. Normally, these intrusive thoughts They can create some anguish in us even though they have arrived without our permission. Sometimes these become negative thoughts that are uncontrollable for the person experiencing them. But why do these intrusive thoughts appear?
When we refer to a intrusive thought We are pointing out those ideas that seem to be stuck in our minds. When they become recurring thoughts, this can cause distress and discomfort in the person who suffers from them.
In most cases, people who experience these intrusive thoughts or recurring negative thoughts They may come to believe that they are warning signs. On the contrary, most people experience these types of absurd or negative thoughts. In this way, sometimes it is completely normal to have them and therefore, you should not be ashamed or afraid of them.
Are intrusive thoughts normal?
Everyone can experience intrusive thoughts at some time or another. In fact, these ‘intrusive thoughts’ They can occur in moments when we are completely fine with ourselves. The problem occurs when these intrusive thoughts end up hindering our lives or become more common than usual.
Causes of intrusive thoughts
When these intrusive thoughts They are violent or end up being too recurrent in a person, sometimes this can indicate a mental health disorder. According to psychologists, this thought disorder can indicate the following.
Obsessive compulsive disorder: The intrusive thoughts in ocd They are inevitable. In this type of psychological pathology, intrusive thoughts or obsessions cause the affected person to repeat behaviors in the hope that they will end up eliminating this recurring thought. In the toc, the most illustrative examples of this obsessive idea It may be when they worry about locking the doors and tend to develop a routine of checking it several times.
Post-traumatic stress disorder: People who have post-traumatic stress disorder may experience involuntary bad thoughts related to the traumatic event that generated this pathology or to others. Through this intrusive thinking, individuals can trigger symptoms such as increased heart rate and sweating. Sometimes even these ruminative thoughts can lead to experiencing flashbacks or very intense anguish.
Eating disorders: When a person has developed an eating disorder they may experience a obsessive thinking that causes damage to your physical health. This is because they often worry about the physical impact that food can have on their body, creating anxiety around this idea that arises through this recurring thought.
If you think you are in one of these cases, it is vital that you seek the help of a professional psychologist to treat this problem.
Intrusive thoughts examples of the most common
As we have already mentioned, having these uncontrollable negative thoughts It is something very common. According to psychologists, there are a series of ‘forbidden’ thoughts that we can all experience naturally.
sexual thoughts
On some occasions these intrusive thoughts They can revolve around certain sexual ideas that cause us distress or emotional damage. In many cases they tend to be thoughts that are prohibited in the society or culture in which we live.
Intrusive thoughts in relationships
These intrusive thoughts They can generate anguish around our relationships. Among the most common are usually related to excessively analyzing our partner’s feelings to find faults, as well as having doubts about fidelity in our relationship, among others.
Intrusive violent thoughts
Another of the most common with intrusive thoughts violent. In them, people can imagine that they are harming their loved ones or individuals they do not know.
Although the images of thoughts Of these styles are very unpleasant, the reality is that it is completely normal to have them. Therefore, we should only worry when these are very recurrent. In these cases, it is essential to go to a professional psychologist.
Anxiety and ‘strange’ thoughts
Anxiety can also cause certain intrusive thoughts In fact, people who suffer from an anxiety disorder can feel really overwhelmed by these kinds of anxiety-producing thoughts.
Because this type of behavior is an automatic process that occurs due to anxiety disorder, we cannot control their appearance. Likewise, we can have some control over our reaction to them. Therefore, if you experience ‘strange thoughts ‘, repetitive or overwhelming due to this disorder and these interfere with your daily life, it is important that you go to a mental health professional.
What is the best treatment for intrusive thoughts?
The best way to manage intrusive thoughts is to reduce the effects they have on us. To do this, the best treatment for intrusive thoughts is precisely to go to a professional psychologist. In therapy you will focus on the following aspects:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This therapy focuses on learning to talk about distressing thoughts that may interfere with our daily lives. Additionally, the therapist will help you learn new ways of thinking and reacting that will allow you to control the effects of these types of intrusive thoughts.
Self-care: A good treatment for intrusive thoughts is precisely to learn to deal with them in our routine. Therefore, managing stress or anxiety through good habits, such as a balanced diet or exercising daily, will allow you to better cope with these types of mental ideas.
How to control intrusive thoughts?
If you think you have too many intrusive thoughts, it is important that you work within yourself. Psychologists can offer you the following recommendations.
Analyze your intrusive thoughts: To eliminate these negative and obsessive thoughts, it is important to try to analyze them. A key will be to label them but not through titles or negative references.
Write down the intrusive thoughts: Once you detect them, to overcome these obsessions you can write them down. At the time you write it down you must also write down the mental image that you have experienced. This exercise has two benefits, on the one hand it helps you slow down your mind and it also allows you to get these absurd thoughts of your head.
Meditate on your emotional response: The moment you have identified a intrusive thought, you should also analyze the emotions you have about it. Once you identify them, review them and understand why you feel that way.
Redirect your attention: Now that you have identified the reason and emotions behind your intrusive thoughts it is essential that you try to redirect your attention elsewhere in a gentle and firm way.
Reason your intrusive thoughts: If you can’t get away from this kind of forbidden thoughts, the key will be to try to reason with them. To do this, ask yourself questions like: Is it useful for me to think this way? Why should it be like this? By doing so you will see that these are absurd thoughts that take you nowhere.
Meditation: Meditation can be a very effective strategy to know how to control the thoughts that invade our mind without our permission. Additionally, through this habit you will achieve many mental benefits for your daily life.
Get out of the comfort zone: Distraction is another effective tool to control intrusive thoughts When we leave our comfort zone, our mind goes out of comfort and usually spends energy trying to be in the here and now. Therefore, trying new things is an ideal way to combat unpleasant repetitive thoughts that we do not want in our lives.
The intrusive thoughts They can limit us in some aspects of our lives. That is why if you suffer from them you must work on yourself to be able to overcome the fears that do not allow you to evolve towards your best version.
