What mental health conditions have intrusive thoughts? What’s the difference between normal thoughts and intrusive thoughts? What’s wrong with me that I want to push someone on the track? This style of thinking and the upset it causes the person only strengthens the thought. Person 2 has more dysfunctional metacognition and starts to think about the thought negatively, causing more distress. Person 1 has a healthy thinking style and is aware that it is a random thought and dismisses it. Metacognition is simply our ability to think about thinking, and it has a significant role in developing intrusive thoughts.įor example, consider two people who think of pushing someone onto a train track.

Metacognition, it’s the thought that counts. Personalising it and the following analysis is like a double shock the first hurt is the thought, and the second hurt comes from the thoughts in your head regarding the first thought! Thinking about thinking or its proper name – metacognition. Seeing it as a random thought means you feel the shock once when you have it. How you interpret the thought plays a role in whether it hangs around. However, if you personalised the thought and wondered why you had it, what it meant about you, and whether you were capable of causing harm to another person, you are adding meat to the bones of the thought. If, for example, you had thought of pushing someone onto train tracks, and although unpleasant and out of character, you ignored it, you will be fine. It is not the thought that counts it’s the appraisal. However, depending on how you appraise the thought, they may negatively influence your life. One of my random thoughts was poking myself in my eye with the toothbrush while brushing my teeth.Īlthough momentarily alarming, these thoughts are a passing nuisance for most people. Suppose you have thought, what if I jump in front of the train while waiting on the platform, you have an intrusive thought. What mental health conditions have intrusive thoughts?.What’s the difference between normal thoughts and intrusive thoughts?.Metacognition, it’s the thought that counts.When and how to seek professional help.Know the difference between normal thoughts and intrusive thoughts that could become problematic regarding your mental health and.If you suspect you have intrusive thoughts or have been recently diagnosed, this guide will help you understand what is happening and will educate you, particularly it is intended to help you. I hope you can see from my metaphor that these unwelcome thoughts can get more substantial depending on how you engage with them and eventually leave if ignored. Or ignore them, give your attention to the other people in your home, which calms you down, and they eventually leave.Reason with them, which ends up getting louder,.

You can try to throw them out, bringing them more attention.

What you do next affects how long they stay. They are loud, argumentative, and not a good fit for the other people in your home. In my video above, I liken intrusive thoughts to unwelcome guests that arrive unexpectedly at your house. I think a better question is, why do some become problematic? Intrusive thoughts in simple terms. However, women’s intrusive thoughts may be more related to relationships or causing harm, and men’s tend to be more aggressive or sexual. Almost everyone gets them 94% of the population, according to Professor Radomsky 2 , experience uninvited thoughts. Having intrusive thoughts is perfectly normal. Talking therapy such as CBT and ERP help you understand and change your thought patterns, reduce the anxiety they create and help you experience the thought without resorting to compulsions.

You can get over them they are not a life sentence.

Just because you have the thought does not mean you will act on it. Many people react to the thoughts as if they have already carried out the act or can do so.

There are different types, including aggressive, sexual, harm related and ideas about religion.

Everyone gets intrusive thoughts, but whether they become clinical depends on how you interpret them.

The main characteristics are noted below and shall be expanded throughout this guide. The thoughts can occur as part of mental health conditions but not necessarily. Intrusive thoughts are disturbing ideas or images that enter your consciousness without warning or invitation.

Intrusive dark thoughts