INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS, finally explained by a therapist
READ TIME : 2 min
Have you ever been driving a car and had the thought “what if I drive off this cliff?” But, you don’t actually want to drive off the cliff... well that’s an example of a VERY common intrusive thought.
Intrusive thoughts by definition are what therapists call “egodystonic”, which means they are UNWANTED thoughts or images. Often the thoughts can be very distressing for the person having them.
Let’s look at some common examples:
“What if I drop my baby”
“What if the door handle had HIV on it and it got into my cut?”
“What if I drink alcohol and lose control?”
“What if I say something really offensive like a racial slur?”
“What if I hurt my spouse?”
“What if I left my curling iron on and my house burns down?”
One study said 94% of people experience scary thoughts, and I did a training on maternal mental health that said in new parents 99% reported having intrusive thoughts.
And just because you have intrusive thoughts, doesn’t mean you have an anxiety disorder or any other diagnosis.
The biggest difference we see is in how you respond to the thoughts.
People without an anxiety disorder are more likely to think “hmmm...that was weird” and then keep it moving.
People with anxiety disorders often get tangled up in trying to understand why they had this thought and if it means something.
Intrusive thoughts don’t mean something negative about you or that you have some secret desire to do something. They absolutely can be distressing. People are often are too embarrassed to talk about them with their providers. Because they are worried what they might think or what the consequences will be.
Which sucks, because we know that treatment can be very helpful.
So, please remember that you’re not alone. And when you talk to your doctor/therapist/psychiatrist about intrusive thoughts:
You can use the word “egodystonic” which will tell them that the thoughts are
-UNWANTED
-DISTRESSING
Something you definitely need to hear? Intrusive thoughts are more common than you think, so you’re not alone. But let’s be real. They still really suck and we wouldn’t wish them on our worst enemies.
The good news is…
Talking with a mental health provider can help IMMENSELY.
But it can be scary AF to talk about intrusive thoughts. And that fear can become a big barrier to getting the support that’s available.
So my hope with this post is to do two things to help you get past that barrier:
-break the ice talk about one of the most distressing parts of anxiety and OCD (and trauma)
-give you the info to feel empowered to get support
Hi, I’m Michelle
I’ve been working in mental health since 2010 and struggling with anxiety for oh, idk, maybe my entire life.
And with my lived experience having anxiety, I know what works, what doesn’t, and what makes things feel worse. In here, you’re not alone, and I’ll work with you to shed the shame along with the anxiety. And by using evidence-based practices, I’ll help you recover, not just feel better.