Intrusive thoughts that aren’t actually intrusive thoughts have flooded social media platforms.
These revelations are usually captioned with something like: “The intrusive thoughts won out.”
In reality, these aren’t intrusive thoughts butimpulsivethoughts.
And it’s important to distinguish between the two.
An intrusive thought is an unusual, unwanted, and highly distressing thought that’s hard to shake.
If you have a hard time distinguishing between the two, consider your reaction toward each.
To manage intrusive thoughts better, it’s crucial that you understand what’s causing them.
Intrusive thoughts are quite common.
Astudyfound that almost 94% of participants had dealt with an intrusive thought in the preceding three months.
It’s also good to know that while intrusive thoughts are disturbing, they are just that: thoughts.
They’re not an indication of your values or personality.
The specific reasons behind intrusive thoughts aren’t easy to pinpoint.
Sometimes, a stressful or uncomfortable situation can be the trigger.
Others, it can simply be a random occurrence resulting from generally disordered thinking, or even overthinking.
Instead, identify your intrusive thoughts and label them as such.
Don’t avoid thinking about them altogether because that’ll just make you obsess about them more.
Also, don’t get lost in the thought be mindful that you cannot control what you think.
Remember that having a thought and acting on it are two very different acts.
Don’t let intrusive thoughts govern how you live.
Effectively manage stress and get plenty of sleep too.
If your intrusive thoughts prevent you from living a fulfilling life, consider therapy.
Both cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy are popular options.
