Do you ever feel like your brain is invaded by strange or painful thoughts that pop out of nowhere, often at the most inconvenient times?
Our minds are extremely complex mechanisms that are not entirely under our control, and there are many reasons why we may have unwanted thoughts that feel out of character or against what you personally believe or would ever act. Some examples of intrusive thoughts include:
- Hurting yourself
- Hurt someone close to you
- Doing something extremely violent, like throwing a rock at someone
- Sexually graphic fantasies that don’t turn you on
- You imagine yourself or your loved ones dying
- Getting a disease
Although it can feel extremely painful, especially when the thoughts are repetitive, know that they probably don’t reflect who you are as a person or what you really want to do. In fact, the opposite is usually true – these thoughts appear so often because they seem so unacceptable, alien, and the opposite of your character that your brain struggles to process them.
Often, people who think such thoughts are sensitive and kind. For example, people who love life might imagine jumping off a cliff when they see one, or think about what would happen if they drove their car off the road.
Unless diagnosed by a mental health professional, these thoughts are usually not important messages or red flags. However, people who have these thoughts may have other mental health conditions such as anxiety, OCD and PTSD.
See a mental health professional if you think you need help with a mental health disorder, and they can also give you additional tools to deal with these issues.
Tips for handling intrusive thoughts
We have found that intrusive thoughts do not necessarily reflect who you are as a person and do not indicate a special message from your subconscious. Now that you know it’s impossible to completely eliminate intrusive thoughts, here are some ways to handle them when they appear.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
For people who feel that intrusive thoughts are seriously affecting their lives, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT can help. CBT is a type of psychotherapy that can help treat different kinds of thought disorders by identifying your disturbing thoughts and teaching you how to process and reframe them so they don’t affect you as much.
Focusing on being in the present
Intrusive thoughts can cause a person to obsess about the past or the future instead of living in the present reality. Learning how to ground yourself in the present moment can help you stop focusing on the negative (that isn’t happening now or hasn’t happened yet) and distance yourself from those thoughts.
Learn to be more mindful through meditation
Part of being grounded in the present is paying attention to yourself, your surroundings, and your inner workings without starting a domino of judgment or emotion. Meditation is a technique for becoming more aware that you can practice anywhere, anytime – all you need is somewhere quiet and a few minutes. You can try taking a class or download one of the many meditation apps available to help guide you if you’re a beginner.
Use active coping mechanisms
Our brains can tell incredibly convincing stories that feel like reality when they are nothing else, making the nagging thoughts that only exist in your mind gain immense power. Active coping mechanisms it involves dealing with stress through action rather than internal obsessing.
Some active coping mechanisms include problem solving, seeking social support, finding information, planning activities, changing the environment, and making sense of the problem in a way that is optimal for your functioning.
Externalizing the thought through active coping mechanisms such as journaling, therapy, or even saying it out loud to yourself can help you reframe the thought and deal with the anxiety that may be causing it.
Enjoy nature
The time spent in nature was proven to enhance cognitive abilities and improve mental health. Clear your mind and break a downward spiral of thoughts by taking a walk in the park or going on a trail.
Spend time doing things you enjoy
Everyone has activities that help them calm down or get them in a better mood. For example, if you enjoy gardening, spending some time with your garden when you can’t keep nagging thoughts out of your mind can bring some clarity. Whether it’s exercising, playing games with friends, or cooking, spending time doing things that bring you joy can help you break a cycle of rumination.
Be curious about thinking
Often, when we try to get a thought out of our mind, it makes us obsess over it even more. Instead of judging your thoughts and what they mean, try approaching them from a place of curiosity to see how your body responds and what you were doing when that thought came up. Worrying thoughts aren’t necessarily subconscious, but could be your brain’s way of processing something you’re going through.
