The 6 Most Common Types of Intrusive Thoughts
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
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What are intrusive thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are words or images that pop into your mind unwanted, they’re often disturbing, they have little to do with what you’re doing or with reality, and the thoughts that are distressing can seem really loud, demanding your attention.
Even when other people tell you a thought isn’t true or it doesn’t mean anything, the thought may feel so disgusting that it’s hard to believe them. These thoughts make you wonder if you’re secretly a terrible person. Maybe you think that if they really knew how dark your thoughts were, they’d be horrified.
And while intrusive thoughts can be really uncomfortable, you’re going to learn that they don’t mean anything about you. Study after study after study has shown that almost everyone has intrusive thoughts from time to time. Random, unwanted, disturbing thoughts are actually the norm. Almost everybody has intrusive thoughts- healthy people, average people, anxious people, calm people, people with OCD, they all have them. Most people just brush them off.
But for people with OCD or anxiety disorders, intrusive thoughts can feel very intense, and then the way they respond to intrusive thoughts can make them louder. So first let's cover the top six most common types of intrusive thoughts and then we’re going to briefly talk about how you can stop feeding them.
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You are not your thoughts. You are your actions.
Thank you. This helps with coping intrusive thoughts
Thoughts are there to be probed, with humbling honesty. They're not the enemy, they should be encountered. If something is nagging at you, there's a reason. Psychoanalysis, literature, philosophy excavate your why, and thinking on what upsets you, understanding what you're picking up on, may lead to insights widely beneficial.
😭😭 Thank you for saying this
You are not your actions either. You don't need to beat yourself up for doing something that you might not want to repeat in retrospect. Neither thoughts nor actions should define what we are.
You're the observer of your thoughts and you decide which ones you want to side with.
intrusive thoughts usually pop up when you're stressed or anxious about other things. You will never act on them, they're common and they will go away
They haven’t for me. It’s been over a year now. It comes and goes, I think because of high levels of stress.
Yes this is true, for me its when I have health concerns.... it spirals to harm and self harm OCD to other weird thoughts.
@@hueso5071 yeah it's due to stress and anxiety,mine disappear when I'm not anxious or stressed
Dude, thanks for commenting this.
*you should never act on them.
This brought tears to my eyes. I really thought I was crazy this whole time
hey me too :((
Same I literally thought I was going insane😭😭
Me too!
Same! It’s good to know these are ‘normal’ to happen given our stress.
same here
I feel like if you were actually an evil or dangerous person you would enjoy the intrusive thoughts, but everyone I've heard talk about it says how much it stresses them out and traumatizes them. If it's any comfort to people dealing with that, I feel like that's a big sign you're compassionate, thoughtful and care about your fellow human.
Exactly. If that person has harmful thoughts and finds them pleasurable then they wouldn't be considered intrusive thoughts. Only when they're thoughts that you don't want are classified as intrusive.
@@hueso5071 Yeah, that's how I interpreted it too. But I can see how people feel troubled or would misunderstand it, thinking it's their own impulse or something, but I don't think that's the case at all. Another thought I had is it could be legitimate fears or concerns you have manifesting in a negative form. I.E. you're afraid of hurting yourself when you're learning to ride a bike, you have an intrusive thought of riding a bike off a cliff. Etc.
@@Lilacs4 yeah i can see it being a defense mechanism. It’s like your brain thinks of the worst possible scenario that is the exact opposite of who that person really is, naturally as humans our brains respond to it with anxiety/fear. Almost like your brain is trying to protect you.
@@hueso5071 definitely, makes sense!
Yeah intrusive thoughts are based on our fears..not our wishes or passions yk. That's why our thoughts scare and make us panic 😂 when I'm not having scary thoughts and think back to when I had I'm like God they sound so funny,like I'm not even like that or wanna do those things 💀
I suffered from intrusive thoughts for a while and the more i did research and educated myself on them, the less alarming they became. That is how you beat them: when you have them, DONT REACT WITH FEAR. DONT PANIC! Fear is what gives them power. Also, i would purposely think the thought and sit with it until my anxiety sensitiviry decreased. Also, I trained my Amygdala to detect it and then quick say "I don't want to think about that", or "i rebuke that thought in the name of Jesus". I just kept repeating those steps until One day they no longer faced me. But trust me when I tell you that YOU ARE NOT A BAD PERSON. The fact that these thoughts bother totally means the opposite. A true psychopath ENJOYS these thoughts and thinks of them on their own. I pray for healing and peace for everyone dealing with intrusive thoughts 🙏🏼
Amen
Amen! In Jesus name! Thank you for this testimony, Sister! I needed it today! God bless you, yours and anyone reading this, in Jesus name! Amen!
I have intrusive thoughts that are really hard to deal with, i just can't stop thinking of unpleasant people which is really annoying and sometimes it just makes me cry.
Thankkk you AMEN!!! In Jesus name
Thanks for sharing u gave me a realisition
I’m crying so much rn. I can’t believe there are so many other people that go through this as well. I felt so alone having to bottle everything up and feel like a disgusting person.
I understand how you feel as I have the same.
If you need to let yourself out you can do it her and I'll reply for sure!
I remember feeling the same way. When I learned it was a chemical imbalance I was relieved. I spent age 16-21 feeling like I was a bad person
I'm no expert, but I figured our brains were stitched together through 100k+ years of evolution, 100k+ years of trial and error, and not the result of a perfect programmer, so it's going to have some weird glitches.
@@bluerose8165that is such a nice thing of you to put yourself out there for sometimes it’s exactly what people need
I know the feeling, I really thought I was some deformed mutant. Thank God I found others before it got too bad. Thank you all.
Im actually crying! I actually wasn't my worst and grossest intrusive thoughts to be here, but the phrase "having them doesn't mean anything about you" is so relieving
hey man, i hope you've gotten over these thoughts now. I went through 2 weeks of having a ton of shitty intrusive thoughts. if you're still struggling right now i highly recommend looking into self help books.
@@kyolezlol4984Excuse me
This is spot on!! Oh my gosh. I recently heard another teacher explain intrusive thoughts are those that violate our deepest values. So they are typically the exact opposite of who we are. Thank you thank you thank you for doing this video.
Could you link that video please?
Please send me a link!
Yup! It comes up on topics that are seriously against your values and everything, that’s why they disturb you so much
Now that I think about it this is so true in my case. Do you have the link to this?
I think everyone gets these based on their fears and anxieties not based on their wishes. I used to stress about it. I have since learned to think "nah" and discredit it. I think of it as like a nightmare, but awake. We don't blame ourselves for nightmares do we? So i won't take blame for these either.
Thank you for this, thank you thank you, it’s pure wisedom
Facts. Due to anxiety I started having a fear of schizophrenia, and it led to me having this intrusive thought that I’m hearing things. I don’t even hear anything it’s just a thought that I am . It’s really getting on my damn nerves
@@s.s5933 I understand. Sometimes I think back to mine, "Nonsense!" and then if it keeps up I just refuse to acknowledge. The problem comes and goes, but if I identify it as baloney and not-me it seems to help.
I went through that same fear of schizophrenia,and also developed fake noises/voices from my anxiety. It got so bad i could not sleep for weeks/months and had to commit myself to a psych ward cause my thoughts were becoming irrational.
That’s work for me sometimes, other times it will be like “ what if you actually do want to do those things?” Doubting myself and the cycle begins again. 😢 highly frustrating and stressful.
I had extreme anxiety after my first baby was born and I kept having distressing thoughts I would round the corner in my home too sharply and slam my baby’s head into the wall and it would burst like a watermelon. I finally told my doctor as I sobbed and sobbed and and asked if they would call CPS. she simply said “that is common, you’re not a bad person, those are Intrusive Thoughts.” I didn’t know it was a thing. Having a name for it helped me separate the thought from my self and let it go.
I had terrible intrusive thoughts after my 4 baby which is 4.5 years ago. I panicked in the hospital two days after delivery when I turned in the tv to watch something Christmassy but nothing was on so I watched a Casey Anthony biography. HUGE MISTAKE!! I then thought to myself, “what if I kill my baby like she did?” And I absolutely freaked out! That sent me into a spiral of guilt and depression and it ate me up to the point I started seeing images of me harming myself. I never experienced anything to this level at all. I then sought counseling and my dr after 9 months of this spiraling only for another intrusive thought to take over and add to this one. I recently discovered Nate Peterson on here and the course he offers and then his recommendation for the NoOCD app and started ERP training with them. 🙏🏻
@@Blessednesting I’m so sorry you went through that! I’m thankful that there is help and there is comfort in the fact that we aren’t our thoughts 💜
@@AMcDub0708 what’s crazy is my counselor by no fault of his own had no idea that what I was experiencing was ocd and intrusive thoughts. In some ways the therapy was helpful and other ways not. God knows all and has His perfect timing so I trust that. Glad to have discovered exactly what all this is. Thank you 🙏🏻
Girl no you're just crazy stay away from kids
One big, big problem is that 911 responders and police don't always understand this.
I get so scared that they're actually not intrusive thoughts and I just act like they're disturbing bc I know they're wrong but don't wanna except that I'm disgusting. Hearing specific examples really helps feel seen and like that's not the case.
Do u get better?
I stopped taking meds for OCD about 6 months ago. The secret that I learned is to not be afraid of your own mind, and to not react in any way in your head when a strange or inappropriate thought arises. I still get weird intrusions occasionally, but if you don't react to it with emotion it has no power. Stay blessed
I was literally having panic attacks over my intrusive thoughts. I was terrified my family would abandon me if I told them about my thoughts, but I couldn’t take it any more and broke down to them. They surrounded me with love and reassurances. I don’t deserve them. I have a therapy appointment in two days.
How are u now
I struggle with intrusive thoughts. Particularly harming others. Thats my biggest one. I know i will never do it but my anxiety tells me other wise. So scary. Being able to talk about it out loud is helping a lot
This is exactly what my mind is doing to me aswell. Whenever i tell myself i would never do something like this i start to reminsce and wonder if its the actual me thats thinking of doing these things. its really hard for me rn but i know im slowly getting bettter.
Me too bro, sometimes these thoughs dissapear but when im bored they come again its so bad
I’m going through the exam same thing, it’s very scary to the point where I feel like I’m actually going crazy, I have thoughts like that but never act on them.
@@user-kb8tb8sg2w i am scared of talking to someone out of fear of judgement or worse being sent to the looney bin. But just talked it over and felt much much better
Same here it terrifies me and I didn't know others felt this way! I know I won't do it but my mind tells me I will.
Holy CRAP I needed to have heard this when I was 7 and older. My childhood was largely traumatizing because of this. It's so relieving to hear what this is, it's okay, and there's nothing wrong with me.
How old are you now ?
Being someone that has dealt with these thoughts for a while now. I’ve broken it down to thoughts being a byproduct of memories, memories being a byproduct of experience, experience being a byproduct of living and living being a byproduct of life.
Influence is everything. As is diet, exercise, sleep and communication.
The harm to self or others is truly scary and disturbing. It literally started making me hug people and cry because I was afraid of any bad outcome. I literally started praying to god and I’m not very religious. I’ve had very severe health anxiety for years and nothing compares to intrusive harm thoughts. We will learn, love, enjoy, and live through this. We are not our thoughts, our thoughts cannot cause harm. We are good people!!
Everything you said I relate to. Every.single.one
Did you get better ?
@@danielsbrissa3288 I am getting there. The book “Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts” by Sally Winston and Martin, has been soooo much helpful. I highly recommend getting the book, I got the audible version so I can listen to it while doing things or while trying to relax. I have my good and bad days. I also have OCD so I’ve been working on that. Let me know if you need any help, and get the book!
Everything here feels the same as me. I even put a bible next to my pillow for any support it may offer lol. Do you feel any better now?
I feel a lot better now. Still have those moments of un easiness. I highly recommend the book “Overcoming unwanted intrusive thoughts” by Sally M Winston. It explains everything dealing with thoughts and gives so much knowledge to overcome them.
Holy macaroni, Emma 🤯 the bit about intrusive thoughts being normal and the difference being how easily you move past it is GOLD. You removed so much shame in just one little part of one video 😯
They always say “don’t read the comments” but with videos like these… the comments section makes me believe that I’m not alone so thank you, to every vulnerable, supportive person here. We’re healing each other through this silly little thing called life that we’re trying to navigate with integrity. We’re good people, we strive to be good people. There is a moral compass that we have to trust, especially through all the messed up things that we read about on the news or even happen to us in a close proximity. I believe in you and I. We got this
Short List: (I recommend watching the video for a more in-depth explanation)
Self Harm
Harming Others
Sexual Acts
Identity & Gender
Immoral & Religous
Self Doubt
Health Fears
One of the biggest challenges around intrusive thoughts is the rigid judgementalism in the larger society around intrusive thoughts. The REASON we're often so scared of them is because so many people are so ready and willing to put us down for them, tell us we're "weird", "disturbed", "strange" or much worse. You have to be very careful who and how and when you reveal these thoughts to. Boundaries are terribly important here. Finding good, understanding people you can trust is imperative.
Very very true 🙂
Exactly what I am dealing with right now! Legit, I had a distorted thought, told someone, and now I am dealing with the fallout despite the fact the whole reason I said anything was reassurance!
I've been experiencing all of these intrusive thoughts but the worst are 1-3. I came to the point that i had panic attacks and I am so afraid of myself that I feel like I'm losing my sanity. Now, I don't feel alone learning this. I'm also learning that my thoughts are not me. Thank you for making this video, Emma!
this is so true, i’ve been dealing with them since i was 12 and now i’m 16 :( i never actually talked to someone about them but now that i’m going to the psychologist and doing my own research i think it can get better, it will.
@@ultraaacid hey just saw this comment and im a bit late. but just so you know im praying for you as i am going through this same thing and i pray you have gotten better. 🙏🏽
@@ultraaacidhow are you now I’m 16 and I just started having these thoughts and I’m scared 💔 it’s been like 2-3 weeks.
@@ysabellev9080i’ve been doing good, i learned that i get them every time i get triggered with anxiety or during summer break since i don’t really go out. I hope you can get through it since i know how annoying and saddening it is. ❤
My most common intrusive thought is when I see an elderly lady walking on the street and I think: "I could literally attack her, beat her up and she would be helpless." But then I think to myself: "Imagine the shock and confusion she would feel." and I just start feeling sick for having that thought.
Lol...I can wield a cane pretty well, so no worries 😊
I wouldn't worry about the thought. I get scary thoughts too. Like.. very scary.. and it's terrifying. Or I feel like I have done something terrible to people
It's quite distressing. Cause I have such a big heart that I wouldn't harm.anyone. compassion for yourself.. you are maybe going through things in life.. I get intrusive thoughts when I think of particular situations that anger me.. make me.sad.. there's a pattern.. and I'm still learning this. It's ok
Intrusive thoughts can be unsettling, but it's important that we don't fuel them and let them flow out of our mind just as easily as they came in 💛
I've had a huge problem with intrusive thoughts... just about every one you named. I learned that they are not my thoughts, I don't agree with them or believe them. I learned to face them, acknowledge they are not coming from me, and remind myself of my own beliefs and also do as the Bible says, "resist the enemy, submit myself to God and he will flee from you." My mind belongs to God. I have Tourette's syndrome which seems to come with "mind tics" or intrusive thoughts or phrases in my mind rather than coprolalia where you say things out loud, I just have them in my head. It has been a huge battle, one I almost took my life over. But knowing where I really stand is what set me free. I can separate myself from these and know they are not me.
I’m so relieved. I have horrible intrusive thoughts and I just want them to go away, but I don’t know how to and it’s slowly ruining my life. I felt so alone and began thinking I was a bad person and I couldn’t get them away so watching this helped me sm. I’m trying to live with them so this helped a lot thank you ❤
I realised that they are not bad when I watched interview where psychopath said that hurting others makes him happy. I realised that just thought of hurting someone scares me to my bone. Every intrusive thought I had... came from fear. If I was bad person... I wouldn't have that fear and that calms my anxiety
Same I've watched so many serial killer documentaries, which didn't even affect me after watching,but like in April I got scared of some creepy place in our neighborhood and after that I had intrusive thoughts like "what if people aren't real,what if they're killers,etc" and I myself became the threat,like "what if I AM a killer,rapist..." I live with my mom and I was so scared of hurting her I even had visions of some things happening to her and it made me sick,I just lied in my bed all day panicking without talking to her bcuz I was scared of hurting her
Thank you
I once was going shopping with my dad in Home Depot and as we were browsing some axes I had an intrusive thought where how easily I can chop his head with the axe I'm holding. I felt evil and disgusting. Later on I found out many people have them so it gives me a bit of relief but I'm still fighting with it each day. The hardest part is to embrace it and categorize it as simply a thought and just see it like a passing wood log in the river. Of course it is easier said than done. I wish nothing but the best for y'all ❤
I've chalked those thoughts up to your "shadow self" making itself known. That, in my opinion, is a good thing because - _at least you're in touch with it a bit_ . Acknowledging it; saying, "Hi. I see you there." might be far healthier than most folks. When the Shadow is repressed, is when it can manifest dangerously (not that you would be like Jack in _The Shining_ , but perhaps lashing out at someone in an out-of-control rage). Integrate that Shadow.
Same. My dad owns a machete and uses it when ever he works out in the yard and I've had those thoughts as well. I walk by it sometimes to test myself and see if I act it out, I never do.
I feel like our brain is very good at seeing connections in things. If you pick up something that you've seen used as a dangerous weapon, and have the thought of "I could use this to hurt someone," that doesn't mean you actually want to do it. It just means you know you can based on what you've seen before. It's just your brain recognizing a possibility, same as you look at a pool of liquid on the floor and think "I could slip" or look at a sandwhich and think "I can eat this, or give it to someone else." There's no shame in that. That's what helps me deal with the anxiety those thoughts give me, at least.
@@hueso5071 lol same. I have visions or thoughts about me hurting my mom,with a knife,etc..and I pick up the knife to test myself and I freak out even more,I also saw a hammer in our house and had intrusive thoughts about hurting people with it and I went and stood next to it and I didn't even have the energy to pick it up honestly. Idk why our brains are so against us istg
@@Xjxkxkxiia could you tell me how you deal with these intrusive thoughts? I had similair ones and it causes so much panic
Thank you! Wow. This is the most impactful and life changing video I’ve ever seen. I’m 29, and since childhood I’ve suffered countless long nights of sobbing pain at my intrusive thoughts. All of which I believed to be some dark twisted part of myself, my “true” self. The frustration and tragedy of having my perceived self be so antithetical to my actual day-to-day self was hell. I’ve been living in hell most of my life, but I never sought help bc I feared the reaction others would have to my intrusive thoughts. I’m in shock at the knowledge that I’m not actually some terrible person. Decades of pain won’t go away easy though. I’m not sure I feel relived yet. This state of shock has me processing the information over and over; like I don’t yet believe it. For my whole life, I’ve always seen a monster when I look in the mirror, and to suddenly find that that is completely false…. oh my god. That’s all I can say. The realization is profound. So much so, that its true effect in my life is still unknown (though I expect it to be immensely positive). Thank you, for this. You’ve saved me.
I'm happy that you feel better. I just wish the best for you and remind you that your mind can either be your best friend or worst enemy.
The solution is not to think about it even tho it's soo hard for me too
Intrusive thoughts used to really mess with me when I was younger. Fortunately if you know what they are and know that they don't say anything about you as a person, then they become a lot easier to deal with. When I have a disturbing intrusive thought about harming myself or others, I turn it into a gratitude exercise and say to myself "I'm grateful that I'm a good person who doesn't want to do that, and I'm grateful that I have the self control and clarity of mind to not do that." It can take time to retrain your response to these thoughts, but it is possible to learn to live gracefully with them.
Remembering that having the thought is NOT just as bad as the action is important, I think.
There are passages in the Bible stating that having the thought IS just as bad as the action, which I think causes some religious people a lot of trouble. Because you can't really stop yourself from having a thought! I think a lot of it is really intended as "don't be high and mighty, you're not so superior, since everyone has bad thoughts" but that's not how it's interpreted.
@@MattMcIrvin I've grown up around a lot of religious people and I noticed it was the legalistic judgemental people who took it in an extreme meaning, but the people who seemed to be more mature and down to earth would talk about thinking meaning consciously dwelling on it. I remember one of them saying they believe Satan will try to tempt or harm people with these dark thoughts that come out of nowhere, but that what matters is how you respond to the thought I.e. telling yourself in your mind that's a harmful and bad thought and refocusing on something good. Basically don't entertain those random bad thoughts but shut them down and comfort yourself with positive truths.
I agree, and recognizing the difference between random intrusive thoughts versus suppressed desire. There can be extreme intrusive thoughts people deal with like she said, but that for example doesn't mean you actually desire to become a serial killer or something.
You have no clue how much this has helped me feel relief. I’ve been dealing with really bad intrusive thoughts recently and it makes me feel like I can’t trust myself despite not wanting to actually doing those things and feeling shame as well as fear. Knowing that this is a much more common thing esp with people who have the same diagnosis as me is such a reliever. Like I knew it from therapy and psychiatrist meetings but having insight from another is very helpful
Resonated w this so much! Appreciate you’re comment!!!
as someone with diagnosed ocd but am not medicated for it ($$$ and no insurance), God do I ever relate to this. using the microwave is a whole thing for me everytime I have to use it, because I have to watch the timer from 9 seconds down to 0 without looking away or blinking or else someone in my family will die, because 9 is my lucky number. TRUST ME, I know how ridiculous that sounds. but these types of "do this or this is going to happen" is such a big part of my life.
the health/germ one is massive for me too. I always thought growing up that germ related ocd meant that you were only scared of being contaminated by other people, but I specifically have a fear of contaminating other people because I never feel clean enough. thanks for helping me understand that one.
I am going to addiction services and therapy in September. I hope it goes well 😣🤞
Thank you for sharing this and i wish you the best in overcoming it and find peace 👍
I don’t know how old you are, but I can tell you that when you finally realize your actions don’t control the world you’ll slowly start to not give in to the compulsions. Nothing will happen if you just stop doing the obsessive things you do. I would always think the world was going to end if I didn’t give in to my compulsions. And just maybe like it has been for me the compulsions don’t even pop up in my head anymore. I still deal with ocd but NOTHING like when I was younger. Anyway just thought I’d give you my two cents.
I get you. My ocd is so dumb.
That's so exciting you're getting help, sending positive thoughts/prayers out for you 💜 you CAN do this, and so much more than you could ever imagine. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Take it one day and one thing at a time!
(recovering addict myself of three years as of last month on the 26th, with trauma and mental health struggles. If I can do this so can you!!! 💜)
I've recovered a lot from very similar OCD, but with heavy religious threats instead of irrational threats. OCD can be fixed when you realise it is an anxiety disorder and fear has a primary purpose of protecting you from dangers, so if it torments you and becomes a danger by itself, it goes against its own single purpose. Fear should help protect, not cause life degradation and indirect danger thereby. OCD is basically a petulant inner child bullying you out of fear or mischief.
The craziest thing about OCD/intrusive thoughts, once you start your path of recovery, those thoughts get sneaky. You won't have a perfect straight line recovery, and OCD/intrusive thoughts will put that doubt into your mind that you maybe the exception. Just keep moving forward, and don't engage in the thought. just watch it pass on by.
I had this thought of strangling my nephew after seeing it on a movie. Completely out of nowhere, it caused me to become so upset, so bad and evil that I wanted to stay away from my nephew.
When I did and do see my nephew none of these thoughts come to mind I just feel love, joy and happiness. The thought of hurting him went but the guilt of having the thought affected me. Like I felt sickened, upset and kept thinking I'm going to jail. I've learned to not repress it, nor talk myself round but rather let the thought come because I won't answer the door in my mind to it, I'll distract myself and I use a line that works; Daniel shut up. It gets more bearable and easier
I'm gonna start saying "erica shut up" and laughing it off now
This video actually made me cry with relief, I thought I was a terrible person for having intrusive thoughts, but hearing how common they are and that nearly everyone has them too, has lifted an insanely large weight off my shoulders ! I can’t express how grateful I am that you made this video, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you so so so much ! You unknowingly saved my life ❤❤❤
You really helped my 11 yo daughter. You did a great job of helping us know that these thoughts are normal and not something to be afraid of.❤
When I was going through some pretty detrimental grief, I had the thought that I had HIV, I thought I lost my mind, and I didn't sleep for like 6 nights, and during those nights my mind was full of intrusive thoughts. I'm glad I am safe and good now but I can empathize with those who have a hard time dealing with these thoughts
How did you manage to let them go away?
Ive tested myself for hiv 3 times the last 2 months lol
@@alexohunter3631 writing helped me release a lot, but my life was definitely saved by God. It's hard to put into words honestly but I looked at it as one of the hardest lessons I've ever had to learn.
Thank you for this. I almost forgot that everyone has intrusive thoughts
Not just people with mental and neurological disorders. (Like me)
1. Thoughts of self harm. 2:40
2. Thoughts of harming others. 3:03
3. Sexual thoughts. 3:47
4. immoral/ blasphemous thoughts. 4:09
5. Unwannted elf doubts, and mistakes. 4:26
6. Contamination fears. 4:51
7. Past memories of past trauma/flashbacks. 5:11
7:54
Bad memories, not past memories
Thanks for this list 🙂
I went to a therapist for intrusive thoughts about harming my family. I went to a therapist. He asked me how these thoughts made me feel. I told him that they horrified me. Therapist said you’re fine. If you weren’t horrified then there’d be an issue!
Very true in a way
Holy crap. I thought it was just me being weird/wrong. Great info. Many thanks!!
Just a quick argument against 1:52 , and she did go over this a little bit but I wanted to state it clearly. Yes, your intrusive thoughts say something about you, just not what your anxiety would have you believe it means. It seems to me that it means you are a good person if this is all going through your head! Think about it this way. The nightmarish thought flits through your head and your reaction is not "Hey! What a brilliant idea!" your reaction towards it is a "I do not like this thought. I want to stop thinking it, it's disgusting!" Which says to me that you are fully capable of having a moral compass, you have a sense of right and wrong, and most importantly you do not want to do things that go against your morals. Maybe your anxiety kicks in and you unintentionally feed the worst thoughts, and your reaction gets worse and worse. But keep in mind your reaction to [insert bad thing here] is not "sounds fun, I'm gonna try it!" It's that you so deeply hate the idea that it makes you feel overwhelmingly ill. If these worst of the worst thoughts are bombarding you and you hate and despise these thoughts and wonder if they are "who you truly are deep down" remember that your mind is intentionally throwing at you the things it knows will hurt you most, which says that you do not want anything to do with these horrid thoughts specifically, you want to do your best and be a good person.
Really quick, I want to add on to my comment and point out even if you're not having such a strong reactions to intuitive thoughts, doesn't mean you're a bad person either. It may just mean you've got a more balanced mind and don't let a hypothetical bad situation derail your afternoon and can easily just say "oh, what an unpleasant untrue thought. Okay so anyway what should I have for lunch?"
Yes! Very well said 👌 Thank you 😊
Thank you so much. Intrusive and obsessive thoughts always plague my mind and it’s been hard. What you said here really resonated and it just clicked. Felt a huge wave of relief that i’d never felt before. Love you so much and hope you are doing well!!
@@luenanda4432 Thank you so much for your reply. All I want to really do with my life is be creative and brighten up the days of the people I happen to interact with. Despite my struggles that sap away energy and motivation I still want to fight and accomplish those two things. Knowing I succeed helping at least one person out there just by sharing a thought I had makes me happy. I hope you can get to a place where the intrusive thoughts aren't so frustrating.
Thank you for saying this, it is an understated truth. I've had some very horrific intrusive thoughts over my lifetime, especially related to trauma. The deep rooted shame can be excruciating and physically sickening. Yet I know deep down it is not my fault. It has taken me so long to finally see that my reaction to these intrusive thoughts actually means that of course that is not what I truly desire. There is a phrase in French that encompasses this, I think, l'appel du vide.
I have been struggling with this to the point that i was feeling extreme guilt and having mental breakdowns. Even though we know others are dealing with intrusive thoughts sometimes our anxiety or ocd tells us that our thoughts are the worst and maybe no one is having similar thoughts like us. We have to remember that the fact these thoughts cause so much distress means its not who we are.We must observe thoughts and not give them any value or meaning just let them flow like a stream of water. Talk to someone you really trust if you feel alone and also be open to talking to a therapist. Wishing everyone the best
When I was first diagnosed with GAD, I dealt with intrusive thoughts for a bit. For me, they were easily the scariest part of my anxiety, and I honestly thought I was going crazy. It took a few weeks of exposure therapy to eventually get past them. Understand that you are not alone, and these thoughts do NOT define you.
This is exactly what I'm going through right now! Gah! So happy I came across this video and these comments! I hope you are doing well! :)
@Corey Hang in there! It gets better but can take a little time until you learn how to combat it. When they came on, I'd actually imagine like a steel barrier around my head so they "couldn't enter" and tell myself "only positivity today". I'd also imagine the intrusive thought leaving my mind. It sounds a bit silly but it really did help.
@@johnathondupuis1301 thanks for that coping skill! I really appreciate it I'm going to try that out tomorrow! I'm trying my best haha some days it has me defeated where I feel fear and like I need to admit myself and lock myself away to keep everyone safe but that's the anxiety/panicking/thoughts trynna kick me when I'm already down haha! I'm usually a really happy and upbeat person but this last month oh boy haha it's like I woke up and it got me you know?
I haven’t watched this yet… but I just want to say thank you for covering this. I literally just sat down at my therapists office to get help for this. Can’t wait to watch!
You got this
Many methods for responding to intrusive thoughts do work very well. My personal favorite is taking a moment to be aware of how a thought made me feel. What no one tells you, is that the intrusive thoughts are back again in under a minute (unless you meditate and hold awareness and observe thoughts, but most of the time, we are “doing” something so the thoughts return.) It is unbelievably incessant and constant, every waking moment.
Congrats on hitting a million! Wow, your channel is growing quickly! Love your channel, it's helped me a lot!
One of the worst things that ever happened to me at when I went to therapy over 20 years ago was when I admitted I was having panic attacks because I kept remembering at random times about embarrassing things that happened - like going to the gym once when I was having my period and my pad leaked and some guys laughed at me. I couldn't believe I admitted that to anyone and it's something that I still to this day will get random flashes and panic attacks over about. I've had a lot of trauma in my childhood, but I don't have flashbacks about that, I have flashbacks about embarrassing things. My therapist said something dismissive about me not wanting to talk about the "real" issues. Those embarrassing things constantly being replayed is one of the biggest issues I have with mental health. I can't go a single day without them randomly popping up to remind me about them. And my therapist dismissing it made it worse. This was helpful to see someone actually talk about this, but I have a feeling my therapist thought I had other types of intrusive thoughts.
From what it seems to me, just reading your comment, you feel very vulnerable in certain situations. And in situations of vulnerability, your mind takes you to the extreme of past situations where you felt humiliated publicly and ashamed as a person. Your mind flashes back over and over again to this extreme defining moment that it can pin point. The root of it would be shame. Brene Brown has a book and some lectures regarding shame. Very enlightening. If you can heal from this shame in vulnerability, I believe these intrusive thoughts would stop. God bless you in your journey.
U should prob get a new therapist
That therapist sucked
That Therapist was absolutely HORRIBLE and you deserve SO much better and honestly those guys don't deserve crap having periods is completely normal and laughing at you while you were going through that was extremely just evil
I hope you're doing better
I know this is an old comment but I experience similar kind of thoughts. Only I know that my moments were not nearly as embarrassing as I think they are. It's weird how I know that but also don't know that when I'm having the thoughts. One of my most relived moments is when I was learning to speak Spanish and I mispronounced a word while talking to my friend who spoke very little English. I didn't even say anything embarrassing. Like, it's not like I said an offensive word or anything like that. I simply mispronounced a word, and my friend was still able to understand me just fine. This should not even be something that I remember at all but I get overwhelmed with anxiety when I think about it
God bless you! I once had a close friend disclose a few thoughts to me. She was so ashamed that she decided to never see me again after that.
With almost all moral preachings and literature saying "your thoughts make your life," intrusive thoughts can be even more traumatic.
Imagine living with this trauma and agony every day.
May everyone heal.
Accept your thoughts and just let them go, don't be attached. That's pure Zen.
Thanks so much for this... These issues have been increasing cumulatively over the past six to seven years and I had no idea what they were or how to deal with them... Now I feel more equipped to handle them..
You are changing my life one video at a time. Thank you so much.
The intrusive thought patterns from PTSD would leave me vulnerable to intrusive thoughts from other categories. Learning it's a thing made me feel...not dirty.
I cannot put into words how useful this video is. It’s so reaffirming to hear and the testimony at the beginning about finding hope again really hit home with me! I’ve struggled with intrusive thoughts for as long as I can remember and it’s so amazing to hear someone talk about it so factually and calmly. The worst is when you tell someone about it and they look at you like your crazy. Thank you so much for this video! I love your channel you are helping so many people thank you so much! 🙏
My first 2 months with anxiety disorder were mostly physical and not so much cognitive. Then those physical symptoms started to go away, but I started getting rapid-fire nonstop intrusive thoughts for 2 weeks. I didn't recognize these thoughts as my own and I was so worried that I was uncovering buried emotions -- ones that were the polar opposite of my values. I thought this was revealing the real me, and that I couldn't brush this off as anxiety, because the anxiety that I was familiar with had gone away.
I had my first and only full-blown panic attack at the end of those 2 weeks, and I was actually strangely relieved while having the panic attack, because it meant that my thoughts were a result of my anxiety after all. That panic attack was surprisingly the thing that calmed me down the most. During it, I didn't have the thoughts usually associated with panic attacks; I just dissociated and felt the physical parts.
I experience both the physical and cognitive symptoms now, and intrusive thoughts are the worst for me. Dealing with gasping for breath, gagging, a pounding heart, and sleep issues, etc. is so much easier than dealing with intrusive thoughts. The cognitive symptoms are what really mess with me to the point where I don't know what's really happening sometimes.
Thank you for sharing this! I often do think the thoughts have a physiological reason so then I look to see what I did wrong or what to blame. It leads me down a rabbit trail. The thoughts just come from me being fearful of having them. I’m so glad to know these are normal!
Thank you for this! Yes, some thoughts I've had have made me wonder what type of person I am. I mean, like, what type of person would EVER think that??? This video is very reassuring!
Thank You Emma, thats why i love this channel just to know eveyone have unwanted toughts gives me confident in social situations. I tought I am the only one akward but after this video I know everyone are. 😄
Have a great day everyone!
I really needed to hear this! Congratulations on your new addition to your family.
I've had most of these with my OCD. Thanks for the video. It was great to hear this is normal ☺️
Not only did you help me with my intrusive thoughts, but also with my hypochondria. Thank you and I will be coming back to this channel often
This is literally a checklist of my internal monologue! With the exception of blasphemy, this is like what goes on in my head regularly.
Thank you for helping bring this out into the open , normalizing it & educating the public. Many years ago, I experienced intrusive thoughts after giving birth & had to navigate my way through it alone... it was confusing & I felt tremendous shame. After trying to banish them. I did realize that trying to avoid the thoughts only caused them to increase in frequency & cause anxiety to grow rapidly. I'm glad this video is available for those who need it! I wish all the best to those experiencing it.
Loved this video, and I'm a therapist of 20 plus years working in the "biz" myself. Your style is very comfortable, well done Emma!
I am so glad I watched this one ❤ I’m coming into the cold winter months that are already hard for me mentally but add in PTSD flashbacks getting worse because my mind relates winter with death due to nearly losing, and actually losing multiple loved ones in December and winter months
Thank you Emma!! Continue to be Blessed!! You’re such a Blessing to us all!!
Emma, words aren’t enough to laud the information you are dispensing on this channel. Hope you know the number of lives you are touching! God bless you.
I can't thank you enough for this video. I'm 47, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. I wish I'd learnt about this when my illness came on aged 16. I had many unhappy years because of this. I live in the UK and I've had a series of therapists but no one has addressed it as well as you. Brilliant.
I really needed to hear this. When my third child was a baby I would panic while nursing him and I had significantly distressing thoughts about throwing my baby on the floor and running away. I told this to a psychiatrist and he looked at me like a monster.
Thanks very much for this video. I've had some disturbing thoughts and really felt paranoid at times I would lose control and hurt others maybe. Just scared to death of facing these dark thoughts in case I would turn bad and I really don't want to change my heart for anything. I don't want to stop loving and caring for others. That's my biggest fear of becoming something I really don't want to be from these messed up things in my head.
I've come off caffeine, anti depressants/anxiety meds for about a few months now. I desperately want to be free from this and find peace.
yes!!! Ty for doing this. Intrusive thoughts are ruining my life. Srsly. They’re not me at all… andI don’t go out much anymore because of them
A lot of those thoughts are spot on, thought I was the only one who had such awful thoughts, especially first one, it was terrifying.
this video was just so comforting for me, it feels like a big hug thank you so much
Thank you so much for these videos. They have really helped. When this video started, it reminded me of the intrusive thoughts that used to disturb me. And it made me realize that I'm really improving. And it really is honestly thanks to you (I mean yes I have made the effort too). But thank you so much because you kind of break me out of my panic when I come across your videos
Good video. I'm glad to see this being talked about. I had a meditation teacher once who said that the brain was like a computer in that it just spewed random information; the trick was to not grab on to any of the thoughts and identify with them. That has helped me deal with things over the years. It's a big leap of faith to talk about this kind of thing with a therapist. I've tried a few and they weren't really open to exploring the difficult stuff. Maybe you could talk about how to find the appropriate therapist for various types of issues?
Many thanks for this, it is really helpful! I started having intrusive thoughts that became a problem about a year ago (I’d had intrusive thoughts before then, but just brushed them off as weird thoughts). However, a year ago, I suffered a major bereavement (hot on the heels of five other major bereavements, all in the space of six years) - which led on to OCD-like symptoms of self-harm thoughts and thoughts of harming others and sometimes just revolting images. I found a mixture of:
- therapy (CBT/psychotherapy)
- exercise (120-160 laps/lengths swimming each week, plus long walks/exercise bike on days I don’t swim)
- meditation/mindfulness and prayer
- diet - lots of wholefood, grain, oily fish, fruit, veg, fibre, etc.
- and some supplements - N-Acetyl Cysteine (1,200 mg a day); fish oil (on days I don’t eat oily fish), vitamin D (in winter months), zinc and magnesium. I am careful with supplements and don’t over use them - I rely on a varied diet for all other nutrients.
-work - when I received a mental health diagnosis my doctor was happy to sign me off on sick leave - however, I met with my manager and I asked if I could continue to work. I’ve found the routine of work, leaving the house and being with people in the work place, having deadlines and being busy really helpful. I’ve also some very supportive colleagues.
- Having a supportive and loving partner and supportive friends.
-Despite my doctor advising SSRI anti-depressants, I refused them… and I am glad I did… it wasn’t easy at the time, but I think my recovery was quicker than if I had to contend with coming off medication too.
I would say my partner, exercise, therapy and continuing to work have been important in my recovery. Intrusive thoughts/harm OCD DOES get better… but it is often more a case of learning how to ignore/manage intrusive thoughts/anxiety rather than trying to control them. I have days where I almost forget I have a mental health problem - and other days where intrusive thoughts/anxiety are back with a vengeance… However, on those days I no longer feel overwhelmed. A sense of humour about the thoughts and yourself helps!! They are just thoughts… they are not moral acts… let them come, look at them, say ‘Oh, that’s a weird thought…’ and let it go on its way… Anything else will just provoke it to stick around… I think of my intrusive thoughts a bit like a six year old who says a curse word, watching for an adult’s reaction. If you ignore the child’s expletive, the child gets bored of wanting to shock and doesn’t say the word again - and then you and the child can go and do something you both enjoy!!
Thank you so much for making a video on this topic
You'll never know how much it means to me!
God bless you for the work you're doing 🙏🏻
Your videos are helping me understand & help support my daughter with her OCD & anxiety. She's working with a CB therapist & using EMDR. Seems her intrusive thoughts once solved for ne thing get transferred to another. I know continued work will help this but it's so hard watching your child suffer. I'm so proud that she overcame her fear of flying this week when flying by herself for the first time. She's 18 & has flown dozens of time domestically & internationally with us. She wants validation of her fears but I explained that it's so hard to validate irrational fears, but I can validate her emotions & help reflect solutions. Gah...😭. Thanks again for your videos! PRICELESS!
Real talk for a minute. Part of what helped me realize that I needed to work some things out was taking a psych class at the university as an elective. We were discussing intrusive thoughts as a comorbidity issue amongst anxiety, depression and other disorders(I think we were covering personality disorders in a broad sense that week). I finally asked the professor what was meant by an intrusive thought because it wasn't an audible voice or hallucination so I was a bit puzzled. Once the professor explained what an intrusive thought was, I looked at him and stated: "So, wait, it's not normal to constantly have random thoughts pop in your head that you're a piece of shit or never going to amount to anything?" The poor man looked at me like I was an abandoned puppy, lol.
I was on birth control and developed scary intrusive thoughts after coming off. They’re much less now and watching these videos helped a lot thank you!
Thank you so much for this video! It’s incredibly helpful. From my experience, there is a lot of shame and fear with these kinds of thoughts.
Thank you for doing this!! Even with your new family member, you are doing great!!!
I have been experiencing these thoughts about hurting my family. I think its based off my fear of my family all passing. but i dont want to hurt them. I thought i was discusting and mentally ill but i now know its common, so thank you.. you made me feel better
3:46 I experience all these on the list, but none more intense than the sexual ones (except maybe self doubt thoughts). Social interaction is so difficult and awkward when your intrusive thoughts have you feeling like a pervert all the time.
On topic of intrusive thoughts about identity, I think it can also go the other way like worrying you're just faking being gay/bi/trans/etc.
Yes! I'm queer but have only ever been in hetero relationships, I've definitely had thoughts of being fake
Keep doing what you do. You are amazing and you always formulate your knowledge in a calming way❤
the amount of time I have wasted worrying that my intrusive thoughts meant something was deeply wrong with me... thank you for this ❤
It's nice to know I'm not alone in these. Sometimes you can feel like the devil when horrid thoughts pass through your mindspace. Thanks for making this video, it's a great reassurance. I am not my thoughts.
Thank you soooo much for covering this topic.
Thank you Emma.
Your videos are so good 🙏🏻
Thankyou so much, ive been through so much gaslighting so these thoughts were particularly terrifying for me.
Great video(as always)!Thank you!
Absolutely brilliant explanation and advice. And thanks for making it available for free.
Very interesting! This video is gold! Thank you! 💕
thank you so much, whenever I get those thoughts I started to question my self perception and sometimes it is hard to differenciate between anxious thoughts and my true self.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for making this video! I am now getting therapy to help me with my OCD & anxiety through better help! Thank you so much for your videos!
I'm actually crying from relief. I had such prevalent intrusive thoughts about self harm at around age twelve. They took over my life at the time and I couldn't go anywhere without the idea that I secretly wanted to hurt myself. I would see all the ways I would suddenly go kill myself. When I told my doctor, she treated me as if I actually wanted to hurt myself, which perpetuated the intrusive thoughts. I had to see a therapist, but it was a bad fit and in the end it mad it worse. I had to grow up very quickly to deal with this and that combined with the gender dysphoria I was experiencing at the time left me traumatized and with a very foggy memory of that time.
I'm so glad to know I wasn't actually suicidal.
it feels so good to know i’m not crazy and that this happens to others, this is happening to me right now i hate going out because i think i secretly wanna hurt myself and it completely kills my mood and i end up having no fun and i see all the way i could suddenly go and take my own life but i DONT want to, and when i hear about other people who do it makes me feel like what if i do that. i’m in therapy for this right now and i’m taking it one day at a time, but i just wanna get through this.
@@saniyalee-crittle484 ❤❤❤ I know that feeling so, so well.
Please keep fighting. It does get better and it's astounding how much your life improves when you're more focused on living it than worrying about it you're going to end it. Even on the difficult days, keep repeating to yourself that these are intrusive thoughts and that you are safe. It may take a long journey to regain self trust, but you can get there.
I believe in you ❤
@@Larazugaib2 you're going to be safe, okay?
If you ever need help remembering that, I am here. I know that your brain just goes and goes and then you suddenly feel like you've lost control and the worst could happen. But the fact of the matter is that you see suicide as the worst. You won't go there, no matter how much you think about it. Its absolutely terrifying, it takes over your life and your mind, but as hard as those thoughts try to be genuine, they just aren't.
It gets so much better, I promise. Practice having a second voice to fight the thought, one that always responds with, "this isn't logical, I won't kill myself if I'm afraid of dying." You won't believe it at first, but you are training one thought of reason to always accompany the intrusive thoughts. You can't control the awful stuff, but you can give yourself that lifeline. It comes in handy eventually, especially when you are really desperate.
I'll repeat it again: you are safe. The fear is just that: fear. You will get through this, I believe in you.
@@adithyan3584 I want you to know that you're going to be okay.
No matter how disgusting the thought, it isn't true, it isn't something you would act on. You're safe and I know you would never let something happen to the people around you. It's your brain finding the things you find most untrue and using it against you. You know who you are, you know what you stand for. Give yourself a break, you won't be able to make the thoughts go away, but know that you are safe and deserving of love. You are not a bad person, in fact, you're quite the opposite to be so concerned for the wellbeing of others.
When you are scared, repeat something to yourself that will remind you who you are. That way, you always have something to easily fall back on if you are struggling to fight the bad thoughts.
I'm rooting for you, you can do this. I wish you the best on your exams, give yourself a break, take it easy and remember to love yourself for the good person you truly are.
Just an update, a professional told me for a fact that I wasn't suicidal and confirmed I was having intrusive thoughts.
"...Strumming my pain with her fingers, Singing my life with her words..." This video is too accurate. ❤️
This was extremely helpful for me. Thank you so much for making this video.