The 6 Most Common Types of Intrusive Thoughts

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.

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

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[LeniG-]

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

[curlyceibena]

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 🙏🏼

[Lilacs]

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.

[RealTalkwithBellaTT]

This brought tears to my eyes. I really thought I was crazy this whole time

[-rc]

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.

[saz]

You are not your thoughts. You are your actions.

[martinabarranco]

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

[THEJOSHUASIMONSHOW]

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

[sxfnlc]

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.

[AMcDub]

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.

[Username_Invalid]

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!!

[jaykay]

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.

[middleofnowhere]

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.

[jaredk]

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

[neonlights]

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.

[Surfer]

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.

[rudolph]

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

[mariecarie]

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.

[zyxwut]

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.

[allhavesaidtheirprayers]

When i was 15, my uncle killed my cousins. 43 now and I've never had kids because of it. The fear of "Maybe I have it in me." won out.