Intrusive vs. Impulsive Thoughts

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Impulsive thoughts are very different than intrusive thoughts.

Impulsive thoughts are often experienced by people with ADHD and arise spontaneously.

Impulsivity in people with ADHD refers to a core symptom, where individuals have difficulty controlling their immediate reactions or responses. It can manifest in behaviors like interrupting others and having difficulties waiting for their turn.

Individuals with ADHD may experience fleeting thoughts that divert their attention from the task at hand, but they typically do not attach intense significance, anxiety or distress to those thoughts.

In contrast, OCD intrusive thoughts can cause significant anxiety and distress.

Examples of impulsive thoughts in someone with adhd can include:

1. Sudden creative bursts of innovative ideas unrelated to their task at hand.

2. Inability to filter thoughts that may flood the mind causing difficulty in prioritizing and sustaining attention. This may lead to difficulties in decision making.
Impulsive thoughts in people with adhd and intrusive obsessions in people with ocd differ in key aspects:

1. Nature of the thoughts: Impulsive thoughts in adhd arise spontaneously and are unrelated to the current task or context. In contrast, intrusive obsessions in ocd are repetitive and unwanted and cause distress and anxiety.

2. Control and intentionality: Impulsive thoughts in people with adhd are typically unintentional and occur without conscious effort.

Whereas individuals with ocd experience intrusive obsessions as distressing and inconsistent with their own desires, resulting in efforts to suppress or neutralize them.

3. Impact on behavior: Impulsive thoughts in people with ADHD may lead to impulsive actions or difficulties in maintaining attention and focus.

Intrusive obsessions in people with OCD, on the other hand, drive individuals to engage in compulsive behaviors or mental rituals aimed at reducing anxiety and neutralizing the distress caused by the obsessions.

Recognizing the difference between impulsive thoughts in people with adhd and intrusive obsessions in people with ocd is essential for effective intervention strategies. And it is possible to meet the criteria for both disorders.

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(Although Paige Pradko is a licensed psychotherapist, the views expressed on this video and this YouTube channel including comments or any related content should not be taken for medical, psychological or psychiatric advice. Always contact your physician and mental health provider before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.)

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[paulreeve]

Thanks Page. broadly, I have diagnosed Pure O and of late I’ve realised that I find it often involves ‘telling myself what I think’. Ie I have a thought which was, say, unsympathetic and which on instant reflection is questionable or even disagreeable. However, having had the initial thought causes guilt and anxiety. I now resist the compulsion to mentally beat myself up and instead accept I had a thought that I then reconsidered or corrected. It saves a shed load of rumination. Not sure if it’s good practice, but it helps. 👍

[aspirindamage]

thank you so much for the upload Dr. Pradko! i appreciate you very much ♡

people like you make the world feel heard and the world go round :)

[shivranjanigandhi]

Can you have both ocd and adhd? I feel like I experience guilt on my intrusive thoughts too.

[Zakchiverton]

as i have gotten older now 23 i have always struggled with health anxiety never been able to beat it i had my first panicked intrusive thought around a year ago it was awful i did not know what was happening i was able to forget about it after the bout of the thoguhts came around however around the same time this year i have been struggling with these intrusive thoughts again for about a month this time as i have been researching it appears i may have ocd which looking back 5 to 8 years makes alot of sense in december i had massive health anxiety regarding tetanus as i cut myself on a rusty nail it caused me alot of distress for about 3 weeks until i knew that the time frame for tetanus had past but from this seemed to have flared up (my ocd) in brackets because its not diagnosed but its been really tough understanding why these thoughts are occuring mainly harm themed i have had a few days where they have been less frequent and just recently none at all following your advice hopefully i can figure this out more its been a really tiring month thanks for your videos

[CralTown]

I have adhd but also have intrusive thoughts

[ScentralIntelligenceAgency]

What would you call temporary, recurring thoughts like, "if I don't have my feet on top of something or covered, something will bite them, " or "if a UFO might appear and abduct me, especially if I keep looking at the sky, " "someone is watching me through my windows, " or "someone in a car driving down the road while I'm walking might shoot me"? They are bothersome enough to cause a bit of a reaction, but not a long one and tend to settle down if I move somewhere my brain deems as "safe", usually coming for a few minutes at a time, but recurring up to multiple times a day? I can't seem to find a term that quite fits them.

[arielyaskow]

What about the urge that follows? Thats whats scaring me right now. Like when my kids are frustrating me, i have this weird energy in my body and then i question if im going to hurt them, but i never would. I had another example, my husbands boss drove me home one night and during the drive i thought "what if i just acted inappropriately right now?" And i had a weird energy in my body that made me scared that it was an impulsive energy. What about those scenarios?

[Cnsalmoni]

I struggle with the semantics. How is it OCD if the intrusive thoughts associated with ADHD resolve with stimulants and/ or atomoxetine, guanfacine? I thought people with OCD don’t respond to stimulants, in fact most often have increased symptoms? One resource I read distinguished OCD as having rumination being a key factor, whereas usually solely intrusive thoughts are more associated with ADHD? Those with OCD usually feel a need to “do something about the thought” versus those with ADHD just have the negative, disturbing thought, but don’t have the compulsion to act on it (physically or mentally)?

[yaelfeldman]

Thanks for the video.
Is there a name for reacuring thoughts which are distressing in nature, anxiety inducing and have a common subject, but are not linked to a specific impulse and that don't cause the creation of a ritual?

[johnrainsman]

When you do something impulsive as an OCD, _in the moment_ of your impulse, is that you in a different state? Like a trance?

[cutiepieunicorn]

Hi Paige

I was watching an episode of The Huberman Lab podcast, in regards to adrenaline and learning, and it made me think about sometinhging i also saw in this video and some of your other videos that seem to be a theme when it comes to learing/un-learning fear and maladaptive strategies.
Therefor i have a few questions i was hoping you could answer for me?

In regards to different kinds of ERP, are we basically talking about a "re-learning" experience when we "activate to generte"? Is the uncomfortable chemical relaese (sensation of fear and dread) during ERP for GAD or OCD (cortisol and adrenaline) during and after crucial for learning and internaliszing the experience better in a new way? and even more effective if we can sleep after we "come down" from the chemical reaction?

In a way, its about getting comfortable with discomfort?

Btw, thank you for the videos, they are great - hope to hear from you.

[tasenova]

can you have intrusive thoughts mildly? like. okay. full honesty, stressed at work and I'm wondering how long it would take for me to bleed out, or I'm driving from a stressful day and I see a kid and wonder if I would care seeing there lifeless body. I am pretty mellow, and I have never acted out on these things from recent memory or even to that extent so, can you have intrusive thoughts but still sort of live on the mild side?

[thecorrupted]

I know i am late here,
But i have a major part of idea of that i have adhd according to my friends, but i always ignored my voilent thoughts as normal till i learned the difference between intrusive and implusive a few days ago.
I had alot of trauma in my past due to many reasons.
I always get very bad nightmares and when i am awake or talking about stuff either i get very voilent thoughts or imagery pop in my mind.
Or just random bursts.
I been researching adhd, intrusive thoughts and impulsive thoughts.
Some of my friends have ADHD. I feel bery guilty sometimes that i cant help them. I feel like i am going through the same thing but i dont talk about it as i ak not diagnosed yet i will hopefully get it checked out.
But is there any way i can help myself with my intrusive thoughts and my friends having impulsive thoughts with adhd?

[praveenchinta]

Hi mam iam getting opposite thoughts like if i have two colours black and blue suits in front of me iam not able to choose one my mind saying take black and no take blue no take black no take blue it's repeating like that please help me

[fawnpower]

Hello, I've enjoyed being a subscriber for a few months now and have benefited greatly from your videos. I am wondering if you could give me any information regarding your online classes. Also, do you offer out of state therapy sessions?

[Thunderlord-mq]

Hello paige mam I have something bothering me for a was engaged recently in an arranged marriage I didn't have previous conversation with the girl just once before engagement...after engagement we started talking everything was going great she is nice caring emotional.. suddenly one morning I felt this feeling of not being attracted to my partner and doubts like what if there is someone else there....what if I am making a huge mistake....what if I am stuck in this attractionless marriage for rest of my life....can these doubts related to ocd....if yes what kind of exposure and responses in need to do?

[jvb]

Dr.Pradko, for how long should I practice the I.A.M. method while in the moment I try to tame the intrusive thought? Seconds? Minutes? Your channel is amazing!!