By: Haley McSweeney, M.A., LMFT

By now you’ve probably heard somebody on the Internet jokingly say that they “let the intrusive thoughts win”, but what exactly does that mean? What is an intrusive thought? Does having an intrusive thought mean there’s something wrong with you? What should you do when you realize that you’re having an intrusive thought?

Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that are unwelcome, disturbing, bothersome, or unusual for you. They can contain ideas or images that can range from simply making you feel uncomfortable to being very distressing. Intrusive thoughts are something that just about everybody experiences at some point in time, and typically they come and go in our minds quickly, with little to no impact on a day-to-day functioning. It’s important to know that just having an intrusive thought does not mean that there is something wrong with you, or that you are going to act on that intrusive thought, or that the contents of that intrusive thought are true or likely to happen.

We can start to experience distress when intrusive thoughts stick in our minds, and start playing on loop, or when we are ruminating on the thoughts. When this happens, we can start to feel anxious or worried, and may engage in behaviors to try to get rid of the thought. One example of a disorder involving intrusive thoughts is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. When somebody has OCD, they will be so distressed by their intrusive thoughts that they will engage in compulsive behaviors to try and rid themself of the distress caused by the thoughts, and those behaviors interfere with their ability to function in daily life. However, not everyone who experiences intrusive thoughts, and a desire to get rid of them, is necessarily experiencing OCD.

There are some factors that can increase the likelihood that you will experience an intrusive thought. These include: stress, big, life changes or transitions, a significant disruption in your regular routine, hormonal changes, and sleep disturbance. Aside from maintaining a balanced lifestyle and managing stressors to the best of your ability, there are coping skills for managing intrusive thoughts. 

If you’re simply experiencing an intrusive thought that passes through your mind every so often, there is no need to do anything about it. You can just acknowledge that it was there, that it doesn’t mean anything, and know that it’s normal to have intrusive thoughts. If you are finding that your intrusive thoughts stick around or are hard not to focus on, and the urge to address them is beginning to disrupt your day-to-day functioning, it may be a symptom of a mental health condition. In this case, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention therapy, and certain medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have been shown to make a significant difference in the frequency and intensity of intrusive thoughts, and the compulsive behaviors that may follow.

We all have intrusive thoughts here and there, and generally they are harmless,. We can just notice them, think “oh that was a weird thought”, and move on with our day. If at some point those thoughts start to interfere with your overall well-being, there are evidence-based treatment options and professional help via psychotherapy available to support you in addressing them.