![]() That creates anxious thinking-the altered state of reality that makes thoughts feel like they will really happen. You want such reassurances because you are sensitized to the images. The same reasoning applies to intrusive obsessive thoughts. I can’t give you a guarantee that it won’t happen, but the odds as so infinitesimally small that it makes sense to ignore the possibility. For example, there is a tiny probability that a meteorite will fall out of the sky and hit you as you are reading this. If I said that no one has ever acted on intrusive obsessive thoughts, you might say, “Well, there is always a first time.” We all know that there are certain things in life that have a very small probability of occurring, and it makes sense to live our life as if they won’t occur. They are as far apart as chalk and cheese.ĭo you want a guarantee? You can’t have one. Your problem is not one of impulse control. You will not act on your intrusive obsessive thoughts. A thought-even a very scary thought-is not an impulse. Your thoughts have no effect on what you will do. The content of your thought does not count. The Big Answer to Getting Rid of Intrusive Obsessive Thoughts: And, you might think, even if the probability is fairly low, the consequences of killing someone, or throwing a child out the window, are so enormous and horrendous, that the thought feels threatening and dangerous. That is because anxious thinking takes over, and the thought-as abhorrent as it might be- seems to have a high probability of occurring. The problem is that intrusive obsessive thoughts feel so darn threatening. People with intrusive obsessive thoughts are gentle and non-violent. ![]() You do not want to do the things that enter your mind when you have intrusive obsessive thoughts. The greatest myth is that having thoughts of a sexual or violent nature mean that you want to do the things that come into your mind. There are a number of myths about intrusive obsessive thoughts. Intrusive obsessive thoughts can be very explicit, and most people are embarrassed and frightened of them. They might imagine hurting someone or committing an act of sexual violation. People who experience intrusive obsessive thoughts are afraid that they might commit the acts they picture in their mind. Taking off your clothes in public.” This is not a complete list, but it gives you a good feeling of the content of these thoughts. Jumping onto a train track as the train comes into the station. Throwing someone (or yourself) out of a window. Here are typical examples of intrusive obsessive thoughts: “Killing someone. The content of intrusive obsessive thoughts almost always focus on sexual or violent images. These thoughts seem to come from out of nowhere, arrive with a distressing whoosh, and cause a great deal of anxiety. However, there is another class of intrusive thoughts that I call intrusive obsessive thoughts. ![]() You are already in the altered state of consciousness that I call anxious thinking, and your thoughts feel likely to happen. So, for example, you might think, “what if I have a heart attack?” in the midst of an anxiety attack. The intrusive thoughts keep the anxiety going, and maintain the fear-producing spiral. In these types of intrusive thoughts, it feels like the thoughts come about as a result of the anxiety, and they function to add more fear to the anxiety you are already experiencing. They seem to come from outside of your control, and their content feels alien and threatening.įor some people, intrusive thoughts are part and parcel of panic or intense anxiety. Intrusive thoughts are frightening thoughts about what might happen to you or someone you care about, or what you might do to yourself or another person. Every highly anxious person has to cope with intrusive thoughts. ![]()
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