***This post is part of a mini-series designed to cover the basics of OCD. Reading all four will hopefully give you a solid understanding of OCD and how it works. The more you know about OCD, the more you will be able to get yourself the right support and treatment, so please check them out also. I've inked through to them throughout this post.***
So, what are Intrusive Thoughts?
Until they learn more about OCD, most people believe the condition is just a series of physical behaviours, such as people washing hands or checking locks. But there is a whole world going on under the surface, and that's where intrusive thoughts come in!
Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that pop up automatically into our heads. Very often, they centre around distressing content that goes totally against the values of the person experiencing them (these types of thoughts are known as ego-dystonic thoughts). Most people get intrusive thoughts sometimes, but people without OCD can often let them go after a little while - even particularly distressing ones!
Those of us with OCD struggle with uncertainty, so if we get intrusive thoughts, we tend to find them very unsettling. We question them and worry that they indicate our true desires - they can cause us intense feelings of fear and anxiety (intrusive thoughts are a type of obsession). We then carry out a range of internal and/or external behaviours aimed at 'lessening' the fear (these behaviours are known as compulsions). The relief felt after carrying out compulsions doesn't last very long and before we know it we are dealing with tricky intrusive thoughts again. This cycle is called the OCD Loop, and you can find out much more about it, including how it relates to intrusive thoughts, here.
Physical Sensations and Urges
Intrusive thoughts can be experienced alongside physical body sensations and/or urges/impulses, making them seem more real. These sensations are surprisingly common, and I've written a post about this with the amazing psychotherapist Kelley Franke. You can read it here.
Examples of Intrusive Thoughts
You may find these a bit upsetting, but remember these thoughts go AGAINST the values of the people experiencing them and that most people experience thoughts like this!
Thoughts of doing something violent or illegal
Doubts about your relationship or sexual orientation
Thoughts of either accidentally or deliberately harming a child or yourself
Worries about catching germs or a serious illness
Concerns about doing something embarrassing
Memories of something you want to forget
Fear that you or your loved ones will get sick, hurt, or die
Unwanted sexual thoughts
The list goes on and on...
When to seek help for Intrusive Thoughts?
You should seek help for intrusive thoughts if they cause you distress and/or they are affecting your daily life. It can sometimes be tricky to speak to people openly about your intrusive thoughts because they may cause feelings of shame, and you may be worried about the reaction you'll receive. This is a completely natural worry, but please don't let it stop you from getting support you deserve. You are experiencing symptoms of OCD, and there is treatment available. There are ways you can get help for even the most upsetting intrusive thoughts; you can learn more about how in this post.
Do Intrusive Thoughts ever go away?
Intrusive thoughts are part of the human experience, so in that sense, they don't go away BUT our reaction to them can change. They can change to the point where they bother us less and less and to where we hardly notice them. Woohoo!
It's really important to understand that intrusive thoughts aren't the problem. It's OCD's reaction to them that causes the distress. Everyone experiences weird, intrusive thoughts. So much so that the French have a term to describe the odd sort of content they sometimes throw around. It's called L'appel du vide, the call of the void, and describes the very human experience of having destructive thoughts and urges.
Most people are familiar with the feeling of getting the urge to do something out of character such as jumping in front of a train when waiting on the platform, jumping from somewhere high up, knocking a tray of drinks from someone's hands or sticking your feet out when someone is walking past. It's just something our brains do.
But it scares OCD.
Another way of looking at intrusive thoughts is that your brain is one big, complex computer that likes to stay aware of all its available options. This makes evolutionary sense; it's a survival mechanism. It makes sense that some of the random thoughts and feelings it generates are upsetting in nature; we need to be aware of risk. It makes sense for a new mum to experience intrusive thoughts about harm coming to her baby, even if she's worried she'll cause it herself, because an awareness of harm helps to keep the baby safe!
So to recap on that point, intrusive thoughts aren't the problem - it's OCD's relentlessness in trying to find out the meaning of them, that is. Intrusive thoughts once had me believing that I was capable of all sorts of horrible things - I was too terrified to leave the house. But after treatment and recovery, I can now deliberately bring on pretty much any intrusive thought, and although some still distress me at times, it's only in a non-OCD-type way.
If you are currently in a position where your intrusive thoughts are causing you distress, please remember that it won't last! <3
What is Pure O?
People who experience distressing, intrusive thoughts as a part of OCD sometimes refer to their condition as Pure O. It is really important that you have a little read around this subject because the term has both advantages and disadvantages to its use. You can read all about Pure O in this post.
Just to end...
Experiencing intrusive thoughts as part of OCD can be terrifying and isolating. But once you start to learn about them - and you've made a great start already - you put yourself in such a powerful position. You take some of their strength away and put yourself in a solid position to get the support you deserve.
I hope this post has helped you to understand intrusive thoughts and their role in OCD. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and I'll try my best to answer them!
Sending you loads of love,
Cat xx
Further Reading
Interested in books, resources and information about OCD? Look no further than here! This is one of the most comprehensive lists available for OCD.
Nuance is so important in conversations about mental health and OCD. Please have a read about how we can take a nuanced approach to learning about OCD and recovery in this post here.
OCD loves keeping you on your toes and in the OCD Loop. Learn more about how to spot sneaky compulsions so you can interrupt the cycle here!
Taming Olivia Newsletter
We send out a fun community newsletter each month which includes:
Loads of information about up-coming OCD community events and Taming Olivia updates.
A free, fun and accessible well-being pack which give you the chance to practice self-care and recovery skills.
Information about our film about intrusive thoughts and OCD, starring Ralph Ineson, Waving.
Come and join us by signing up at Tamingolivia.com
Comments