Left unattended, intrusive thoughts can interfere with concentration and focus, making it difficult to complete tasks at work or school. This decreased productivity can then take its toll on the thinker’s mental health and lead to difficult emotions such as frustration, guilt, shame, anxiety and depression.
And it doesn’t end there. The terror of intrusive thoughts impacts behaviour, and leads to avoidance of certain situations, places, or people. This limits activities and social interactions, negatively affecting quality of life. So what do these intrusive thoughts look like? Let’s look at some examples.
Examples of Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, distressing thoughts that can take many forms, often reflecting fears or concerns that are contrary to a person’s values. For example, a person might suddenly have a thought about harming someone they love, even though they would never want to act on it.
I see many clients who worry that their intrusive thoughts mean that they are a bad person to have these thoughts. But the reality is, these thoughts reflect the opposite about a person’s values and desires. The distress caused by these thoughts usually indicates that the person is unlikely to act on them and finds them repugnant. I make it clear to my clients that if they were the type of person who did wish to act on these types of thoughts, they would suffer no anxiety or distress about them, they would just have the desire to carry them out.
Below are some specific examples:
One common type is harmful thoughts, which involve fears of harming oneself or others, even without any intention to act on them. For example, someone might worry, What if I push someone in front of a car?
Unwanted Sexual Thoughts: Experiencing a sudden, unwanted sexual thought about a stranger, a family member, or someone inappropriate, which causes distress because it goes against your values and beliefs.
Fear of Contamination: Repeated thoughts about being contaminated by germs or dirt, such as constantly worrying that you’ve touched something dirty or infected, even when there is no reasonable basis for this fear.
Religious or Blasphemous Thoughts: Experiencing unwanted thoughts or images that are contrary to your religious beliefs, such as imagining desecrating a sacred object or having irreverent thoughts about a religious figure, causing feelings of guilt or anxiety.
Doubtful Thoughts: Constantly doubting your actions or decisions, such as repeatedly worrying that you didn’t lock the door or turn off the stove, despite knowing you’ve checked multiple times. This doubt can lead to repetitive checking behaviors and increased anxiety.
There are also symmetry or orderliness thoughts, characterized by intense discomfort when things aren’t arranged in a specific order or perfectly aligned. A person might feel, I can’t focus unless everything is arranged symmetrically.
Some intrusive thoughts are existential or philosophical, where individuals obsessively question life’s meaning, reality, or existence. For example, they might think, What if nothing is real?
Others experience fears of loss or abandonment, which trigger anxiety over losing loved ones or relationships. A common thought could be, What if my partner stops loving me?
Unrealistic fears of catastrophe involve imagining worst-case scenarios with a low likelihood of happening, such as, What if my plane crashes?
Body-focused thoughts, where individuals obsess over perceived flaws or physical sensations. A typical thought might be, What if I develop a serious illness because of this symptom?
Less common Examples of Intrusive Thoughts
Fear of Forgetting Important Personal Information
Individuals might have intrusive thoughts about accidentally revealing sensitive information, like passwords or personal secrets, even if they have no intention to do so.
Fear of Losing Control in Social Situations
This involves sudden thoughts about acting inappropriately or embarrassing oneself, such as shouting obscenities or behaving erratically in public.
Hyper-awareness of Automatic Bodily Functions
Some people experience intrusive thoughts focused on natural processes like blinking, breathing, or swallowing, causing distress over things typically done unconsciously.
Fear of Acting Against One’s Moral Code
Intrusive thoughts may involve fears of violating personal ethics or values, such as lying or stealing, despite having no desire or intention to do so.
False Memories or Distorted Past Events
Some may have intrusive thoughts about having done something terrible in the past, even if there is no evidence or recollection of such events, leading to intense guilt or anxiety.
You’re Not Alone
If you find that your intrusive thoughts are significantly affecting your well-being, don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional. Remember, you are not alone, and help is available.
In forthcoming articles, we’ll take a deeper dive into where these thoughts come from, who gets them and how to manage them.
