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Discover what intrusive thoughts are, why they happen, how they relate to trauma, and effective, therapist-approved ways to cope and heal.
Intrusive Thoughts: What They Are and How to Cope
Intrusive Thoughts: What They Are and How to Cope
Intrusive thoughts can be sudden, distressing, and deeply unsettling. They often arrive uninvited—violent images, taboo ideas, or irrational fears that seem to erupt out of nowhere. If you’ve ever thought, “Why did I just imagine that?” or “What’s wrong with me for thinking this?”, you’re not alone. Intrusive thoughts are far more common than most people realise—and they don’t mean something is wrong with you.
Understanding where these thoughts come from, why they stick, and how to work with them is crucial for reclaiming peace of mind. Here’s what the latest research and clinical insights reveal.
What Are Intrusive Thoughts
What Are Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, involuntary mental events. They may involve images, urges, or ideas that feel disturbing or out of sync with your values—such as thoughts of harming someone, committing a sexual act you find repugnant, or doubting something you know to be safe.
These thoughts can seem shocking or deeply out of character. But the truth is, most people experience them. Studies show they occur across a wide range of themes, including harm, sexuality, contamination, illness, and death. They can surface in stressful moments or during times of major transition. For some, they pass unnoticed. For others, they become a source of persistent distress.
What often determines whether a thought lingers isn’t the content itself—but the meaning we assign to it.
When They become "Sticky"
When They become "Sticky"
The distressing power of intrusive thoughts lies in how we interpret them. When people see the thought as a threat—a sign of danger, moral failure, or psychological instability—the mind goes into defence mode.
This often leads to shame, fear, and attempts to control or suppress the thought. Ironically, those very efforts to push the thought away can make it more persistent. Suppression increases sensitivity to the thought, turning it into something the brain feels it must constantly monitor. The result is a feedback loop: the more you try to fight the thought, the more powerful it feels.
Thoughts become "sticky" when we believe they mean something significant. For example:
“Having this thought means I’m a bad person.”
“If I imagined this, I must want it.”
“These thoughts prove I’m dangerous or broken.”
These beliefs amplify fear, increase emotional reactivity, and make it harder to let go.
Thought Control Strategies: What Helps vs. What Hurts
Thought Control Strategies: What Helps vs. What Hurts
People who struggle with intrusive thoughts often resort to control strategies. Some of these are intuitive but unhelpful—like punishment, worry, reassurance-seeking, or rumination. Others are more adaptive—like distraction, self-compassion, or mindful reappraisal.
Those who suffer the most often engage in reactive strategies that backfire. For example, someone might repeatedly tell themselves to "stop thinking that," only to have the thought grow louder. Others might seek constant reassurance from loved ones or replay the thought to prove it won't come true. Over time, these behaviours reinforce the brain's sense that the thought is dangerous.
In contrast, adaptive strategies involve noticing the thought, acknowledging it as a mental event, and gently redirecting attention. Mindfulness, acceptance-based approaches, and cognitive behavioural techniques can help reduce the intensity and frequency of these thoughts over time.
Trauma and Intrusive Thoughts
Trauma and Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts can have a special significance in those who have experienced trauma. In these cases, thoughts are often emotionally intense, vivid, and accompanied by sensations of fear or shame. They may feel like a replay of the trauma or carry themes that echo the original event.
Unlike everyday intrusive thoughts, trauma-related intrusions are often interpreted as evidence that the trauma is still happening or that the person is not safe. This can lead to chronic hypervigilance, emotional numbing, and avoidance. The thoughts themselves are often not the problem—it’s the meaning they carry and the body's unprocessed fear response.
In many trauma-informed therapies, these intrusions are seen not as defects, but as signs that the brain is still trying to process what happened. They are the mind’s way of asking for completion—a signal that something important remains unresolved.
From Symptom to Signal: A Growth Perspective
From Symptom to Signal: A Growth Perspective
Not all intrusive thoughts are harmful. In some contexts, they can even be a sign of psychological healing. Emerging research suggests that when people engage with intrusive thoughts in a supported, structured way, these thoughts can become gateways to insight, growth, and integration.
Posttraumatic growth theory recognises that revisiting a distressing event isn’t necessarily a setback—it can be part of the mind's effort to make sense of what happened and to reorganise itself in a healthier way. Therapies like EMDR, narrative exposure, and trauma-focused CBT aim to create space for this integration process to occur safely.
The key is not to suppress the thought, but to engage with it under the right conditions: with safety, support, and a readiness to process rather than avoid.
How to Cope With Intrusive Thoughts
How to Cope With Intrusive Thoughts
If you struggle with intrusive thoughts, here are some evidence-informed approaches that can help:
1. Understand That Thoughts Are Not IntentionsA thought is not an action. It doesn’t reflect who you are or what you want. Reminding yourself that "this is just a thought" can help create distance and reduce its emotional charge.
2. Notice Without JudgmentRather than reacting to the thought or trying to push it away, try simply observing it. Approaches like mindfulness and acceptance-based therapy teach you to sit with discomfort without fuelling it.
3. Address Underlying BeliefsSometimes, it’s not the thought itself but the belief beneath it that causes distress. A psychologist can help you identify and shift these underlying beliefs so they no longer hold the same power.
4. Work Through Trauma If ApplicableIf intrusive thoughts are tied to past trauma, trauma-focused therapies may be appropriate. Techniques like EMDR and trauma-focused CBT support the brain in reprocessing unresolved memories, often reducing the frequency and impact of distressing intrusions.
5. Avoid Maladaptive Control StrategiesTrying to "block" the thought, punish yourself, or seek constant reassurance may offer temporary relief but usually increases distress in the long term. Focus instead on grounding, compassion, and evidence-based techniques that support emotional resilience.
When To Seek Help
If intrusive thoughts are frequent, distressing, or disrupting your life, it may be time to seek support. Working with a qualified psychologist can help you:
Make sense of the thoughts without fear
Reduce avoidance and emotional reactivity
Understand links to trauma, anxiety, or belief systems
Build effective, long-term strategies for relief
You are not broken. You are not dangerous. You are not alone. Intrusive thoughts are a human experience—and help is available.
Take Away
Take Away
Intrusive thoughts are a normal part of being human — not a sign that something is wrong with you. What matters most isn’t the thought itself, but how we relate to it. When approached with understanding, rather than fear or shame, these thoughts can lose their power. Whether rooted in anxiety, trauma, or simply the mind’s wild creativity, support is available — and healing is possible.
References
Brooks, M. T. R., Graham-Kevan, N., Robinson, S., & Lowe, M. (2019). Trauma characteristics and posttraumatic growth: The mediating role of avoidance coping, intrusive thoughts, and social support. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(2), 232–238.
Ehring, T., Frank, S., & Ehlers, A. (2008). Cognitive processing of trauma: The role of intrusive reexperiencing and rumination. Behaviour Therapy, 39(4), 386–398.
Heeren, A., & McNally, R. J. (2019). Heterogeneity in intrusive thoughts: A novel network approach. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 100, 132–139.
Julien, D., O’Connor, K. P., & Aardema, F. (2007). Intrusive thoughts, obsessions, and appraisals in obsessive–compulsive disorder: A critical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 27(3), 366–383.
Wells, A., & Papageorgiou, C. (1998). Managing unwanted intrusive thoughts in clinical disorders: A comparison of strategies. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 26(3), 265–280.
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