Intrusive Thoughts: What Are They?
Intrusive thoughts are like the act of rumination, where certain thoughts repeatedly invade the mind, disrupting a person’s daily life. These thoughts can manifest in various forms, such as religious or ideological concerns, and can be distressing for individuals. Sometimes, intrusive thoughts may arise from sexual issues due to the constant repetition of taboos and sexual matters since childhood, which get ingrained in one’s mind. When feelings of guilt develop in such situations, they can lead to numerous problems, one of which is intrusive thoughts.
3 Techniques to Overcome Intrusive Thoughts
When it comes to overcoming intrusive thoughts, the key point is that the more you try to push them away, the deeper you may sink into them. Therefore, recognizing techniques to control these thoughts is of utmost importance. In this article, we will discuss several techniques to help overcome intrusive thoughts.
Technique 1: Don’t Fight Your Thoughts
One of the best ways to overcome intrusive thoughts is to stop trying to control them. Instead, view your thoughts like a cloud that will eventually pass. However, if you constantly focus on the clouds, even when there’s no cloud in sight, you’ll begin to search for them. Obsessive and intrusive thoughts come and go like pieces of cloud, but if you keep focusing on them, your brain will seek out and create more of them.
In fact, the problem with intrusive thoughts begins when people try to control them, much like getting stuck in a swamp. The more you struggle, the deeper you sink.
To treat obsessive thoughts, it’s recommended that you avoid labeling yourself or using negative self-talk, as feelings of inferiority, guilt, and self-deprecation can intensify intrusive and obsessive thoughts.
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Why the Need for Control?
As humans, we have the ability to control many aspects of our environment. For instance, we can adjust the temperature of a room using heating or cooling systems, change our clothing, or relocate to a different place. This sense of control extends to our thoughts as well, where people try to manage and control them. In fact, human rules and systems have been created to master various phenomena, leading to the benefits of control. However, this approach does not work when it comes to intrusive thoughts. The more you try to control obsessive thoughts, the more they’ll come back to haunt you. To demonstrate this, try not to think about a red apple for the next minute! Just as it’s impossible to avoid thinking about the red apple, attempting not to think about intrusive or obsessive thoughts yields no positive outcome.
To prevent obsessing over these thoughts, you can focus on your priorities and start engaging in activities, even if intrusive thoughts cross your mind during them.
Technique 2: Thought Stopping
In this technique, you need to write down the thoughts that come to your mind. Since thoughts vary in intensity and significance, you should focus on writing down the stronger, more disruptive thoughts. Afterward, read them aloud and then give the thought a command to stop. In doing so, you are breaking the chain of thoughts that lead you toward depression and lethargy.
By stopping the thought, you desensitize yourself and gradually free yourself from intrusive thoughts in several stages. In the first stage, you stop the thought 10 seconds after it begins. In the second stage, you do so after 30 seconds, and in the third stage, you stop the thought at the end of it. To optimize this technique, you can ask a close person to help you. Share your thoughts with them, and as you go through them, they can make a sudden movement, such as banging on the table, to disrupt your thought process.
This technique should be carried out for three cycles, each lasting three days. For the first three days, say the command aloud. For the next three days, whisper it, and in the final three days, silently give the command to stop the thoughts in your mind. You should repeat this 20 times each day. This technique is a form of conditioning and will help you become conditioned to stop intrusive thoughts.
Alternatively, you can perform this technique by writing your thoughts on paper and giving them to a trusted person. Ask them to throw the paper toward you as soon as you signal them. This act serves as a form of insult to the thoughts and helps in diminishing their value.
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Technique 3: Record Your Thoughts
First, record your obsessive and intrusive thoughts, and then play them back to yourself while engaging in daily activities like cooking, cleaning your room, driving, or doing other tasks.
Each of these techniques is effective in diverting your attention and focus away from obsessive and intrusive thoughts, helping you focus on other tasks instead. The success of these techniques requires repetition and patience. Just as achieving a desired physique takes consistent effort over time, stopping obsessive thoughts also requires continuous practice and perseverance.
Additionally, if the content of these obsessive thoughts is tied to issues such as rigid schema or criteria, it is important to seek therapy under the guidance of a professional to address these underlying problems.