The 6 different types of intrusive thoughts and where they come from
If you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts, it’s common to worry that you might be secretly going crazy.
First off, everyone has intrusive thoughts, by definition.
No one controls what thoughts appear in their mind. Intrusive or compulsive thoughts can come out of nowhere, harass us, swamp us and because they’re inside our head it can feel like there’s no escape.
But some thoughts are more persistent, compulsive or disturbing than others. That’s what we usually mean by intrusive thoughts. There are six types of intrusive thoughts, which are caused by different operations of the brain and nervous system.
When you understand the different types and the root causes of intrusive thoughts, they become a lot less mysterious and a lot easier to step back from. Understanding the cause can remove a lot of the shame and stigma and is the first step towards learning to overcome them for good.
Compulsive worries about the past
Most people run through past events in their mind and wonder if they could have done something differently.
But if you can’t stop, it’s most likely an attempt by your nervous system to digest experiences of chronic emotional stress.
2. Flashbacks are also an attempt by your brain to digest experiences that were too overwhelming to process in real time.
The difference with flashbacks is that they relate to acute stress experiences - what’s usually called trauma
3. Compulsive worries about the future
Your brain and nervous system are built to scan for threat, that’s a central part of their job.
But when that capacity is on overdrive or can’t turn off, it can show up as compulsive worries about the future, or even paranoia
4. Health-related
Health-related anxiety happens when we get overly sensitive to and paranoid about the sensations in our body.
It’s also a function of four brain and nervous system scanning a threat - the difference is this time it’s turned inwards instead of outwards
5. Disturbing imagery
Many people experience violent, sexual or disturbing images or impulses that flash across their mindds
Different from flashbacks, these images are not from our life experience and have nothing to do with anything we want or plan to do.
When mind-body communication pathways break down, your nervous system will do whatever it can to get your attention.
These images are so intense, weird and violent specifically BECAUSE they’re meant to grab your attention and get you to rebuild the regular communication channels.
The most important thing to remember is that no matter what’s going on in your mind, your mind is not you. Your thoughts don’t say anything about who you are.
Instead of wrestling with your intrusive thoughts or trying to squash them or push them away -- which never works and usually makes them worse -- use them as an opportunity to build mental, emotional and spiritual strength from within.
The majority of people never tell anyone when they’re struggling with intrusive thoughts because there’s so much shame and stigma around them. Let’s get this info out there, start to shine a light on all the weird sh*t that goes on in our head and let people know they’re not alone and there are answers!
In resilience,
Caitlin