God’s Love
- Date posted
- 20w
Question
Please how can an intrusive thought be distinguished from our own thoughts ?
OutstandingCutieDisorderOutstandingC...
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
There is no way to distinguish it with 100% certainty
djfloriodjflorio
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
Another way to look at it: no thoughts are any more our "own" than others. All thoughts are just thoughts. Some thoughts are helpful and relevant the the present moment or immediate situation. Some thoughts are unhelpful and distracting. Intrusive thoughts are those unhelpful thoughts that keep taking our attention. Try not to get too caught up in distinguishing the two, because that will just become another way you worry about the thoughts, and give them more attention. No thought needs to be worried about because they aren't reflections of our true desires. They're all just thoughts, whether they're about wanting a sandwich or wanting to hurt someone.
OutstandingCutieDisorderOutstandingC...
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
@djflorio This!!!
MichelleVMichelleV
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
This article may help you: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/intrusive-thoughts-normal Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome and attack what you value. If it causes distress, fear, etc, it’s likely intrusive.
Tcp2025Tcp2025
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
My therapist said intrusive thoughts are thoughts we don’t want to think and would not normally choose to think. They come out of nowhere sometimes with no context. Intrusive thoughts make you fearful you are going against your own morals.
CayCatCayCat
- Date posted
- 20w
I would say it’s the negative thoughts that keep coming even after you want them to stop.
noone9noone9
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
For me, when I describe it as having a volume level of sound. Like they get really loud in my head.
a_raisinbran_originala_raisinbran...
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 15w
Such a good question. I’m working on this too, and it’s really hard. I’m still in the beginning stages, but I’m starting to notice the difference between what anxiety feels like vs what’s actually real. My therapist explained that intrusive thoughts are usually sudden, unwanted, and go against our values—they’re more about fear than truth. I’m learning to sit with the anxiety and not react right away, even when it feels super urgent
Related posts
me.vs.ocd
- Date posted
- 23w
what do your intrusive thoughts feel like?
for me, it's like there's two folders of my thoughts, 'main thoughts' and 'sub thoughts' and it's like a background voice of my background voice, you know? like so quiet and irrelevant but it's still here and i can try to ignore it but not fully and it feels like it's just really nasty, like it's warring with me, never shuts up and just keeps nagging me with those thoughts
jck689292
- Date posted
- 17w
Examples of intrusive thoughts?
I’m interested in hearing an example of intrusive thoughts you guys have. I’m having a tough time and could use support. Thank you!
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 12d
Disgusting thought that I'm not sure was intrusive
I think sometimes my OCD will interupt a normal thought that will maybe slightly include something to do with a trigger and twist it into something disgusting that wasn't intended, I don't know I can't tell if I was like unintentionally doing a compulsion and testing my reaction to a thought, a random thought that was twisted into an intrusive thought, it was just a straight up intrusive thought (It did kind of come out of nowhere (other than being related to the trigger I mean) and caused me a lot of distress but most of the time my intrusive thoughts are vague and I don't really know if this is what they feel like when they aren't. If it wasn't an intrusive thought I don't know why I would've thought something like that though. For context, I saw someone quoting an alt-right YouTuber who is a confirmed predator who also physically abused his underage victim (Despite his fans denying this vehemently) and had a thought that I think was GOING to be "He wasn't even good at hiding it" (Even then I think I meant trying to hid it) but was twisted into "He wasn't even one of the good ones" and I immediately spiralled afterwards and went "What? What? Why? Why did I think that what's wrong with me?" Is it possible for an intrusive thought to feel real? I know I really didn't like the thought and it wasn't wanted but that doesn't feel enough for me to call it intrusive and it's scaring me. I can't tell if this is a thought warped by OCD, just a "normal" intrusive thought or a genuine thought I had (which is obviously the thing I dreading the most)
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