What mental problems are associated with intrusive thoughts?

Have you ever had thoughts spontaneously, seemingly out of nowhere, that generate an intense emotional reaction in you?

Most of us experience unpleasant thoughts that we would rather not have. Of course, intrusive thoughts, most of the time, are disturbing, but they are completely normal.

However, for a small part of the population, these thoughts go further and are associated with a mental health problem. In this article We will talk about what these intrusive thoughts are, which ones are the most frequent and what mental problems they are associated with.

• Related article: "The 8 higher psychological processes"

What are intrusive thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses that pop up in our head. They can occur spontaneously or they can be triggered by external or internal stimuli. What's more, these thoughts are usually distressing and tend to recur.

Intrusive thoughts often provoke feelings of guilt, shame, and / or fear. Consequently, many people do not reveal these thoughts to others. However, intrusive thoughts are much more common than is usually believed.

When we talk about intrusive thoughts, they are usually associated exclusively with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. But the truth is that they are often also part of the symptoms of other disorders, such as anxiety disorders.

Also, intrusive thoughts are not exclusive to people who have a mental health problem. They are also experienced by the general population.

These thoughts are just that, thoughts (although, very harmful, on many occasions). They are not warning messages. What empowers them is that those who experience them care about their meaning.

• You may be interested in: "What is mental rumination and how to deal with it effectively"

The most frequent intrusive thoughts, with examples

The most common general themes of intrusive thoughts are: the idea of ​​hurting, violent experiences, sexual behaviors, ideas linked to religion, or thoughts based on concern about making mistakes and causing accidents.

Some intrusive thoughts that have been identified in the general population are the following: thoughts of diverting the car causing a crash, images of harming a loved one, thoughts of getting sick, urges to do something embarrassing, thoughts of leaving an appliance on, thoughts blasphemous ...

Let's see some examples below:

• What happens if I drop this plate on the floor?
• The sudden image a mother has of dropping her baby.
• What if I push this person onto the train tracks?
• A woman in good health who has thoughts of dying from a heart attack.
• Images participating in a sexual act that the person considers inappropriate.
• A religious person has a sudden urge to stand up during a religious ceremony and begins to shout obscenities.
• A straight man has a random thought about sleeping with another man.

Usually these intrusive thoughts cause great distress, especially when they are perceived as out of place or that go against the values the person's own.

In what disorders do intrusive thoughts appear?

As we have discussed previously, anyone can experience intrusive thoughts. These types of thoughts are not always the result of a mental problem, nor does their existence mean that we need psychological attention.

However, if you have very frequent intrusive thoughts, they generate great anguish or if you focus excessively on them, there may be an underlying mental disorder. We are going to review, below, some of the disorders in which such thoughts are a common symptom.

1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) occurs when intrusive thoughts become uncontrollable. These intrusive thoughts (called obsessions) can cause the person to repeat behaviors (called compulsions) in the hope that carrying out the compulsion can end the thoughts.

Some examples of these types of intrusive thoughts include worrying about whether they have been shut down properly. the doors or the cooktop has been turned off, or worrying about contracting a disease from touching a surface dirty.

2. Post-traumatic stress disorder

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience intrusive thoughts that are often related to the traumatic event. These thoughts can trigger some of the physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate and heavy sweating.

3. Anxiety disorders

People with anxiety are also swept up in unwanted thoughts (although of a less intense caliber than in the TOC). People with Generalized anxiety disorderFor example, they may be prone to worrying about the safety of their loved ones.

People with social anxiety, on the other hand, may have a hard time letting go of memories of a time when they made a mistake in a social situation.