Freeing Your Mind from Intrusive Thoughts

Do You Struggle with Intrusive Thoughts?

They can seriously disrupt your quality of life and even drive you to the edge. I get it. Sadly, many people are experiencing the same thing, but experience shows that real change is possible.

The biggest trap for people dealing with obsessive or intrusive thoughts is trying to control them. Yes, I know it sounds counterintuitive. Isn’t that the goal? Let me explain.

When these thoughts pop up, people tend to get upset and try to push them away. They argue with the thoughts, reassure themselves that they’re not true, try to ignore them, or avoid situations that might trigger them.

But if you check in with yourself honestly, you’ll realize that these strategies only help for a short while, but don't solve the problem.

Trying to "get rid of the thoughts" sends your brain a message that these thoughts are dangerous. And what do we do with things that scare us? We avoid them. We panic. We obsess over them. The panic and fear fuels the cycle and keeps the thoughts coming.

If you were face-to-face with a lion, you wouldn’t be thinking about anything else- not even if you’d just won the lottery. You’d be 100% focused on the threat in front of you. That’s what your mind is doing with these thoughts- the fear gives them all the power.

What does help?

Practice. Repeated, patient training- with room for setbacks- can shift the way you experience these thoughts. Drop the strategies that don’t work and remember that your thoughts are just thoughts. They are not you.

If your leg hurts, you wouldn't say, “I am a leg pain.” You'd say, “My leg hurts.” The same is true for your thoughts: they are a product of your brain- not your identity.

Observe your thoughts as if you were watching them from the outside. Ask yourself:

• Where in my body do I feel this thought?

• What would it look like if it had a shape, color, texture, or size?

By doing this, you turn the thought into an object. You externalize it and make it what it really is- a side effect of being human. It doesn’t mean it’s true. You didn’t invite it in, and it doesn’t define you.

You can even imagine placing the thought on the ground in front of you, or seeing it float by like a leaf on a stream. These images help train your brain to recognize that the thought is just a thought, and nothing more.

The Key Is Repetition

Stick with this mindset and practice it regularly. You don’t need to do it all perfectly, but find the parts that resonate with you and start there. The more you train yourself this way, the more likely you are to feel real relief. For some, this practice can eliminate the issue entirely.

Wishing you strength, peace, and success.

Chagai Zadok is involved in psychotherapy and marriage counseling.