Intrusive thoughts [trigger]

[goldenleavesfalling]

-NC as don't want it linking to my usual name-

Intrusive thoughts.

Are they normal? To think of dying, or what would happen if you stepped out in front of a car, or this knife cut your arm?

In my lowest times, I have had them but never acted on them. A discussion with a friend recently and intrusive thoughts came up. She said it's normal and we all have them. But do we?

This came up in some training I recently had. The bottom line was- Yes intrusive thoughts are normal but they become a problem when you can't stop thinking about them. Apparently this is the route of OCD.

ROOT ROOT ROOT

Arghhh

I do and always have. I'll do things like lock the car door while I'm in it so that I can't impulsively open it. I have (well-controlled) PTSD and anxiety, and have had depression in the past, but the intrusive thoughts pre-date this by some way and I've always considered them to be fairly normal?

I have depression. Have had for years. Have had thoughts of it would be better if I wasn't around but I havent and never would act on it.

Definitely normal. I think alsorts, most I don't remember but some of it is either hilarious or shocking!

I think if you get that anxious about them then you would benefit from help letting them go, it's known as OCD then.

I’ve had intrusive thoughts and images, but in my case it was PTSD, flashbacks from SA in my childhood, memories of which I had repressed for many years. When I was able to face up to what was really going on, it was extremely traumatic, and has had a profound effect on me, but I had EMDR therapy and the flashbacks have receded.

The flashbacks were specific, from one particularly traumatic incident, which my DSis and I went through, and they enabled us to report the incident to the police. The CPS didn’t pursue it because the ID wasn’t clear enough, as the person we knew was dead. The police were sure about the person they traced but because we never had a name, and my DB had no memory of it (he has serious MH problems) there just wasn’t enough. But at least we tried.

So there are all sorts of reasons for intrusive thoughts and images. It really helped me to understand them, as previously I’d felt like I was going crazy. It led to a world of pain, especially as I have young children, and for my DM, who had no knowledge of it, but not knowing was worse.

I’m sorry you have thoughts of the world being better off without you, I can really identify with that! But I’m glad you wouldn’t act on it. You can always go back to the GP to ask for a change in your medication, I’ve done that before.

Normal, I do every day

I would say the medication I'm on is the best of the bunch for me personally. I can only up my dose I suppose. It's not often but sometimes I do think, for example, I wonder what would happen if I just shut my eyes whilst driving.

There's never an intention really but a curiosity

I know, I have that sometimes. But I know I’d never act on it; apart from anything else, the thought of not succeeding in ending it all and potentially being paraplegic is more scary than actually succeeding. Horrible thought!

The driving thing is deffo normal, so is standing on the edge of a cliff and imaging pushing someone off or jumping. I read an article by a leading behavioural Psychologist and he listed examples of his own intrusive thoughts, these were top of the list. Sometimes we think things we just don't wanna think, doesn't mean anything or reflect the true you.

I think everyone has them now and then. The jumping out of the car one is quite normal I think or swerving the steering wheel suddenly at high speed.

DP has depression and OCD and suffers with vivid, frightening and sickening intrusive thoughts which sounds like a completely different ball game though. They seems to come in pits and troughs, for a few weeks he is fine but then they suddenly hit him over and over for the next week or so. Apparently it's mainly linked to the OCD part with him.

I have them, especially when stressed. When I’m driving on the motorway I get the urge to see what would happen if I suddenly swung the steering wheel over at 70mph. I’ve managed to avoid the urge though. Derren Brown says in his book that it’s the reason he’s never learnt to drive as he doesn’t trust himself.

There was a comedian, I can’t remember which one, on that Alan Davies show who talked about the intrusive thoughts he had when meeting Barrack Obama, was very funny.

I read a fab book by Matt Haig called reasons to stay alive, it helped me understand that many of my thoughts and behaviours that I worry are weird are actually incredibly common, people just don’t talk about it.