Intrusive Thoughts

[Jinxsta]

Intrusive thoughts are scary things, please if you wish to read this topic and/reply please make sure you read the following, so that you are well informed of the facts surrounding such thoughts I hope that people who suffer intrusive thought will feel able to talk about any that are troubling them and shall seek positive advise or support where appropriate.

The following is taken from Wikipedia;

Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome involuntary thoughts, images, or unpleasant ideas that may become obsessions, are upsetting or distressing, and can be difficult to manage or eliminate.[1] Intrusive thoughts, urges, and images are of inappropriate things at inappropriate times, usually falling into three categories: "inappropriate aggressive thoughts, inappropriate sexual thoughts, or blasphemous religious thoughts".[2] Most people experience these thoughts when they are associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, and sometimes attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). They may become paralyzing, anxiety-provoking, or persistent.

Many people experience the type of bad or unwanted thoughts that people with more troubling intrusive thoughts have, but most people are able to dismiss these thoughts.[1] For most people, intrusive thoughts are a "fleeting annoyance."[3] London psychologist Stanley Rachman presented a questionnaire to healthy college students and found that virtually all said they had these thoughts from time to time, including thoughts of sexual violence, sexual punishment, "unnatural" sex acts, painful sexual practices, blasphemous or obscene images, thoughts of harming elderly people or someone close to them, violence against animals or towards children, and impulsive or abusive outbursts or utterances.[4] Such bad thoughts are universal among humans, and have "almost certainly always been a part of the human condition".[5]

When intrusive thoughts occur with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), patients are less able to ignore the unpleasant thoughts and may pay undue attention to them, causing the thoughts to become more frequent and distressing.[1] The thoughts may become obsessions which are paralyzing, severe, and constantly present, and can range from thoughts of violence or sex to religious blasphemy.[3] Distinguishing them from normal intrusive thoughts experienced by many people, the intrusive thoughts associated with OCD may be anxiety provoking, irrepressible, and persistent.[6]

How people react to intrusive thoughts may determine whether these thoughts will become severe, turn into obsessions, or require treatment. Intrusive thoughts can occur with or without compulsions. Carrying out the compulsion reduces the anxiety, but makes the urge to perform the compulsion stronger each time it reoccurs, reinforcing the intrusive thoughts.[1] According to Lee Baer (a specialist at the OCD clinic of Massachusetts General Hospital), suppressing the thoughts only makes them stronger, and recognizing that bad thoughts do not signify that one is truly evil is one of the steps to overcoming them.[7] There is evidence of the benefit of acceptance as an alternative to suppression of intrusive thoughts. A study showed that those instructed to suppress intrusive thoughts experienced more distress after suppression, while patients instructed to accept the bad thoughts experienced decreased discomfort.[8] These results may be related to underlying cognitive processes involved in OCD.[9] But, accepting the thoughts can be more difficult for persons with OCD. In the 19th century, OCD was known as "the doubting sickness";[10] the "pathological doubt" that accompanies OCD can make it harder for a person with OCD to distinguish "normal" intrusive thoughts as experienced by most people, causing them to "suffer in silence, feeling too embarrassed or worried that they will be thought crazy".[11]

The possibility that most patients suffering from intrusive thoughts will ever act on those thoughts is low. Patients who are experiencing intense guilt, anxiety, shame, and upset over these thoughts are different from those who actually act on them. The history of violent crime is dominated by those who feel no guilt or remorse; the very fact that someone is tormented by intrusive thoughts and has never acted on them before is an excellent predictor that they will not act upon the thoughts. Patients who are not troubled or shamed by their thoughts, do not find them distasteful, or who have actually taken action, might need to have more serious conditions such as psychosis or potentially criminal behaviors ruled out.[12] According to Baer, a patient should be concerned that intrusive thoughts are dangerous if the person does not feel upset by the thoughts, or rather finds them pleasurable; has ever acted on violent or sexual thoughts or urges; hears voices or sees things that others do not see; or feels uncontrollable irresistible anger.[13]

[edit] Inappropriate aggressive thoughts

Intrusive thoughts may involve violent obsessions about hurting others or themselves.[14] They can include such thoughts as harming an innocent child, jumping from a bridge, mountain or the top of a tall building, urges to jump in front of a train or automobile, and urges to push another in front of a train or automobile.[2] A survey of healthy college students found that virtually all of them had intrusive thoughts from time to time, including:[4]

Causing harm to elderly people

Imagining or wishing harm upon someone close to one's self

Impulses to violently attack, hit, harm or kill a person, small child, or animal

Impulses to shout at or abuse someone, or attack and violently punish someone, or say something rude, inappropriate, nasty or violent to someone.

These thoughts are part of being human, and need not ruin the quality of life.[15] Treatment is available when the thoughts are associated with OCD and become persistent, severe, or distressing.

[edit] Inappropriate sexual thoughts

Sexual obsessions involve intrusive thoughts or images of "kissing, touching, fondling, oral sex, anal sex, intercourse, and rape" with "strangers, acquaintances, parents, children, family members, friends, coworkers, animals and religious figures", involving "heterosexual or homosexual content" with persons of any age.[16]

Like other unwanted intrusive thoughts or images, everyone has some inappropriate sexual thoughts at times, but people with OCD may attach significance to the unwanted sexual thoughts, generating anxiety and distress. The doubt that accompanies OCD leads to uncertainty regarding whether one might act on the intrusive thoughts, resulting in self-criticism or loathing.[16]

One of the more common sexual intrusive thoughts occurs when an obsessive person doubts his or her sexual identity. As in the case of most sexual obsessions, sufferers may feel shame and live in isolation, finding it hard to discuss their fears, doubts, and concerns about their sexual identity.[10]

A person experiencing sexual intrusive thoughts may feel shame, "embarrassment, guilt, distress, torment, fear that you may act on the thought or perceived impulse, and doubt about whether you have already acted in such a way." Depression may be a result of the self-loathing that can occur, depending on how much the OCD interferes with daily functioning or causes distress.[16] Their concern over these thoughts may cause them to scrutinize their bodies to determine if the thoughts result in feelings of arousal. But, focusing attention of any part of the body can result in feelings in that part of the body, hence doing so may decrease confidence and increase fear about acting on the urges. Part of treatment of sexual intrusive thoughts involves therapy to help sufferers accept intrusive thoughts and stop trying to reassure themselves by checking their bodies.[17]

[edit] Blasphemous religious thoughts

Blasphemous thoughts are a common component of OCD, documented throughout history; notable religious figures such as Martin Luther and St. Ignatius were known to be tormented by intrusive, blasphemous or religious thoughts and urges.[18] Martin Luther had urges to curse God and Jesus, and was obsessed with images of "the Devil's behind".[18][19] St. Ignatius had numerous obsessions, including the fear of stepping on pieces of straw forming a cross, fearing that it showed disrespect to Christ.[18][20] A study of 50 patients with a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder found that 40% had religious and blasphemous thoughts and doubts—a higher number than the 38% who had the obsessional thoughts related to dirt and contamination more commonly associated with OCD.[21] One study suggests that content of intrusive thoughts may vary depending on culture, and that blasphemous thoughts may be more common in men than in women.[22]

Some common religious obsessions and intrusive thoughts are:[11]

sexual thoughts about God, saints, and religious figures such as Mary

bad thoughts or images during prayer or meditation

thoughts of being possessed

fears of sinning or breaking a religious law or performing a ritual incorrectly

fears of omitting prayers or reciting them incorrectly

repetitive and intrusive blasphemous thoughts

urges or impulses to say blasphemous words or commit blasphemous acts during religious services.

Suffering can be greater and treatment complicated when intrusive thoughts involve religious implications;[18] patients may believe the thoughts are inspired by Satan,[23] and may fear punishment from God or have magnified shame because they perceive themselves as sinful.[24] Symptoms can be more distressful for sufferers with strong religious convictions or beliefs.[11]

Baer believes that blasphemous thoughts are more common in Catholics and evangelical Protestants than in other religions, whereas Jews or Muslims tend to have obsessions related more to complying with the laws and rituals of their faith, and performing the rituals perfectly.[25] He hypothesizes that this is because what is considered inappropriate varies among cultures and religions, and intrusive thoughts torment their sufferers with whatever is considered most inappropriate in the surrounding culture.[26]

XxX

[roxy222]

well done jinx!!!!!!!!!!!!

thats a really good article, really informative and v fair

im glad it pointed out how unlikey it is for people to act on intrusive thoughts, and how common they are, even in 'normal' college students. i apprciate that it says how more difficult they are for people with ocd, some people i work with have this as comorbid and its not something we learn as much about as schiz, schzio affective, bioploar and bpd so its interesting and useful to read this cause it puts a couple of things into perspective and i see how i can change alittle to help with this

thank you v much for taking the time to do this

[Jinxsta]

Awww thanks Roxy, just hope it clears up any misunderstandings, as i know they can be hard for others to understand, had this experience from my family and friends, hope people can understand and also feel free to express any concerns or worrys.

XxX

[jenflower]

hi,

ive read that and alot of it seems to jump out at me as things that i think of and cant get out of my head.....i really do hate myself for it.

like grabbin my mum's steering wheel or wanting to punch a policeman in the face was one that particularly affected me....

thankyou for clearin up misunderstandings - i tend not to tell people as i dont want to scare them.

xjenflowerx

[Jinxsta]

Hi Jenflower,

Glad u found it helpful, sometimes just having an explanation for it helps alot. You gotta be very careful who you share thoughts with coz alotta folks just dont understand, you tend to either get an "OMG" reaction an "oh ive experienced that" or an "wow i get those kinda thoughts too, thought it was just me" reaction....... and i think more people get it than would like to admit.

xxxxxx

[hummm_mabbe]

Yus I get that too, specially the sexamiffic and violent ones. Mabbe the religious too a bit .. hmm

Ross

[Ruth24]

yeah me too. i had never heard of intrusive thoughts before so i thought it was just be being weird and slightly off the rails!!

Ruthie

x