Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, unintended, and recurrent cognitive events that interrupt, interfere, and distress. They can be caused by various psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and ADHD, and require different approaches to manage them. Weird, right? But totally normal! How Intrusive Thoughts Affect Mental Health While intrusive thoughts are common, the way we react to them can impact our mental health. People who experience anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may find these thoughts more distressing, which can create a vicious cycle of worry. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, upsetting, or disturbing thoughts or images that come into your mind without warning and refuse to go away. They can be associated with various mental health disorders, such as OCD, PTSD, anxiety, or depression, and can be treated with therapy. Are intrusive thoughts harmful? In a word, no. Dr. Edwards says researchers studied people with OCD and violent, intrusive thoughts and found no increased risk of acting on the thoughts . Having a disturbing thought does not mean you want to do what has popped into your head.
