What Are Intrusive Thoughts?
Have you ever caught yourself imagining doing something strange or even frightening? This phenomenon is known as “intrusive thoughts.” In psychology, this is a relatively new area of research, and it first caught scientists’ attention because ordinary people often found themselves thinking about odd, irrational, or sometimes dangerous ideas. The good news is—this is normal.
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, involuntary thoughts or images that can become obsessive, upsetting, or distressing. These thoughts are usually related to taboo topics and are often associated with aggression, sexuality, or other aspects of human life that are strictly limited by social norms.
Such thoughts are actually quite common, and most people are able to brush them off. For example, psychologist Stanley Rachman gave a questionnaire to healthy college students and found that almost all of them reported occasionally having intrusive ideas, including thoughts about sexual violence, sexual punishment, “unnatural” sexual acts, painful sexual practices, blasphemous or obscene images, thoughts about harming elderly people or loved ones, violence toward animals or children, as well as impulsive or offensive outbursts or statements. According to researchers, these thoughts are universal among people and “almost certainly have always been part of the human condition.” So, it seems they serve some purpose.
Why Do We Have Intrusive Thoughts?
Scientists still haven’t reached a consensus on this question, but there are several theories that try to explain why our brains work this way.
We Unconsciously Look for Danger
Some studies suggest that intrusive thoughts may be linked to feelings of threat or anxiety and serve as a protective mechanism. The brain is constantly analyzing the environment and looking for potentially dangerous situations, so intrusive thoughts might be a natural defense response. In other words, an obsessive thought could just be a hypothesis your brain creates as it stays alert and considers all possible scenarios where you could get hurt or even lose your life.
Intrusive Thoughts Can Be a Symptom of a Mental Disorder
One theory suggests that intrusive thoughts are connected to obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), where the frequency and intensity of these thoughts are much higher and interfere with daily life.
Besides OCD, intrusive thoughts are also linked to Tourette’s syndrome, depression, body dysmorphic disorder, and sometimes to ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), postpartum depression, and chronic stress. When combined with these conditions, the thoughts can become paralyzing and anxiety-provoking.
The good news is that the likelihood of acting on these intrusive thoughts is very low. Patients who feel strong guilt, anxiety, or shame and are upset by these thoughts are very different from those who actually act on them. For example, if you think, “What if I put my hand in boiling water?” and immediately question your own sanity—don’t worry, your brain’s safety mechanism is working, and you haven’t lost touch with reality.
However, patients who are not disturbed or ashamed by such sudden destructive thoughts may need to be evaluated for more serious conditions, such as psychosis or borderline personality disorder. According to psychologist Lee Baer, a patient should be concerned if they find intrusive thoughts dangerous. It’s time to worry if a person is not upset by these thoughts or, worse, finds them pleasant and even acts on them. In such cases, help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist is needed, which may include cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication.