As pressing as this concern can feel, intrusive thoughts don’t lead to violent or unwanted actions. For example, someone experiencing an intrusive mental image of hurting a family member might wonder whether this suggests that, deep down, this is what they want to do. One concern is that having intrusive thoughts means you want whatever “bad” thing they involve. Here’s a quick overview of what intrusive thoughts are and aren’t evidence for.

There is a sense in which intrusive thoughts can carry this type of meaning, but not in the way you might expect, and certainly not in the way that OCD can lead people to believe. The themes of intrusive thoughts aren’t necessarily important, but we may wonder whether intrusive thoughts are meaningful in the sense that they tell us something important about ourselves, who we are, or what we believe and want. So, whether a thought feels meaningful depends on the person experiencing it. If the thoughts had meanings baked into them, it wouldn’t matter who experienced them-they would actually be worthy of attention.” As the therapist, I could have the exact same thought they have and not be bothered by it whatsoever and not see the thoughts as meaning anything at all. “I work with people who believe their thoughts have a ton of meaning. McGrath notes that whether an intrusive thought feels meaningful to someone is highly personal and subjective.

Potentially absurd: Intrusive thoughts can have a fantastic or bizarre quality.īecause intrusive thoughts are often about unusual or distressing topics, such as harming others, it’s normal to wonder whether they are important or warrant our attention.ĭr.Ego-dystonic: Intrusive thoughts are typically opposed to one’s genuine beliefs, intentions, and values.If a thought feels good, it won’t feel intrusive. Unpleasant: Intrusive thoughts feel bad.Intrusive thoughts do not happen voluntarily. Involuntary: Some thoughts we generate or author, and others occur to us or pop into our minds unwilled.Intrusive thoughts are different from non-intrusive or “regular” thoughts in that they are:

Patrick McGrath, psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer here at NOCD. To address these concerns and shed some light on what, if anything, intrusive thoughts mean, we spoke to Dr. For some people, like those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), these questions can feel incredibly stressful and pressing. While these thoughts are entirely normal, it’s natural to wonder what they mean and whether they carry any significance. For purposes of this article, “intrusive thoughts” will also include other types of mental events, such as intrusive images or urges. Do you ever experience random, unpleasant thoughts that seem to come from nowhere? Perhaps you have embarrassing memories or unwanted thoughts about something that you did, or thoughts about potentially doing something that you don’t actually want to do? If so, you have intrusive thoughts.

Intrusive images meaning