Have you ever had random thoughts that were totally out of character for you, such as things you could do or negative things you could say about yourself or others? Intrusive thoughts happen from time to time, and having them doesn’t make you a bad person. Most people never speak a word about their intrusive thoughts — unless someone else shares that they’ve had a similar experience.
When you linger on intrusive thoughts, they can take up a lot of time and energy. They can be symptoms of a mental health condition, but not always. In any case, it takes some skill to manage intrusive thoughts. Learning about what they are and how to deal with them effectively can make them a bit less overwhelming.
In this blog post, we’ll explore intrusive thoughts, how they can affect a person’s life and how Executive Function coaching helps people manage them.
What are intrusive thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted ideas that seem to show up randomly. They may be urges or impulses to do something dangerous, or they could be obsessive worries about something bad happening. They may be violent, sexual or taboo. They can take the form of racing thoughts and negative self-talk, and they may lead to rumination. Rumination is slightly different from intrusive thoughts; rumination is what happens when you keep engaging with thoughts that are negative or upsetting. Replaying a conversation in your head and “beating yourself up” are both forms of rumination.
Often when people have intrusive thoughts, they start to wonder if it means they’re a bad person or if they’re actually capable of doing these things that randomly occur to them. The thing to remember is that we don’t entirely control the thoughts that come to us, and a thought is just a thought. Having that level of awareness means you can decide not to take action and not to continue entertaining those negative thoughts.
Where do intrusive thoughts come from?
As mentioned earlier, everybody has intrusive thoughts from time to time. They’re a natural part of life. When people start to have them frequently, these thoughts may be a symptom of a neurodevelopmental condition like ADHD or a mental health condition. Intrusive thoughts are commonly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). They can also be a result of everyday stress. If you or your child are having intrusive thoughts several times a week or every day, you should talk with a professional about potential causes.
How can intrusive thoughts impact my day-to-day life?
Having occasional intrusive thoughts can be upsetting. They tend to feed on themselves, too: The more anxious and upset you are, the more time you spend dwelling on the same thoughts. The energy you spend worrying is likely to have a negative impact on other mental processes like concentration, memory, planning and goal-directed persistence. If your intrusive thoughts are triggered by specific situations, they can cause a lot of stress and dysfunction in that area of your life. Children may not be able to focus on their schoolwork or be present enough to fully participate in classroom activities.
The following are some ways that intrusive thoughts may impact a person’s everyday life when they allow them to fester:
- Being distracted from work or personal life
- Feeling stressed or tense
- Experiencing negative moods
- Avoiding certain people or situations
- Viewing oneself in a more negative light or losing self-esteem
Learn Executive Function strategies to stay focused when intrusive thoughts get in the way
The mental processes we use to be effective in planning, initiating and achieving our daily goals are called Executive Function skills. These are things many people learn by experience, and they usually aren’t taught in school. However, some may need a more straightforward and personalized approach to develop their ability to plan, organize and carry out their day-to-day responsibilities. These skills can be taught, learned and applied for success. They can also come in handy when you’re dealing with intrusive thoughts.
If intrusive thoughts are starting to affect your mental health or your child’s, it’s important to see a licensed clinician with experience treating anxiety or mood disorders. If your intrusive thoughts are related to ADHD or if they’re getting in the way of certain thought processes, our coaches may be able to help. We can work on strategies for identifying thoughts, distancing them from yourself, staying focused, and cultivating mindfulness, nonjudgment and self-compassion.
Everyone needs the same core Executive Function skills for things like inhibition, interference control, cognitive flexibility and working memory. However, each person’s brain, personality and lifestyle are a little different. The same skills that work for one person won’t always work for another. In fact, these things are pretty unique to each individual. That’s why at Beyond BookSmart, we equip our coaches with dozens of skills and tools to choose from. Their job is to help people find solutions that help them get through their daily tasks. Regulating their emotions and taking care of their needs are important parts of the process.
We’ve helped a lot of kids and adults learn effective ways to manage intrusive thoughts and other ADHD symptoms that impact their Executive Function. If you’re ready to try a new approach, contact our team today for more information or to schedule an inquiry call. Let’s work on some more compassionate ways to get things done, together.
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