Is it normal to have intrusive thoughts?

You’re driving down the highway and suddenly an image pops into your head of your car swerving off the road. Or maybe you can’t stop worrying that you left the stove on or didn’t lock the door when you went to work.

Intrusive thoughts like these can be upsetting, but most people experience them from time to time. Research shows, that to an extent, they are a part of the human experience. One study found that nearly 94 percent of participants had at least one intrusive thought within the last three months.

Find out what intrusive thoughts are, how to manage them and when you should seek help.

What are intrusive thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts are involuntary thoughts, images or memories that appear out of the blue. They’re often unwanted, distressing and repetitive.

Cameron Maleki, DNP, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at Navos — part of the MultiCare Behavioral Health Network — explains that intrusive thoughts tend to revolve around these common themes:

• Acts of harm, either to yourself or someone else
• Sexual acts
• Acts that feel immoral or clash with your religious beliefs
• Fears about contamination or germs
• Feelings of self-doubt — worries that you didn’t do something you should have or you might do something you shouldn’t

So, why do these thoughts happen?

“Research shows that many factors, from our state of mind to our own biology to our environment to hormonal fluctuations, can play a role in intrusive thoughts,” Maleki says. “A common trigger for many people is stress and anxiety.”

Intrusive thoughts are also associated with conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder. But just because you’re experiencing intrusive thoughts doesn’t mean you have one of these conditions, Maleki emphasizes.

How to cope with intrusive thoughts

While it’s unlikely you’ll be able to stop intrusive thoughts from happening completely, there are strategies you can use to minimize their impact and frequency. Maleki offers these tips:

Don’t resist. Our first instinct with intrusive thoughts may be to resist, a strategy that is likely to fail. The more you fight against these thoughts or try to push them out of your mind, the more powerful and persistent they tend to become.

Acknowledge. A more effective strategy is to acknowledge and label intrusive thoughts. For example, when one arises in your mind, pause and say to yourself, “That’s just an intrusive thought,” or “I’m having an intrusive thought.” Acknowledging intrusive thoughts builds your self-awareness and sets the stage for you to let go of the thought.

Redirect. Optionally, you can take this strategy one step further by saying something like: “This is not a reflection of who I am or what I want,” or “This intrusive thought doesn’t mean anything — I can let it go.”

Remember — you are not your thoughts. You have thousands of thoughts every day, some of them pleasant, some neutral and some unpleasant. Just because you have a thought doesn’t mean you are going to act on it — or even that you want to act on it.

Focus on self-care. Since stress and anxiety are common triggers of intrusive thoughts, it’s important to ensure your daily habits support your mental and physical health. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating nutritious food? Do you exercise regularly? Do you meditate, spend time outdoors or engage in other techniques to cope with stress?

When to get help for intrusive thoughts

Most people don’t need treatment for intrusive thoughts. But if you’re having difficulty coping with them, or if they’re interfering with some aspect of your life, then consider seeking help.

“We look to treat intrusive thoughts if they’re affecting your relationships or your ability to function, or they’re leading to compulsions — behaviors or mental actions you feel compelled to perform, like repeatedly washing your hands,” Maleki says. “This may indicate there’s an underlying mental health condition like OCD going on.”

Treatment for intrusive thoughts may include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can help you develop better awareness of intrusive thoughts, restructure and shift thought patterns over time, and lessen the impact of these thoughts on your life.

Exposure and response prevention therapy. A form of CBT, this type of therapy can help you manage intrusive thoughts without engaging in compulsive behavior.

Medications. Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a common class of medications prescribed to help manage intrusive thoughts.

If you’re concerned about intrusive thoughts, talk to your primary care provider or seek out a mental health professional.