What to do about Intrusive thoughts? Please help!

[JM9258]

These damn intrusive thoughts keep recurring and I can't get rid of them, the more I keep suppressing them the more frequent and intense they become, it usually revolves either the same thing which last for days which is really bothering me, or a wide of things that can be of a violent/sexual nature involving family members, friends, strangers etc. Sometimes even about bizarre things and/or things that happened in the past, false memories, it's like my mind keeps torturing me with this and sometimes

[Chem]

If you scroll to the bottom of this page there's a list of posts from people with similar problems.

It would really be best to discuss this with your doctor and ask for a referral for help.

[JM9258]

I don't feel any emotional reaction which really bothers me and I just don't know what to do? I've been taking propranolol for a few weeks now and been referred to a counsellor aswell, I also take quiet life before I go to sleep too but I don't if I should continue on current medication or not, I take 2 pills a day about 40mg every 7-8 hours every day, Also if anyone could tell me if they had any adverse effects from propranolol though hopefully nothing too serious, Thanks! Regards Jamie. :)

---------- Post added at 03:31 ---------- Previous post was at 03:27 ----------

@Chem, Thanks, I'll have a look and talk to my GP too, Thanks again, greatly appreciated. :)

[sarah1984]

These damn intrusive thoughts keep recurring and I can't get rid of them, the more I keep suppressing them the more frequent and intense they become

That's the crux of the problem with intrusive thoughts: the worst thing you can do is try to suppress them because they only become more frequent and more distressing. Don't get me wrong, it's only natural to try to get rid of disturbing thoughts or to try to argue with them so they don't cause as much discomfort - I've done it myself. The classic example of this is the 'white bear story'. Psychologists encourage clients to think of a white polar bear - imagine its furry coat and its huge paws. They then tell you that you must not think of a white polar bear and what pops into your head? A white polar bear! The problem is that we can't control our thoughts and the more frightening the thought, the less control we have over it. I've experienced frightening intrusive thoughts and I made my life a real misery by spending hours arguing with my thoughts and trying to suppress them - it really is a form of mental torture.

Interestingly enough, everyone experiences intrusive thoughts, regardless of whether they suffer from anxiety/OCD and thoughts of a violent/sexual nature are very common. The problem is not the thought itself but they way in which we react to the thought. A person who doesn't suffer from anxiety may have thoughts of pushing someone in front of a train when standing on a station platform - they shudder, think "what a strange thought, I'd never actually do that" and brush it off. However, the person with an anxiety disorder will worry about why they had the thought and what it means to have that thought - "Am I an evil person who wants to cause harm to others?" Because the thought is so horrible, they then try their hardest to get rid of it and to argue back with it in an attempt to convince themselves they are not a bad person and would never harm others.

I noticed you said you don't have any emotional reaction to your intrusive thoughts which you find really disturbing. If you don't mind me saying, I think you are actually displaying an emotional reaction: you're worrying because you don't feel the thoughts are causing you the distress that they should do and you're wondering what that must mean about you as a person.

The best way to deal with intrusive thoughts is to learn to accept them, instead of driving them away. A good counsellor should teach you exposure techniques which help you confront the thoughts and gradually desensitize yourself to them, so they no longer cause you as much distress. Once the thoughts aren't so upsetting, you'll find they occur less frequently. The counsellor should also help you understand that thoughts are not as important as they might seem: after all, thoughts are only made up of words inside our heads and we don't have to give them our full attention.

I'd recommend you read Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts:How to gain control of your OCD by David Clark and Christine Purdon. Most people think people with OCD are compulsive checkers/hand washers etc but there is a form of OCD called 'Pure O'. People with 'Pure O' experience distressing intrusive thoughts and while they may not display outward physical rituals, they perform mental rituals inside their head - trying to get rid of thoughts/argue back with them etc. Good luck!

[JM9258]

Thank you Sarah1984 for the very kind and informative reply, It's great to know that there is someone who understands the distress that someone suffering from intrusive thoughts has, I do know that I would NEVER act on the thoughts but it's usually when it happens it feels so real just like having a vivid imagination, I have seen my GP who has referred me to a counsellor and an evaluation on my anxiety which I feel is obviously the correct way forward and I'll also check the book you suggested, Thank you.

[slipstream]

Very good comments sarah1984, i like what you wrote about thoughts are just words in our head! Makes it feel less important that the thoughts occur. Its learning about the disorderes that help alot in tackling them.

Nice one!