Breaking the Cycle

How to stop intrusive thoughts from affecting us adversly.

- Dr Sanjay Teotia

Intrusive thoughts and memories are typically upsetting, disturbing, I are typically repeat themselves in a loop, causing significant distress. These thoughts are often associated with obsessive compulsive disorders but can also occur in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or depression. Intrusive thoughts are sudden, disturbing thoughts or images that appear in the mind without warning and refuse to go away. For some people, these thoughts are unwanted and can be disturbing or hurtful, making it difficult to stop thinking about them. If you experience upsetting, unwanted thoughts that you struggle to forgo, you might be dealing with intrusive thoughts. The brain can both create and receive external thoughts, and we often have painful memories associated with people, places, and objects.

Negative thoughts from these memories can bother us, and it's important to understand how to stop them from affecting us adversely. Intrusive thoughts are always trying to alert you to areas of your life that long for healing. They are often related to memories of painful past events or unwelcome projections of things you would never choose to think about. These thoughts can be distressing but are often a result of anxiety, stress, or other mental health conditions. It's important to seek support from a mental health professional who can help you understand and manage these thoughts.

In post-traumatic stress disorder, intrusive memories tend to be associated with moments of emotional intensity during the traumatic event. They may also be a short-term problem brought on by biological factors such as hormone shifts. For example, a woman might experience an uptick in intrusive thoughts often after the birth of a child.