A thought appears in your mind and immediately it feels important.
Why did I think that? Does it say something about me? What if it means I could actually do it? How can I be completely sure?
You may know that continuing to analyse the thought is getting you nowhere, yet leaving it alone feels almost impossible. So you check how you feel, replay what happened or look for an answer that will finally settle it.
The relief may last for a little while. Then another doubt arrives.
When this keeps happening, an enormous amount of time and energy can be spent trying to answer questions that never seem to stay answered.
What are intrusive thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts, images or urges that appear without being invited.
Many people experience them. They can be strange, upsetting or completely at odds with how someone sees themselves. The fact that a thought feels shocking is often the very reason it attracts so much attention.
An intrusive thought doesn’t automatically mean that somebody has OCD. The difficulty can arise when a thought becomes caught up in a repeated cycle of anxiety, checking and attempts to gain certainty.
You may find yourself:
- replaying a memory to check what really happened
- checking your emotional or physical reaction to a thought
- asking other people for reassurance
- searching online for an explanation
- mentally reviewing your intentions
- avoiding people, places or objects connected with the thought
- repeating a phrase or action until it feels right
- trying to replace a “bad” thought with a safer one
Some of these behaviours are visible. Others happen entirely inside your mind, which means people around you may have no idea how much effort is involved.
Why doesn’t reassurance seem to last?
When a thought causes anxiety, it is understandable to want an answer that makes the feeling go away.
You may ask somebody you trust what they think, search for an explanation or go back over the evidence yourself. When the answer feels convincing, the anxiety settles.
The problem is that the mind can nearly always produce another question:
“But what if I didn’t explain it properly?”
“What if they only said that to make me feel better?”
“What if this time is different?”
The search for certainty can gradually become part of the cycle. Each check tells the mind that the thought needed investigating, so the next intrusive thought may feel just as urgent.
Start with a little understanding
I’ve made a video called Why Did I Think That?, in which I explain more about intrusive thoughts, checking and the temptation to keep investigating what a thought means.
If you would like to hear me talk through the pattern in my own words, this is a useful place to begin.
Where hypnotherapy may fit
If your mind has been constantly busy and you have been feeling on edge, having some calm time set aside can be helpful.
In my sessions, we can talk about how anxiety has been affecting your day, what you would like support with and any treatment or professional care you already receive.
Where it is appropriate for us to work together, I may use therapeutic conversation, guided relaxation and hypnosis to support general anxiety and emotional wellbeing.
You remain aware and in control throughout hypnosis. You can speak, move or stop whenever you wish, and there is nothing you need to perform or get right.
Hypnotherapy at my practice is complementary support. I don’t offer it as a treatment for OCD.
Getting the right help for OCD
OCD is a recognised mental-health condition, and appropriate treatment matters.
Recommended treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention, usually shortened to CBT with ERP. Medication may also be offered in some circumstances.
ERP involves gradually facing thoughts or situations that cause anxiety while learning not to carry out the usual compulsion or attempt to put the thought right.
If you think you may have OCD, you can speak to your GP or refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies. If you already work with an OCD therapist or care team, their treatment should remain central.
Read the NHS guidance about OCD treatment
What would an appointment with me be like?
We begin with a conversation.
You can explain what daily life has been like, how much time the thoughts and checking are taking up and what support you already have. You don’t need to describe the content of every intrusive thought or arrive with everything arranged into a perfect explanation.
You are welcome to ask questions too.
I’ll be straightforward about the kind of support I can provide. If another professional or an established OCD treatment would be a more suitable starting point, I will say so.
Appointments are available at my practice in Hayle and online.
A guided recording to try
I have also created an OCD & Intrusive Thoughts Guided Hypnosis recording called Leave It Unanswered.
The recording is intended to support relaxation and general wellbeing. It encourages you to allow a thought to remain unanswered instead of trying to force your mind into complete certainty.
You don’t need to achieve a perfectly quiet mind, make the thought disappear or listen until everything feels resolved.
Please listen somewhere comfortable where you can safely give it your attention, never while driving or doing anything that requires concentration.
If you are receiving OCD treatment, ask your therapist how relaxation recordings fit with your work. It is also worth taking care if repeated listening begins to feel like something you must do before you can feel safe or continue with your day.
Would you like to ask me something?
If you would like to explore whether my sessions could provide appropriate support alongside any OCD care you need, send me a brief message.
Tell me what you are looking for and whether you already receive support. I’ll explain what I can offer and whether I think my approach is suitable.