• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Bizarre reason behind why we have intrusive thoughts will make you feel less ashamed

Home> News> Science

Published 12:43 13 Sep 2023 GMT+1

Bizarre reason behind why we have intrusive thoughts will make you feel less ashamed

Everyone is victim to having strange and intrusive thoughts and, while many will think it's their own fault, it actually isn't

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

Ask any of your pals, and I can guarantee they say they've had intrusive thoughts. From pushing a train's emergency stop button when there isn't an emergency, to casually rear-ending the driver in front of you for no reason - we've all had them.

But fear not, friends - you're not losing the plot. It turns out these type of random and outrageous thoughts are actually some-what normal.

Depending on the nature of some of your thoughts, they can be undeniably alarming and cause you to question if its your fault you're having them, but it's not.

Intrusive thoughts are more normal than you think.
Pexels/Karolina Grabowska

Advert

It's actually a lot more ordinary than you think - your brain is thinking such thoughts because you don't want to act that way and, for some reason, it just happens to think up the most inappropriate thing that it can imagine.

Strange, I know.

As to what causes them, one of the main reasons is anxiety or stress, according to Harvard Health.

Some biological factors may also play a part in them, for example women who have just given birth may have more intrusive thoughts than usual because of the hormonal changes they're going through.

While you may think the best thing to do it try push down your intrusive thoughts, this might make the stick around for longer and happen more frequently.

Advert

Suppressing intrusive thoughts can cause them to stick around.
Getty Images/Peter Dazeley

Hannah Reese, Clinical and Research Fellow in Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, wrote for Psychology Today: "The very act of monitoring your thoughts for the absence of a thought can make it occur more frequently.

"When someone becomes very distressed by their intrusive thoughts, goes to great lengths to get rid of them, and prevent them from occurring, this can become a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

"People with this 'bad thoughts' form of OCD often avoid things that could trigger these thoughts or being in situations where they might be at risk for acting on a thought."

So what should we do then about these thoughts about kicking our next door neighbour's adorable Cavapoo then? Harvard Health has you covered, and the medical team advises that, firstly, you identify the thought.

Advert

Dr. Kerry-Ann Williams, a lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, says to simply think to yourself: "That’s just an intrusive thought; it’s not how I think, it’s not what I believe, and it’s not what I want to do."

Secondly you're urged not to fight the thought and, lastly, you shouldn't judge yourself for it.

However, if you're finding that your intrusive thoughts are impacting your daily life, Harvard Health advises to see a mental health professional for further advice.

Featured Image Credit: Dougal Waters via Getty/Kampee Patisena via Getty

Topics: Science, Health, Weird

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@NiamhShackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 mins ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
17 hours ago
  • Kennedy News and MediaKennedy News and Media
    5 mins ago

    Woman had life saved by eating prawn cocktail crisps because of what it revealed

    Good old prawn cocktail

    News
  • Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesChip Somodevilla/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Donald Trump brushes off viral death rumours with strong statement

    No, he's not dead, you'll know when it happens

    News
  • JULIE JAMMOT/AFP via Getty ImagesJULIE JAMMOT/AFP via Getty Images
    3 hours ago

    Man found dead in 'pool of blood' during ceremony at Burning Man festival

    An investigation is now underway

    News
  • Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons
    17 hours ago

    Scientists left shocked by skull found in cave wall that analysis shows isn’t human

    The Petralona skull has been baffling scientists for 60 years

    News
  • Scientists have worked out why some people get bitten by mosquitos more than others
  • Reason behind strange white bumps you can find on your private parts
  • Shocking reason behind why Vladimir Putin walks with one arm by his side
  • NHS explains physical changes you will be able to feel in 'last hours and days of life'