Discussion what do you do about intrusive thoughts?

[thinvy]

in my case, I'm not too terribly bothered by them any more. I've had intrusive thoughts for such a long time, and such awful morbid intrusive thoughts that they're just kind of annoying if anything. most of the time I cope really well with them, treating them like that one annoying kid I feel like everyone knew in elementary school who dared everyone to do random increasingly gross stuff.

but then I was thinking about it more and I'm curious to hear what others do. I also thought that there's maybe a chance that you guys' coping methods may help others! so yeah!

Spoiler: example graphic intrusive thought

like currently there's a hollow metal pipe sitting across from me at an angle and my dumb intrusive brain is like "oh what if your head was impaled on it, right through the forehead. spiked! now you'll only be able to see it as being in your skull when you glance at it in your peripheries"

and I'm dealing with it just fine because I know it's too weak to actually do that, and also there's no way that would happen unless through some final destination fuckery. I also just moved it so its pointing another direction, and immediately the thoughts are less intense

 

[uzuf86]

Intrusive thoughts ruined my life. I learned how to absolutely totally overcome those, but it is too late for me.

At least I can help fellow beings like you with information on how to deal with those:
- Know that your intrusive thoughts are not real. That is not "you".
- Regardless of how genuine and worrisome they may feel, they do not represent your true thoughts.
- Know that such intrusive thoughts won't help you with anything in life. And you should pay no respect to them because of that.
- When you get those thoughts, just keep saying to yourself "so what?! how the fuck does that matter" - bring that thought out wholeheartedly.
- Occupy your mind 100% with something that keeps you really busy. Your days will fill with being busy and you will slowly realize how useless the intrusive thoughts really were.

 

[leloyon]

I just respond by saying "shut it" to them in my mind.
It doesn't help.

 

[hermestrimegistus]

Drinking, mostly. Or avoidance. But usually trying to suppress/ignore intrusive thoughts seems to double them. Never helps

 

[Argo]

One , you can spend more time reflecting on thought itself. Recognize that you are not your thoughts, they are things that appear in your mind that you can observe, and then they disappear. This is the pattern that every single thought you've ever had, has followed. There have been no exceptions. We just don't notice our thoughts usually, because we're lost in them, we're asleep pretty much constantly.

Another thing is, when you notice an intrusive thought, don't fight with it, don't try to push it away. Fighting with anything usually doesn't make it stop, or can make it worse. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head that you truly didn't want stuck in your head? What happens as you struggle? It just keeps playing, right? But when you relax, and just concede, the song can actually go away then. It's identical to how thoughts work.

 

[cold_severance]

i just ignore them and they go away, thats all. figured it out as a kid.