intrusive thoughts

[26beanbags]

hello there! i have been having nightmares and REALLY bad intrusive thoughts recently (not the "i gave myself bangs at 3am, but the kind that i am disgusted and worried my subconscious is telling me somethin). i dont wanna go into much detail, but i used to get them really bad, like every couple hours. they stopped for a few months, or at least calmed down, but now they are coming back. i am really scared and i feel like i cant talk to anyone about them without them thinking i am a terrible person. ive tried so hard to get rid of them, but they wont stop. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Latha]

Hi 26beanbags!

Your intrusive thoughts don't make you a terrible person. Nobody who understands what intrusive thoughts are will think you are one. If anyone ever says you are a bad person for your intrusive thoughts, I'd say that you can safely ignore them.

Since this is so distressing, have you ever thought about looking for a therapist? I can suggest some things that you could try on your own, but it can be really difficult to manage such thoughts without some help.

When I have such thoughts, I try not to give them any more importance than they deserve (which is very little). Intrusive thoughts don't imply anything about you as a person. Try not to spend a lot of your energy thinking about them and trying to manage them. Whenever they appear, acknowledge them, let them go, and redirect your focus to something else.

Do you think there are any activities or experiences that trigger these thoughts for you?