Intrusive Thoughts

I just got over a bout of severe anxiety over a sexually inappropriate intrusive thought. It started Tuesday night around 8:00 pm - came out of nowhere with no provocation and had nothing to do with what I was watching on tv - and lasted all through yesterday (Wednesday). I had a great talk with a listener last night and was able to ease myself to sleep, and today was nice and busy at work and I've been working on my novel, so I've managed to stay pretty positive by keeping my mind off of it.

However, I'm still paranoid. I feel like I'm just pretending; like not thinking about it is me just whistling and looking in the opposite direction of the truth. I had flashes of these types of thoughts for years, but they never stuck around like this one did and I kind of brushed them off. I've had obsessive thoughts over my sexuality several times, each of which lasted up to a few weeks, but that was about something completely different. I know these thoughts aren't real because I've never had them seriously before (nor have I thought them while masturbating), but I've always had a very hard time with relationships and I feel like these thoughts are my mind telling me "this is the truth about you. This is why your relationships don't work out." I have been feeling aroused for the past few days, just generally (I think it's due to my monthly cycle), but I can't seem to be interested in my usual outlets. I'm afraid to touch myself because I might have these thoughts, and I'm especially afraid because ever since these thoughts started I haven't been attracted to the types of people I'm usually attracted to. It just feels like my mind is saying "you finally figured out your problem, but now you're really only ignoring it." It's really hard to make myself believe these thoughts aren't real considering my past sexual insecurity.

Have any of you struggled with this? Is it normal to feel like you're just pretending when you finally move past attaching meaning to intrusive thoughts?