Intrusive Thoughts

Have you ever experienced scary thoughts that you were unable to put out of your mind? These unpleasant, recurring, and undesired ideas are known as  intrusive thoughts. They may be brought on by significant life changes or mental health conditions.

Anxiety and intrusive thoughts are two symptoms that might result from low blood sugar levels. Research suggests that the interaction between hormonal changes, such as fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels, and brain chemistry may contribute to the emergence of intrusive thoughts in PMD.

Excerpt from Can a hormone imbalance cause intrusive thoughts.

Here are some points to reflect on when you have intrusive thoughts:

• What makes you think these things? Do they occur more frequently after  specific events, during stressful periods, or after exhaustion?
• Do you think these ideas represent who you are? Although many people experience shame or remorse, intrusive thoughts do not represent your personality.
• What feelings do these thoughts generate? You can better understand their impact if you can determine whether it's fear, embarrassment, rage, or grief or something else.
• Mindfulness practices can help to explore your thoughts.
• A therapist can help you reframe and reduce the power of these thoughts in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Mantras or affirmations can be very helpful, example “This too shall pass." "Change the things you can change."
• Trying to push thoughts away can make them stronger, so instead acknowledge them and shift your focus. 
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Participation question:

Do you rather suppress intrusive thoughts and move on with your day or do you use coping strategies to explore them? If so, what kind of coping strategies help you to let go of them?

Helpful Videos:

4 CBT tools for Reducing Intrusive Thoughts

Helpful Resources:

What it's like to live with intrusive thoughts, illustrated

Can a hormone imbalance cause intrusive thoughts?

Seeking Help 

Mental stress can cause us not to be able to see the good things in life and lead to excessive rumination or worries which can result in serious health problems. If you have serious, long-term problems with negative thinking and feeling depressed, see your doctor or talk to a therapist if they are related to any mental challenges. 

Are you looking for a therapist? 7 Cups has online, certified therapists with a paid option. For more information on what happens in online therapy at 7 Cups, Read Lisa’s (a therapist and director of therapy) explanation 

https://www.7cups.com/forum/therapy/General_2432/WeveLaunchedTalkTherapyon7Cups_319430/

To apply for 7 Cups online therapy, click on this link (must be logged into member account) https://www.7cups.com/online-therapy/?ob=1

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