Thoughts that seem to repeat themselves on a loop in your mind. Thoughts of harming yourself or others. Wild, irrational thoughts that make you feel like you need to act on them. All of these are examples of unwanted thoughts.
Experiencing unwanted thoughts of any kind can be an unpleasant, frightening, and distressing experience. If you or a loved one are dealing with unwanted thoughts, you might be wondering what’s going on, and what the thoughts mean. For example, you might want to know whether what you are experiencing is an intrusive thought or an impulsive thought, and what the difference is between them.
Intrusive thoughts and impulsive thoughts are similar, but distinctive. They are often associated with mental health disorders, but not always. The important thing is that whatever kind of unwanted thoughts you are experiencing, you aren’t alone, and there are treatment options out there for you.
Ready to take a closer look at intrusive vs. impulsive thoughts? We’ve got you covered. Here, we’ll take a look at the difference and similarities between these two types of unwanted thoughts, and how to get the help you need to lessen the hold these types of thoughts may have on your life.
Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are any thoughts that enter into your mind against your wishes. Usually the person experiencing them feels like they simply don’t have any control over what is happening and it can feel downright scary and awful.
According to Rachel Goldberg, LMFT, founder of Rachel Goldberg Therapy in Studio City, CA, intrusive thoughts can be described as “unwelcome, involuntary thoughts, images, or ideas that can be disturbing to the individual experiencing them.” These thoughts “often pop into the mind unexpectedly and can be persistent, which can cause significant anxiety,” she says.
Causes
Intrusive thoughts may be caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, such as sleep deprivation or just generally feeling overwhelmed, says Goldberg. Hormonal changes can also contribute. Sometimes certain underlying conditions can contribute to intrusive thoughts.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have intrusive thoughts as symptoms, Goldberg notes.
Examples
Intrusive thoughts are usually not aligned with how we see ourselves or what our values are, says Cassidy Dallas, MSW, LICSW, a psychotherapist who works in private practice. Examples of intrusive thoughts, according to Dallas, might be:
- Having the thought “what if I accidentally cheat on this person and hurt them” when you’re on a date with someone and things are going well.
- Having thoughts or images about violence involving knives while going about your normal life, such as while chopping vegetables for soup.
Treatments and Management
Intrusive thoughts can be managed by working on lifestyle changes. If a mental health disorder may be causing your symptoms, you should consider therapy.
Generally, intrusive thoughts are managed by decreasing overall stress and anxiety in our lives, which can be a trigger.
— CASSIDY DALLAS, MSW, LICSW
It’s also helpful to work on managing the negative feelings that arise when you experience an intrusive thought.
“For example, we can work on understanding that having the thought ‘what if I cheat on this person and hurt them’ doesn’t mean anything about whether we are likely going to cheat on a person and hurt them, and having images of violence while chopping vegetables with a knife doesn’t mean we are a violent or bad person,” Dallas offers.
If conditions like OCD or PTSD are contributing to your intrusive thoughts, therapy—and possibly medication—can help tremendously. The mainstay treatments for OCD are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP). Therapy can be combined with antidepressants, usually selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
PTSD treatment typically involves therapy that helps people heal from trauma, including eye movement, desensitization, and destructuring (EMDR), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), prolonged exposure therapy (PE). Medication options may include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), or sometimes selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI).
What Are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)?
Impulsive Thoughts
Having an impulsive thought is like having an itchy feeling that you need to do something right away. “Impulsive thoughts are sudden urges or desires to act without considering the consequences,” Goldberg says.
Impulsive thoughts can exist on their own, but they often lead to unwanted behaviors, such as making spontaneous purchases or acting aggressively toward others, Goldberg notes.
Causes
It’s not completely clear what causes impulsive thoughts, but the thoughts are often driven by “difficulty identifying and regulating emotions and a desire for immediate gratification,” Goldberg says.
Often, certain conditions are associated with impulsive thoughts, Goldberg notes, including attention deficit disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, and panic disorder.
Examples
Generally, impulsive thoughts are thoughts or urges that occur seemingly out of nowhere and feel beyond our control, leading to action, “without a thought or full consideration of the consequences,” Dallas says.
According to Dallas, examples of impulsive thought leading to unwanted behaviors include:
- Spending large amounts of money without planning thoughtfully
- Going on an unplanned trip
- Changing your personal appearance on a whim
Treatments and Management Strategies
Coping with impulsive thoughts usually involves a combination of emotional and behavioral regulation skills as well as therapies that help you learn those skills and manage any underlying mental health or behavioral issues.
“Managing impulsive thoughts involves learning to regulate emotions and developing skills to engage the rational mind when these thoughts become intense,” says Goldberg.
You can do this through lifestyle changes such as meditation, journaling, and deep breathing techniques. Impulsive thoughts can also be managed by learning to identify them and name them so that they have less of a hold on you, Dallas suggests.
Different therapy techniques may also help people manage impulsive thoughts. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an effective type of therapy for people who have frequent impulsive thoughts, says Dallas. People using DBT may learn a technique called “urge surfing” where you learn to “notice the impulsive thoughts and urges and watch them come and go,” Dallas describes.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Definition, Techniques, and Benefits
Similarities and Differences
Intrusive and impulsive thoughts have many things in common, but they aren’t exactly the same. Let’s take a look at some of the similarities and differences.
Similarities
Both intrusive and impulsive thoughts involve similar brain functions. For example, they both involve “disruptions in normal cognitive processing, particularly in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for executive functions such as impulse control, decision-making, and emotional regulation,” Goldberg describes.
People often have similar symptoms whether they are experiencing intrusive or impulsive thoughts. For instance, both types of thoughts come on quickly, it can be hard to identify the cause, and they can both cause significant amounts of distress, Dallas says.
They can both feel isolating, alienating, and it’s common to feel stigmatized when you experience them, Dallas adds.
Differences
While impulsive or intrusive thoughts may exist on their own, they are often linked to mental health conditions, and the mental health conditions they are linked to tend to vary. “Generally speaking, intrusive thoughts come from more of an anxiety type state, including, but not always associated with, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder or generalized anxiety disorder,” says Dallas. “Usually, impulsive thoughts are more related to ADHD than to anxiety disorders.”
Both types of thoughts are unwanted and undesirable, but intrusive thoughts are usually more irrational and pass without action, Goldberg says. On the other hand, impulsive thoughts often lead to harmful actions and immediate consequences.
Intrusive Thoughts
Usually linked to OCD or PTSD
May feel more irrational but pass without action
No immediate consequences
Impulsive Thoughts
Usually linked to ADHD or other behavioral issues
Usually lead to potentially harmful actions or behaviors
May have immediate consequences
Learning to Cope With Unwanted Thoughts Through Proactive Thinking
Seeking Professional Help
So, how do you know if it’s time to get help for these thoughts? Having occasional intrusive or impulsive thoughts is normal for many folks, Goldberg says.
“However, if these thoughts significantly interfere with daily life, cause distress, disrupt interpersonal relationships, or impede job performance, seeking support is important,” Goldberg says.
Harmful behaviors, such as engaging in impulsive actions that endanger oneself or others, or feeling unable to control these thoughts or behaviors independently also warrant seeking assistance.
— RACHEL GOLDBERG, LMFT
Who should you seek care from? Goldberg recommends any mental health professional, such as therapy or a psychiatrist as a first step. They can assess you and offer appropriate treatment options, which may include therapy, medication, or under interventions to address what’s causing these thoughts.
How Can I Stop OCD Thoughts?
The Bottom Line
Experiencing intrusive or impulsive thoughts is no fun at all—in fact, it can be very disturbing in the moment. That’s why mental health professionals urge you to reach out for help.
“If your intrusive thoughts or impulsive thoughts are causing distress or anxiety to you, if you are finding trouble doing the things you want to do, or enjoying your life in the typical ways that you would hope to, that would be a time where professional help may be useful,” Dallas recommends.
Please know that so many of us have been there. You aren’t walking this road alone. Most importantly, you deserve care and support. “Help is out there, and people deserve to not navigate alone,” Dallas says.
