[Books] Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts

A book recommended by my psychologist

People who are impulsive act first and think later.

People with unwanted intrusive thoughts are over-thinkers.

Some intrusive thoughts I have:

Uncertainty and Unknowability Thoughts

Questioning Reality

Purpose-of-Life Thoughts

Mental Checking

The fact is that many of our thoughts—and some researchers believe that most of our thoughts—are not under conscious control.

We know that thoughts have nothing to do with character. Character is a reflection of how you lead your life. It relates to what you actually choose to do or choose not to do. Thoughts are what pass through your mind. When thoughts just happen, it is not your choice. There is no place for issues of character when there is no chance for choice. A thought is not a fact or a statement about yourself. Character is about the choices you make in life, not what pops into your mind.

君子论迹不论心

The fact is that a thought is not a message about what is going to happen. Similarly, a thought is not a prediction or a warning of an awful action or occurrence in the future. Thoughts do not warn of plane crashes, automobile accidents, or natural disasters. Premonition is a feeling that comes with a thought; it is not an accurate reading of the future. We tend to remember the rare premonitions that come true and forget all the many other doubts and feelings that passed without coming true.

Thoughts do not change probabilities in the real world.

The fact is that no one is entirely free of weird, repugnant, and disturbing passing thoughts.

Not Every Thought Is Worth Thinking

Instead, we now know that most psychological issues are a complicated interaction of what you inherit (genetics), plus maturational processes that go on throughout your life, plus your own personal history, which can include the way you were raised, the important events that occur, the stresses you encounter, and more. More importantly, we now know that determining the historical factors that contribute to unwanted intrusive thoughts are absolutely no help in getting rid of them.

Amygdala sends out many, many false alarms.

The second factor is stress. Minds tend to get stickier when they are fatigued, overwhelmed by good or bad events, and dealing with illness, stressful situations, or conflicting emotions. Minds are stickier if you are hungover, and for many, even a small amount of drinking can increase stickiness.

Entanglement with a thought means that you have created an inner dialogue about the aggressive, sexual, nonsensical, or otherwise bewildering content running through your mind. You are judging it, arguing with it, or trying to reassure yourself about it. Or, you are trying to figure out some way to become less annoyed or less irritated by the intrusive nature of certain sounds, bodily feelings, or other intrusions.

the best way to minimize the event is to not get involved

We want you to reach the point where you do not care whether the thoughts come or not. We would like you to turn off the alarm system in reaction to these thoughts so your amygdala no longer needs to warn of danger.

Act as if reassurance were very, very expensive, and your budget is tight. Use it only when it seems absolutely necessary.

Exposure is the active therapeutic ingredient for overcoming anxiety.

Exposure is the way to find and trust your own Wise Mind.

Exposure is the opportunity to train your brain to change.

Having battled OCD for years, I’m already familiar with much of the content in this book.