Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts

Our culture is bombarded with images, text, and sounds all around us. If we are going to get away from the barrage of input, we have to be very intentional about it. These images and sounds coming from around us are often within our ability to control.

But what happens when they come from within? For child sexual abuse and trafficking survivors, the most negative and disruptive thoughts come from our past experiences and perceptions. They come in the form of memories. They come in the form of self-talk. They are an extension of something we hear or see. They interrupt our day. They distract us from the here and now.

They pop up like a whack-a-mole game. The problem is we cannot shut them off as easily as closing a laptop or swiping our smartphones. We cannot just move to another location or shut the door.

There are professionals who have specific strategies to deal with these when they overpower us. I’ve been to talk therapy and done some interactive techniques too, but I needed to find my own ways of dealing when I didn’t have outside help.

I trained my brain to catch intrusive thoughts. It took years, but I can do it pretty quickly now. I replace them too. I’ll give you some examples.

I could be folding laundry and I will think of a time when I was hurt or a situation arose that I didn’t understand. These are two common intrusive thoughts for me. I will try to figure out how I could have altered the outcome. Over and over again. It is unproductive to ruminate over things we have no control over. I cannot go back and change it. So, I catch myself and try to focus on the present, but often it happens again and again.

So, I override the thoughts with something good. It could be that I will put another voice on. Listening to someone talk about something I am interested in usually pushes the negative thoughts out. It might be that I put music on. It might be that I will talk with another person about a totally different subject.

Memory verses are important to me. You might do well with some positive affirmations that you make up or ones that others have used.

Targeting the issue with specific counter-thoughts works for me. So, if I am worrying, I might recall the Scripture that says to cast our cares on Him, because He cares for us. Or I might recall that King Solomon, with all of his fine apparel was not clothed better than the flowers. Or He shall give His angels charge over me.

If intrusive thoughts are ruining your life, please get some professional help. Don’t let them steal your peace and joy. You are so important. The people around you need you to have clarity and to be able to be present.

If it is a mere annoyance, try the strategies above and see if you are not able to live better and more productively.

Do you ever struggle with thinking thoughts that are not good for you? How do you deal with them?