Navigating Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts come in a variety of forms. Always disruptive, they can range from violent images to negative self-talk, to-do lists you can’t turn off, thoughts around self-harm, and more.
Always disruptive, they can range from violet images to negative self-talk, to-do lists you can’t turn off, thoughts around self-harm, and more. LA-based Psychotherapist, Annie Armstrong Miyao believes it’s important to become aware of what’s happening rather than listen to those judgments or worries. Easier said than done, but it’s also crucial to understand that those thoughts are rooted in anxiety, OCD, or an eating disorder that’s showing up. “There’s a lot of benefit in having someone to talk to and them being the ones to actually say these are intrusive thoughts; it isn’t necessarily your reality. Be curious about noticing little things that come up at a certain time of day or when a specific thing is about to happen. For example, you might think, as I’m trying to fall asleep, there’s that ugly thought about myself. You’ll start to notice that track a little bit and then you can characterize that as an intrusive thought.”
Armstrong Miyao noted that once you start to build awareness around intrusive thoughts, you can work on giving them less weight or less power. “One of my favorite meditations is based on the Vipassana practice,” she said. “You practice observing your thoughts and not attaching to them. Then I work with it by adding images, so you imagine that your thoughts are like trains on a train track going by. Basically, you’re trying to figure out ways to create a little distance between you and those intrusive thoughts. Sometimes, it helps to create a symbolic representation of the thought. Like, there’s my nasty green snake coming up and talking shit at like three in the morning. I wasn’t even paying attention and now realize I’m quite anxious; what do I need to do to take care of myself? You start to notice these thoughts are an overall reaction to maybe an underlying need that’s not being met. You can tell yourself, “I’m okay; I’m safe. I don’t need that. I don’t have to take that in. That is not the truth.”
Armstrong Miyao noted that once you start to build awareness around intrusive thoughts, you can work on giving them less weight or less power. “One of my favorite meditations is based on the Vipassana practice,” she said...
While there can be similarities, spiraling can often feel invasive, but it’s different from intrusive thoughts. “Spiraling is like a laundry list of all the things that you did wrong and then the stakes are getting higher and higher and higher,” said Armstrong Miyao. “That has a different tenor than an intrusive thought of a violent image or do this thing 10 times or else something terrible is going to happen. They have a different flavor, but they both require an intervention that will give the person some respite and peace.”