Do you often have thoughts that are troubling or that you’re worried you’ll act on with negative consequences? It is showed that the average person has around 60,000 thoughts per day. These can be anything from what to have for lunch to how a person’s comment affected you to ruminating about the past. While most thoughts are fleeting and have no real impact, impulsive and intrusive thoughts are different.

Here is what to know about impulsive and intrusive thoughts and when to know if you need to seek professional help.

What is an Impulsive Thought?

An impulsive thought is one that is involuntary and sudden that often push you toward spontaneous actions that can be detrimental. Examples of impulsive thoughts are eating junk food even though you are on a diet, buying something you cannot afford, or acting out in a social situation. If acted upon, impulsive thoughts can often cause problems in relationships, financial situations, or your health.

What is an Intrusive Thought?

This type of thought is involuntary, unwanted, and usually repetitive. These thoughts can easily turn into obsessions and usually cause distress or anxiety. Some examples of intrusive thoughts are fear regarding germs or safety, distressing sexual thoughts, or thoughts about inappropriate behavior in a social situation. These thoughts often lead to a person questioning their character or experiencing guilt and shame.

What Are the Differences Between Impulsive And Intrusive Thoughts?

While impulsive thoughts are usually fleeting and do not lead to distress unless they are acted upon, intrusive thoughts are more ‘sticky’. The harder a person tries to stop thinking an intrusive thought, the more it occurs.

Both impulsive and intrusive thoughts can be symptoms of underlying mental health disorders. The differences between impulsive vs intrusive thoughts are that impulsive thoughts are often linked with borderline personality disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder while intrusive thoughts are associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Impulsive vs Intrusive Thoughts: Knowing the Difference

It’s important to recognize whether you are having impulsive or gba333 intrusive thoughts—or both—for a variety of reasons. First, it will help you understand more about your mental health. Second, it will help you seek out or develop coping strategies. For example, impulse control techniques can be quite effective for mitigating impulsive thoughts but cognitive behavioral therapy may be needed to address intrusive thoughts. Finally, knowing the difference between these thoughts and how they are affecting you helps you talk with others about your struggles and assists in developing a support network to assist you in dealing with them.

Knowing When to Get Help

It’s time to get help if either or both are having a negative impact on your overall well-being. If you’ve already tried mindfulness techniques, exercise, getting out in nature, meditation, and stress reduction and you’re still experiencing impulsive or intrusive thoughts, it could be a sign of a deeper mental health issue.

If you are struggling with these types of thoughts or with other mental health challenges such as severe anxiety, depression, or thoughts of suicide, it’s vital that you reach out to a professional therapist as soon as possible. He or she can assess you and develop a strategy that will aid in regaining your mental and emotional well-being. gba333 login