Impulsive actions are not intrusive thoughts

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, often distressing, thoughts that come into your head without any warning. As someone who suffers from daily intrusive thoughts, I’ve been rather bothered by the rise in the use of the term online. I’m not bothered because it should not be said – I think awareness about intrusive thoughts is a great thing – I’m bothered because it is being misused.   

Every time I see someone talking about “letting their intrusive thoughts win,” it’s in reference to impulsive thoughts. Impulsive thoughts are things like dyeing your hair a random color or going on a spontaneous trip.  

Impulsive actions often have little to no forethought, acting when the thought comes into your head. Impulsive thoughts can be recurring, often coming when the opportunity for action arises. However, these thoughts are not distressing. While an impulsive thought may compel someone to do something they would not normally do, they are not actions that one would find to be immoral. 

Intrusive thoughts, on the other hand, commonly cause fear and anxiety. In my personal experience, when intrusive thoughts come into my head, I feel an immense feeling of fear of what I could possibly do if the intrusive thoughts did “win,” as the phrase goes.  

Intrusive thoughts can often be violent, compelling people to harm themselves or ones they love. Because of this, many people who suffer from intrusive thoughts stay silent due to fear that people will judge them.  

Feeling pressured to stay silent can lead to feelings of shame, as if something is wrong with you because of something out of your control. With the term being commonly used to describe impulsive thoughts, it dilutes the actual meaning of it, perpetuating the cycle of silence.  

While intrusive thoughts can be violent, they do not always have to be. Intrusive thoughts can also be things like recollecting past trauma, fear of dying or of loved ones dying, or even saying things that would be offensive.  

Thoughts like these can be both intrusive and non-intrusive, the two main distinctions are intent and reaction. I think it would be fair to say most people have a reasonable fear of a loved one dying, the issue arises when the thoughts become overwhelming and distressing. 

When most people think of intrusive thoughts they think of a thought compelling someone to do something, not just unwanted distressing thoughts. These non-action thoughts can be just as distressing as action ones.  

Non-action thoughts can become obsessive and hard to stop thinking about, causing panic and fear. These thoughts (action and non-action) are common in people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and can make it hard to function in day-to-day life. 

With the overuse and dilution of the term, people are less likely to seek help for their mental health struggles and perpetuate the ongoing mental health crisis.