Intrusive thoughts can feel unsettling, exhausting, and even out of character — but they’re more common than you think. Science shows they’re linked to brain systems that sometimes misfire, while ...

Have you ever had a disturbing thought pop up into your head? Thoughts that are distressing, repetitive and unwanted are called intrusive thoughts. NPR's senior Visuals producer LA Johnson talks with ...

The term “intrusive thoughts” has become common parlance from mental health creators on social media such as TikTok, and people have resonated with it. In psychiatry, we don’t usually talk about ...

Separating from negative thoughts is a major mental health challenge. When we feel sad or anxious, thoughts like “I am worthless” or “I can’t survive this" can seem very real. The kicker is that the ...

Intrusive thoughts often feel stronger during periods of overload because stress narrows attention and raises the brain's threat response. When someone is feeling overwhelmed, emotionally overloaded, ...

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and distressing ideas or images that can appear suddenly and feel impossible to control. With obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), intrusive thoughts can become ...