Intrusive Thoughts and OCD: What You Need to Know
Living with OCD can feel like carrying a heavy secret. The thoughts that pop into your mind can be so upsetting or “out of character” that you wonder what they say about you as a person. Maybe you’ve tried to push them away, hide them, or keep them locked up inside because talking about them feels too scary. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and there is a way forward.
The Weight of Intrusive Thoughts
If you live with OCD, you probably know the heaviness of intrusive thoughts — the ones that pop into your mind out of nowhere, feel deeply unsettling, and leave you questioning yourself: What kind of person even thinks this? These thoughts can be graphic, scary, or completely out of alignment with your values. They often attach to the things you care about most, which is why they feel so distressing.
Because of this, it’s common to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or even terrified to bring these thoughts into therapy. You might find yourself wondering: What if my therapist judges me? What if they think I’m a bad person? That fear can make the thoughts feel even heavier — as if keeping them a secret is safer. Here’s my promise to you - I have heard it all before and you can’t shock me. OCD’s imagination is SO creative and can come up with some wild stories about the world. And I will admire you for being open.
You Are Not Your Thoughts
Here’s what I want you to know: you are not your thoughts.
Intrusive thoughts are a hallmark of OCD. They don’t say anything about your character, your values, or your intentions. Instead, they’re like mental “junk mail” — unwanted, irrelevant, and automatically delivered, no matter how disturbing or convincing they feel. Just as you wouldn’t blame yourself for the junk mail in your physical mailbox, you don’t need to blame yourself for these thoughts. Everyone has intrusive thoughts - yes, even me - the tricky part for people living with OCD is they struggle against these thoughts and their brain interprets them as dangerous.
When you begin to see them for what they are — noise rather than truth — you can start loosening their grip. That shift is at the heart of OCD treatment and where hope begins to grow. I know facing OCD can feel terrifying - but I will challenge you to think of other times in your life when you’ve overcome hard things. We will use your strength and resilience to help win the battle against OCD.
Talking about Intrusive Thoughts in Therapy
When it comes to sharing these thoughts in therapy, please hear this: you will not shock me. I promise. I’ve worked with many people who struggle with intrusive thoughts, and the themes tend to repeat themselves. Even if your mind is telling you, This is too awful to say out loud, I can assure you it won’t be the first time I’ve heard it.
It takes courage to open up about the things you fear most. That courage is part of the healing process. By facing the thoughts directly — rather than trying to push them away — you give yourself the chance to relate to them differently. You begin to see them as just thoughts, nothing more and nothing less.
And you don’t have to do that work on your own. In therapy, you’ll be met with compassion, understanding, and tools that can help you gradually break free from OCD’s hold. Over time, many people find themselves feeling lighter, calmer, and more confident as they learn that their thoughts don’t have to control them.
Let’s talk about what’s been holding you back and how we can break the cycle of anxiety together. Book your free consultation today—so you can start feeling lighter, calmer, and more like yourself again.