OCD: How Do I Stop Intrusive Thoughts?

There’s a proven process that can reduce the fear and anxiety caused by unwanted intrusive thoughts.

It starts with changing how you respond to them.

Instead of hoping these distressing thoughts won’t show up, begin to expect them.

When they do show up, choose not to engage with their content. Let them be there, but continue on with your day as if they weren’t.

Over time, this shift in your response can change your relationship with the thoughts — and reduce their power over you.

Traditional approaches often try to argue with the thoughts rather than helping you relate to them differently. For example, "What’s the likelihood that the thing you’re afraid of will actually happen?" Whether it's your kids getting a disease, having a heart attack at 35, or experiencing a panic attack you’ll never recover from. While this line of thinking might offer temporary relief, it often increases anxiety in the long run. You're already ruminating about your intrusive thoughts, and this kind of reasoning just adds fuel to the fire. Even when a therapist or friend offers reassurance with good intentions, they may inadvertently be helping you strengthen your ruminations.

If you have generalized anxiety disorder or fears rooted in misinformation, this approach can be useful. For instance, if you believe a heart rate of 180 will cause a heart attack, learning that an elevated heart rate actually strengthens your heart can be reassuring and helpful. But with OCD, this kind of reassurance-seeking only makes things worse. The person with OCD is seeking 100 percent certainty, a feeling they can never quite hold on to. They have to learn to stop chasing that feeling. In fact, it's by dropping the pursuit of certainty that real relief begins. That’s hard to believe at first, but it’s incredibly freeing once it clicks. When that shift happens, the person with OCD can begin to reclaim their life and feel peace again.

I use several different approaches to evidence-based treatment for OCD, all rooted in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). My approach is gentle, supportive, and highly effective. You can get better. Read more about how I implement ERP.

Tyler Slay is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in the treatment of OCD and anxiety in Madison, MS.