Intrusive Thoughts Vs. Impulsive Thoughts: What Are The Differences?

Both intrusive and impulsive thoughts—if not managed correctly—can have a detrimental effect on your life. Neither of these types of thoughts is abnormal or uncommon. In fact, research shows that more than 94% of people have intrusive thoughts while the majority of people have impulsive thoughts from time to time. The problem comes in when these thoughts are either hard to control or lead to impulsive actions.

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

What is an Impulsive Thought?

An impulsive thought is a sudden urge to do something—examples of which are going shopping, taking a last-minute vacation, or reaching out to someone you haven’t spoken to for a long time. Impulsive thoughts of a positive nature are rarely harmful. However, if you have an impulsive thought to do something against the law or detrimental to yourself—such as making a large purchase you can’t afford or quitting your job—and you follow through on it, it could have a negative effect on your life.

What is an Intrusive Thought?

An intrusive thought is one that happens suddenly or randomly and likely repeats itself—whether you want it to or not. Intrusive thoughts have a tendency to be worrying, distressing, or even downright disturbing. You may have an intrusive thought of harming someone else or yourself, that you’re a bad person, that germs are everywhere and will make you sick, or that you’ve made a serious mistake and will be punished for it.

Impulsive vs Intrusive Thoughts

Both impulsive and intrusive thoughts can be distressing;  they make it difficult to complete your daily tasks, cause anxiety, and have an overall negative effect on your emotional and mental state. The difference between the two is that intrusive thoughts tend to last longer and be more disturbing than impulsive thoughts.

Managing Impulsive vs Intrusive Thoughts

Because they are so short-lived, the main way to manage impulsive thoughts is to develop strategies to not act on them and let them pass. Cognitive behavioral therapy can offer some good techniques for this. This type of therapy can also be a good choice for managing intrusive thoughts as well, as can visualization, mindful meditation, and spending time in nature.

It’s important to note that intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety and may also be symptoms of an underlying mental health disorder such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or depression. If this is the case, the underlying disorder will need to be treated and the stress or anxiety managed to help control or eliminate the intrusive thoughts.

Impulsive vs Intrusive Thoughts: When to Get Help

Are you experiencing either impulsive or intrusive thoughts and they are hurting your ability to get daily tasks done or are they impacting your overall mental health? If this is the case, it’s time to ask for help. A therapist can help guide you through your thoughts, help you identify if you are experiencing PTSD, OCD, or another mental health issue that is causing the thoughts, and help you manage stress and anxiety so you can regain your overall emotional and mental well-being.

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