It’s natural for everyone to have and experience thoughts that might not align with who they want to be as a person or how they want to feel. Still, some might begin to wonder…does having bad or negative thoughts make me a bad person? The question can itself be distressing for people to reflect upon. However, what matters most is how you handle those thoughts. It’s possible to have negative thoughts, without acting on them. It’s also possible to challenge or let them pass without letting them have too much power over you.
How common are negative thoughts?
Sometimes, these negative thoughts can appear as a result of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, a 2014 study of intrusive thoughts in nonclinical populations, assessing 777 university students across 13 countries reported that 93.6% of participants had at least one intrusive thought in the 3 months prior to the study. Of these, intrusions related to “doubting” or worry about doing tasks correctly were the most common.
When are they problematic?
While intrusive thoughts are common, it is important to seek help if they become problematic for living everyday life. Signs that you may need professional help are when thoughts become persistent and intrusive (American Psychiatric Association [APA]., 2022) and cause significant anxiety or distress. Similarly, if thoughts are interfering with your social, occupational or educational functioning, this is another reason to seek help. Common examples of intrusive thoughts include:
- Fears of contamination (e.g., germs, dirt)
- Fears of harming others or being harmed
- Concerns with symmetry or exactness
- Intrusive sexual or violent thoughts
Getting help
Intrusive thoughts can be worked upon with a therapist, commonly with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to learn ways to become less sensitive to the thoughts (Janardhan Reddy et al., 2017). In a controlled setting, a therapist can also guide you through Exposure Response Therapy, where you are exposed to triggers to these thoughts to help you to learn to react differently.
In summary, intrusive and distressing thoughts are common and normal to experience. They are not something that mean you are a bad person. However, being aware of their frequency and impact on your daily life can be important to ensure they do not take over your life and seek support if needed.
Don’t let mental health issues control your life. Take control of your mental health and book an appointment with our team of psychologists at the Centre for Clinical Psychology in Melbourne 03 9077 0122 . Our evidence-based treatments can help you overcome anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health conditions.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (5th ed., text rev)
Janardhan Reddy, Y. C., Sundar, A. S., Narayanaswamy, J. C., & Math, S. B. (2017). Clinical practice guidelines for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Indian journal of psychiatry, 59(Suppl 1), S74–S90. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.196976
Radomsky, A. S., Alcolado, G. M., Abramowitz, J. S., Alonso, P., Belloch, A., Bouvard, M., … & Wong, W. (2014). Part 1—You can run but you can’t hide: Intrusive thoughts on six continents. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 3(3), 269-279.
