Intrusive thoughts are a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition in which a person experiences involuntary obsessions and compulsions that may cause distress.

Intrusive thoughts about harm to yourself or others can be a type of OCD known as harm OCD. Therapies like exposure and response prevention (ERP) can help you learn how to cope with this disorder.

One of my most vivid memories of the disturbing intrusive thoughts inflicted by my OCD is an incident in middle school. This is not my worst memory of the disorder, not by a long shot, but it’s ...

You may have noticed a lot more chatter on TikTok these days about intrusive thoughts. While some people use the term to describe their random impulses to, say, open and close their fridge door ...

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 ...

An obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) attack, such as intrusive thoughts, can be overwhelming and may feel similar to a panic attack. People may have thoughts they wish they could stop thinking or ...

You may have noticed a lot more chatter on TikTok these days about intrusive thoughts. While some people use the term to describe their random impulses to, say, open and close their fridge door ...

Disclaimer: This article contains discussions of sensitive topics, including suicide, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm. The content may be triggering or distressing for some readers. Reader discretion ...

“Pure O” is not a formal mental health diagnosis. It refers to a form of OCD in which people may have compulsions that involve mental rituals more so than specific actions. Although pure obsessional ...

Many of us have wild thoughts that pop into our heads out of nowhere. But what if those thoughts were harmful and seemed to want to destroy good things in your life? And what if they happened all of ...