Intrusive Thoughts

Me:

How would you explain to them what intrusive thoughts are?

Dr. Gpt:

Explaining intrusive thoughts to someone with a history of spiritual abuse, where they were taught that the voices in their head were from either God or the devil, requires a careful, compassionate, and trauma-sensitive approach. Here’s how I would explain intrusive thoughts to them:

**“Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that pop into your mind without your control. Everyone has them from time to time, and they are completely normal, though they can sometimes be distressing or upsetting. They often have nothing to do with what you believe or who you are as a person. Think of them as random ‘brain noise’—just the mind throwing out ideas that don’t always make sense or match how you feel or think.

Intrusive thoughts are not messages from God, the devil, or any external source. They are simply thoughts, often generated by anxiety, stress, or fear. Your brain, especially if you’ve experienced trauma, might be on high alert and throw out these thoughts as a way to protect you. It’s like your brain is trying to process all the things it worries about, even if they don’t make sense or aren’t true.

The most important thing to remember is that having these thoughts does not make you a bad person, and they don’t mean something bad will happen. It’s just your brain doing what brains do—producing thoughts. You are not responsible for the thoughts that appear in your mind, only for how you choose to respond to them.

In fact, when we experience trauma or fear, our brains sometimes get stuck in overdrive, creating more of these thoughts as a way of trying to keep us safe. It’s a bit like a false alarm system—your brain might be reacting to old fears or experiences that are no longer relevant to your present reality.

In therapy, we can work on helping you observe these thoughts without getting attached to them or feeling afraid of them. You are not your thoughts, and they don’t define you. We can find ways to help you feel more in control, allowing those thoughts to come and go without causing distress.”**

This explanation focuses on normalizing the experience of intrusive thoughts and detaching them from spiritual interpretations. It emphasizes that intrusive thoughts are a natural part of the brain’s functioning, especially in the context of anxiety or trauma, and reassures the person that these thoughts don’t have moral or spiritual significance. It also provides a hopeful, non-threatening way forward by suggesting the thoughts can be observed and released rather than feared.