Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts refer to unwanted thoughts or graphic images that you experience without prompting or warning. These thoughts often happen randomly, and they can be repetitive in nature. There's no doubt that intrusive thoughts feel distressing and disturbing. You don't like what you're thinking about, and you may feel ashamed, disgusted, afraid, and angry. You might also worry that the presence of these thoughts means something is wrong with you.
First things first, nothing is wrong with you. Research shows that a staggering 94% of people have intrusive thoughts! But if they affect your quality of life, it may be time to take a deeper look at what's going on.
To begin therapy to treat intrusive thoughts, book with:
Amy Parsons
Dayirai Kapfunde (virtual only)
Kenneth Guye (virtual only)
Kim Cardinal
Samantha LeBlanc
Sarah Callin
Can You Get Rid of Intrusive Thoughts?
You can't avoid the thoughts that pop into your head. Most of the time, they're completely automatic, although they may sometimes be triggered by anxiety or stress.
It's also possible that intrusive thoughts are simply wired into our survival systems. Our brain is primed to think negatively - it's part of our fight-or-flight system, and that system is essential for ensuring our safety. Intrusive thoughts may simply be your brain processing perceived threats.
While you can't necessarily stop intrusive thoughts from happening, you can improve how you think about and manage your thoughts. Ultimately, it comes down to recognizing that thoughts are just thoughts, and they can be challenged or changed.
When Are Intrusive Thoughts Problematic?
Intrusive thoughts are not inherently bad, especially if you can identify them as random and unhelpful to your daily life. But they can become problematic when they accompany other mental health issues or cause you to act out in unhelpful ways.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): People with OCD experience intrusive thoughts that create significant distress. These intrusive thoughts might include fears of contamination, a need for order, and aggressive thoughts about losing control. You then engage in compulsive, ritualistic behaviours to try to mitigate these disturbing thoughts.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Intrusive thoughts in PTSD may look like reliving the traumatic event (having flashbacks or nightmares) or experiencing ongoing anxiety about the trauma happening again.
Avoidance behaviours: Some people with intrusive thoughts assume that a specific disturbing thought indicates reality. For example, if you fear that you might hurt your baby sister, you avoid spending time with her altogether. Or, if you fear that you'll swerve your car into ongoing traffic, you might avoid driving to prevent this from coming true.
Eating disorders: Intrusive thoughts about weight gain, poor body image, or eating can cause and maintain eating disorders. Engaging in disordered eating can also trigger more intrusive thoughts about control and perfectionism.
Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders often have intrusive thoughts related to losing control or something bad happening. Anxiety can cause you to miscalculate a minor stressor to be a significant catastrophe.
How Can You Manage Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are so powerful because they tend to linger and fester in your mind. The thought feels more and more real, and it heightens a sense of fear.
The first step is recognizing that no intrusive thought is inherently objective. That's because thoughts are always subjective, and you can learn how to examine them more critically.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy: CBT focuses on decreasing your sensitivity to intrusive thoughts. You will learn more about the pattern between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and you will explore different ways to cope with intrusive thoughts when they arise.
Mindfulness: Learning to stay in the present moment can help decrease the intensity of an intrusive thought. Paradoxically, accepting intrusive thoughts often makes them feel less debilitating or severe. Some people find it helpful to simply note, “I am having an intrusive thought right now. This is disturbing, but it is not real”.
Stress management: Many people find themselves having more obsessive thoughts or problematic repetitive behaviours during stressful times. Learning how to reduce stress by increasing self-care and improving negative thought patterns is always a good idea.
When to Seek Therapy for Intrusive Thoughts
If you're experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts, you're not alone. Thoughts happen, and if you can recognize them as simply being unwanted or undesirable, they probably won't have much of an impact on your functioning.
But if intrusive thoughts affect your everyday life or cause you to engage in dangerous or violent acts, it's important to assess if there's a more serious underlying problem. Professional treatment can help you manage these thoughts.
We recognize the relationship between intrusive thoughts and certain mental health conditions, and we use cognitive-behavioural therapy to help our clients manage their unwanted symptoms. You don't have to suffer alone. We are here for you.
Therapy for Intrusive Thoughts in Fort McMurray
How to Start Therapy for Intrusive Thoughts
Beginning therapy with Boreal Therapy Collective is easy and requires no referral. You can book your initial assessment here.
Understanding Length of Therapy and Treatment
Your first appointment will be 90-minutes long. For all future appointments, you can choose to book for 1 hour or 90-minutes. During your first appointment, your therapist will ask you questions to better understand you and your areas of struggle. This is known as an assessment. Depending on how much you share, the assessment phase can last anywhere from one to three appointments. The assessment is critical. It helps you and your therapist understand your goals, and it helps your therapist develop a treatment plan to support you in achieving these goals.
After the assessment is complete, treatment begins! In the treatment phase, you will be introduced to a variety of skills to practice and implement to better manage your symptoms. Most people will have a therapy session every two weeks, and we recommend this for optimal treatment. Effective therapy typically takes somewhere between six to twelve appointments (for some more, others less). Many choose to continue therapy once formal treatment is complete. This is referred to as maintenance. People who do this typically have an appointment once every six to eight weeks. This is not a requirement and is a matter of personal choice.
Therapy for Intrusive Thoughts at Boreal Therapy Collective
Where We Are Located
We’re located at 8530 Manning Avenue, Unit 104. You’ll find us in the Service Canada building (on the side of the building that faces the Clearwater River). To check out our space, click here.
Parking is located at the front and back of the building. The front parking lot is closer to us but tends to fill up quickly. There is also an empty dirt lot adjacent to our office that many use for parking. If you park at the back (where Service Canada is located), you can walk around the building to reach our office. To learn more about parking, click here.
Importantly, you do not need to be in town for treatment. We offer in-person and virtual therapy and our therapists are happy to provide whatever option works best for you!
Rates & Benefit Coverage
Initial assessments are billed at a rate of $300.00 for a 90-minute appointment. Follow-up sessions are billed at a rate of $200.00/hour or $300.00/90-minutes (you can choose your preferred appointment length when booking). We offer direct billing to 25+ benefit providers. With your consent, we will always direct bill first. If we are unable to direct bill, you can pay via email money transfer or credit card. You will be given a receipt once payment has been collected. For more information, click here.
