Intrusive thoughts are some of the most personal and agonizing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Thanks to OCD, just one single unpleasant thought or image—violent, sexual, obscene, ...

Living with OCD often means grappling with unwanted, intrusive thoughts. Instead of trying to suppress them, recognizing these thoughts and managing your response is key to reducing their impact.

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and distressing ideas or images that can appear suddenly and feel impossible to control. With obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), intrusive thoughts can become ...

The exact reason why we experience intrusive thoughts isn't fully understood. These unwanted, disturbing thoughts are called intrusive thoughts, and they can be very unsettling. But here's the thing, ...

You're chopping vegetables to make dinner when suddenly, out of nowhere, a thought flashes: "What if I cut my finger off?" You don't want to hurt yourself, and the ...

The mind can wander to strange places. Sometimes those places and the images that come with them are unwanted, dangerous and negative. We all have intrusive thoughts, but some of us deal with them ...

Have you ever had scary thoughts pop into your head that you just couldn't stop thinking about? They're called intrusive thoughts, and they are distressing, repetitive and unwanted. They can be ...

Obsessions and compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) vary between people and may focus on one or more themes. The term “taboo OCD” refers to OCD themes that center around socially ...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can affect children and adults. Obsessive thoughts are difficult to spot, but compulsive behaviors are usually more obvious. OCD often develops between the ages of ...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can cause unrelenting fears about racism. Source: Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock In the wake of several months of Black Lives Matter and anti-racism protests in the U.S.

Too often, people say they “let their intrusive thoughts win” after spontaneously dyeing their hair or making a late-night purchase. There’s a difference between impulsive and intrusive thoughts, ...

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 ...