Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts can come in forms of worry, fear, and doubt. And if not dealt with can affect the brain and you can get caught up in a vicious cycle that’s difficult to get out of.

In this video, I’m going to walk you through the origins of intrusive thoughts so you can better understand yourself and what to do if you struggle with these things.

The Greek origin of worry actually means “to distract, to divide, a division in the mind.” The origin of the word also means “to strangle.” Isn’t it interesting that worry is associated with being strangled, like we physically can be wrapped in or strangled by our own worries?

Negative thinking is a habit you can break. We can be so accustomed to destructive ways of thinking that we drain our mental and physical energy. C.S. Lewis said, “you can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

Our body can naturally renew itself. Neural pathways and dendrites in your brain quite literally look like little tiny trees, every time you learn something new, think a new thought, you are growing different dendrites, your very own “thought trees”.

Research has shown that resentful and negative thoughts make the branches of these “memory or thought trees” look unhealthy and lifeless in your brain.

When you begin to change the way you respond to intrusive thoughts, you begin to form new lively neural pathways. These thought trees will begin to flourish and those wilted and sparse ones will be grown over by a positive life giving version.

If you feel like you’re being trapped by intrusive thoughts and are struggling to manage them, we can help. Reach out and schedule an appointment today.