In the mental health world, the term “obsessions” has a very different meaning than it does in casual conversation. In casual conversation, “obsessions” are things you want or desire. They’re things you’re happy to think about often, or things that you like to do.
In the mental health world, “obsessions” are very different. They are typically thoughts that you *do not want* that “intrude” your mind over and over again. Most of the time, these thoughts also cause distress, as they’re often on topics and subjects that a person finds upsetting.
One of the challenges of obtrusive thoughts is how hard they are to control. The more you try to push them away, the more they come back. This is actually by design. Our brain is, in some ways, specifically designed to make sure that the more you try to stop a thought, the more often the thought will occur.
Why Can’t We Stop Intrusive Thoughts?
Psychological studies have shown that it takes a lot of mental energy to avoid thinking about something. So much energy, in fact, that your brain needs to remind you of it in order to remember not to think about it. There are different terms for this, but one of the most popular is called the “Pink Elephant Problem.”
What is the Pink Elephant Problem?
The Pink Elephant Problem is a study that shows that if you tell half a group of people to think about a pink elephant, and half a group of people not to think about a pink elephant, the group told not to think about it ends up thinking about it more than the other group. It takes so much energy to avoid thinking about a topic, that you end up thinking about it more.
What Does the Pink Elephant Problem Have to Do With OCD?
Imagine you have an intrusive thought that causes you distress. Because it causes you so much stress and anxiety, you try to push it away. You try your best not to think about it. Suddenly, you’re running into the pink elephant problem. Your brain spends so much energy trying not to think about it that it ends up thinking about it more and more often.
How Do You Break This Cycle?
Part of overcoming these intrusive thoughts is breaking this cycle and making it so that you *can* forget. To do that, you have to actually embrace the thought. Remind yourself that your intrusive thoughts do not define you. Remind yourself that pushing the thought away does not work. You may even want to think about the thought on purpose in order to make it something that you no longer obsess on.
Is That All There is To It?
No, addressing OCD does take a lot more energy and effort. You may have to address the initial causes of the obsessions, the compulsions, what causes you the most distress, and even forgiving yourself for your thoughts. Those all take time and energy, and benefit from working with a therapist.
But if you stop attempting to push down those thoughts, accept that you have them, and focus on moving forward, then the thoughts not only should occur less – they should also cause less distress when they do occur.
Ready for OCD Help?
If you are someone that struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder or intrusive thoughts, reach out to a therapist today. Through therapy, you can gain more understanding of the cause of these thoughts and develop cognitive tools to help you control them. Contact us today to learn more.