Have you ever held a knife and thought, “What if I stabbed myself right now?” Most people have these sudden thoughts, but the thought floats away. Sometimes we might engage with the idea and think something like, “that would suck,” and move on.
But for those with anxiety or OCD, these thoughts can be sticky. We can take them seriously and see them as a threat. Even after reassuring or distracting ourselves, the thoughts can come back. And they tend to come back stronger and with friends (“And what if I stabbed my roommate, too?”).
Because intrusive thoughts are so universal (and so darn sneaky), I love to recommend Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts* (by Sally Winston and Martin Seif). Readers with mild anxiety (who are just starting to listen to intrusive thoughts) can benefit from the read as well as those with severe anxiety and OCD.
Reasons I love this work:
It’s an easy read with a simple model and practical steps.
Winston and Seif are experts and their work is evidence-based.
It validates a wide range of intrusive thoughts, which can be especially helpful for folks with extremely stigmatized thoughts (e.g., pedophilia, self-harm, harm to others)
I don’t get any financial incentive for sharing this. Just want to get the word out!
*Okay, the actual title is Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts, but boy is that a mouthful!