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Let’s get one thing straight: intrusive thoughts are not the quirky little urges you see romanticized on TikTok. You know the ones — “My intrusive thoughts told me to have cake for dinner,” or “My intrusive thoughts said to text my ex!”
Yeah… no.
Real intrusive thoughts are not cute. They’re not fun. They’re not momentary chaos for giggles. They are terrifying, persistent, overwhelming mental intrusions that often latch on to the exact thing that would devastate you most. For me, they’ve centered around illness, harm, tragedy — always targeting the people I love the most. And they don’t just show up once. Oh no, they set up camp, crank the volume to full blast, and hit repeat until you want to scream.
When Fear Gets a Plus-One: OCD + Intrusive Thoughts
I have OCD with intrusive thoughts, which means these unwelcome mental visitors don’t travel solo. They bring backup.
Here’s how it typically goes: I’ll have an intrusive thought — a horrifying image or idea, something I’d never actually want. Then OCD chimes in like an anxious little gremlin whispering, “If you don’t do [insert arbitrary action here], this terrible thing might happen.”
Example? Glad you asked.
Let’s say I buy a new outfit. I love it! I feel amazing in it. But suddenly, a dark thought pops in — something bad happening to one of my kids. Out of nowhere. Then comes the OCD logic: “This outfit is bad luck. If you wear it, tragedy will strike.”
So now, what was once a confidence-boosting outfit becomes a landmine of anxiety. I physically feel the dread when I go to wear it, like I’m tempting fate.
Sound exhausting? It is.
The Comeback: Therapy, Truth Bombs, and Exposure Practice
After years (and I mean years) of therapy, some well-timed meds, and an obsessive amount of my own research (no pun intended), I’ve finally learned how to pull myself back from the spiral.
I start by reminding myself that the thought is not me.
It doesn’t reflect my character, my desires, or my truth.
It’s unwanted. It’s a glitch in the mental matrix.
Even when the fear feels real — because believe me, it feels very real — I practice repeating the truth:
“This thought is not who I am. This fear does not control me. My thoughts are not prophecy.”
Then I do the hardest thing: I push through the fear.
I wear the outfit.
Even if it makes me squirm. Even if I want to cry.
I wear it anyway, because the only way out is through.
This is called exposure therapy, and it’s like mental weightlifting. The first reps are shaky and awful. But the more you practice, the stronger you get.
From Panic to Peace: Using the Law of Attraction
Once I’m out of that initial panic mode — and this part is key for me — I shift gears.
This is where I bring in something that’s been surprisingly powerful in my healing: The Law of Attraction.
Now, I know what you might be thinking:
Wait, if I’m having intrusive thoughts about something awful… aren’t I manifesting it?!
This idea haunted me at first, too.
But then I stopped and really thought about it. If intrusive thoughts actually had that kind of power, the world would be an absolute horror show — and people like me would be in constant doom. And that’s simply not the case. Despite all the anxiety, despite all the intrusive thoughts, I’ve lived a beautiful life, filled with God-given blessings.
So now, when anxiety starts creeping in, I remind myself:
“God knows my heart. God knows I do not want these things.”
And from that place of calm, I use my imagination on purpose. I visualize what I do want:
Peace. Joy. My kids laughing. Abundance. A trip. A dream come true.
I imagine it until it feels real in my body.
So… Does It Work?
In my experience? Yes.
I genuinely believe that if you train your mind to expect good things — to believe in joy, faith, abundance — you’ll begin to see it reflected in your life. My suggestion is you start journaling (this journal is my favorite…and not just because I made it!). Write your dreams and also write the good things that happen to you. I like to go back and re-read these and it is AMAZING how much of my dreams have become reality and I didn’t even notice!
And if it turns out that manifestation isn’t real?
Well, then I’ve still spent my days focusing on hope, growth, and goodness, instead of drowning in fear.
What’s the downside in that?
Final Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts can feel like monsters in your mind — lurking, shouting, bullying you into submission. But they’re not the truth. They’re not you. And they don’t get the final say.
With therapy, faith, and mindset work, you can take your power back to overcome intrusive thoughts and OCD.
You can retrain your brain.
You can rewire the fear.
And maybe — just maybe — you can even wear that outfit again and feel fabulous in it
