Bill Callahan - All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast
I think a lot about intrusive thoughts.
That was today's joke, folks. I'm here all week, but they probably won't get any better.
But seriously...
Foxy Shazam - Evil Thoughts
("Why are you bothering writing this? Nobody reads this blog and those who do don't want to read about your bloody mental health! You should delete the whole stupid thing and find something better to do with your time.")
Healthline tells us...
Intrusive thoughts seem to come out of nowhere. These thoughts and images are unwanted and often unpleasant. The content can sometimes be aggressive or sexual, or you could suddenly think about a mistake or a worry.
You might feel distressed when this happens, but having an intrusive thought once in a while is a typical part of life.
In most cases, intrusive thoughts do not have any particular meaning. As long as you recognize that these are only thoughts, and you have no desire to act on them, intrusive thoughts are not harmful.
The Cranberries - Ridiculous Thoughts
("For a start, you could get your own back on that guy who sent you the anonymous letter about your hedge. You know who he is. You know where he lives. Slash his caravan tyres. Put a brick through his patio door! At least smash one of his bloody gnomes!")
Some of the young people I work with aren't able to control their intrusive thoughts. That's why they end up with us. But working with them has given me a sense of perspective on my own intrusive thoughts. And how to combat them.
Who can know
What happens in her mind?
Did she come
From a strange world
And leave her mind behind?
Her long lost sighs
And her brightly coloured eyes
Tell her story to the wind
Nick Drake - The Thoughts Of Mary Jane
Intrusive thoughts might tell us to punch that guy who pushes past us in the supermarket. They might tell us to ogle or make an inappropriate comment to a stranger we pass in the street. They might cause us sleepless nights worrying about things that probably won't ever happen. When things get really bad, they might make us want to hurt ourselves... or worse.
("What have you ever actually achieved in this world? You're such a waste of space. You'd be doing the world a favour...")
Elton John - I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself
Matthew Jay - Thoughts Of My Demise
Matthew Jay died in 2003 after falling from his North London flat. An inquest returned an open verdict into his death, although his record company issued an initial statement saying, "his act would appear to have been an impulsive gesture following a professionally difficult year and perhaps, a difficult day".
Weezer - Too Many Thoughts In My Head
Serious intrusive thoughts need to be treated with therapy or drugs, but for the rest of us... I reckon we can take steps to tackle them ourselves. Healthline advises...
A good step toward treating intrusive thoughts is recognizing what they are: just thoughts. You can learn to label them when they happen and recognize that thoughts are not the same as intent or behavior. This may help reduce the frequency or intensity of unwanted thoughts.
Tarnation - Your Thoughts And Mine
The Cynic reports... this does actually work. Say you're driving home from work and an Audi driver does what Audi drivers do. Intrusive thoughts will tell you to scream at him. (Actually, they might tell you to ram him off the road, but hopefully you're not yet at the stage where you follow through on that.) But if you counter the need to react like that by labeling the thought as intrusive, you immediately give yourself the power to challenge it.
Saint Etienne - Stop and Think It Over
The Female Species - Stop And Think It Over
That momentary pause can make a difference. I've started questioning my thoughts before I act on them. Is it common sense or nonsense? Jekyll or Hyde? Bruce Banner or The Hulk? Tyler Durden or The Narrator? It's a tiny step, but it gets easier the more you do it. I've forced far fewer Audis off the road in the last week or so...
("You just wasted an hour of your life writing this shit. I hope you're proud of yourself!"
Ah, but was it a waste? Don't I feel just ever so slightly better for having put all this down on virtual paper. Shut up, voice in my head. You don't know what you're talking about. If nothing else, it gave me the opportunity to finish with some Bruce, and that's always a good thing...)
Well, your honour, I do believe I'd be better off dead
And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts that're in his head
Then won't you sit back in that chair and think it over, judge, one more time?
And let 'em shave off my hair and put me on that execution line
