Many people routinely wake up throughout the night, dwelling on their past mistakes and ruminating about things they regret doing and saying. We may try to push these interfering thoughts out of our minds, but they usually keep coming back again and again.

We have thousands of thoughts every day, but intrusive thoughts are very different from typical ones. They’re more than just worrying, too. Intrusive thoughts are sudden, involuntary thoughts, memories, urges, or mental images that are often upsetting. Examples include a fear of saying or doing something offensive or embarrassing and getting stuck on negative thoughts or memories from past painful experiences.

Intrusive thoughts are very common. They happen to almost everyone at some point, but they can occur more frequently when we feel stressed or anxious. They also underlie some mental health conditions. In particular, intrusive thoughts are characteristic of post-traumatic........

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