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Depending on emotional and pathological context, intrusive thoughts can represent vastly different phenomena.

Unwanted intrusive thoughts in OCD do not cause people to commit acts of violence.

Unwanted intrusive thoughts in OCD do not indicate poor impulse control.

In conversation, print, and social media, people have been using the terms "intrusive thoughts" and "unwanted intrusive thoughts" to refer to a wide range of thoughts, feelings, and images that enter our heads. It's important to make the distinction between the various types of intrusive thoughts. Depending on the emotional and pathological context, they can represent vastly different phenomena.

Many intrusive thoughts are benign, and some are pleasant and desired—for instance, falling in love, or a burst of creativity while composing a song.

Intrusive thoughts can include everything from funny, bizarre passing thoughts that make great stand-up comedy to a range of unwanted intrusive thoughts. These include command hallucinations that can occur in psychotic states, depressive ruminations, and any unwanted “self-talk” (including rumination). People may also use the term to refer to the content of trauma flashbacks that intrude into ongoing experience.

These intrusive thoughts, whether unwanted or not, are very different from the unwanted intrusive thoughts that characterize some types of OCD. We have noted press reports suggesting that Lindsay Clancy,........

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