Ever imagined yourself doing something pretty distasteful, like that time someone cut you off on the highway and you had visions of running them off the road? Or perhaps your brain prefers to torment ...

Actor Kimberley Nixon speaks openly about perinatal OCD, intrusive thoughts and postnatal mental health after childbirth, and ...

Ever had a scary or weird thought pop into your head that you just can’t shake? These are called intrusive thoughts, and almost everyone gets them sometimes. They can feel scary or make you worry ...

You're chopping vegetables to make dinner when suddenly, out of nowhere, a thought flashes: "What if I cut my finger off?" You don't want to hurt yourself, and the ...

Have you ever had a disturbing thought pop up into your head? Thoughts that are distressing, repetitive and unwanted are called intrusive thoughts. NPR's senior Visuals producer LA Johnson talks with ...

Intrusive thoughts often feel stronger during periods of overload because stress narrows attention and raises the brain's threat response. When someone is feeling overwhelmed, emotionally overloaded, ...

Separating from negative thoughts is a major mental health challenge. When we feel sad or anxious, thoughts like “I am worthless” or “I can’t survive this" can seem very real. The kicker is that the ...

OCD can sometimes involve distressing, intrusive thoughts about suicide, typically distinct from genuine suicidal ideation. Treatment like exposure therapy can help individuals heal from harmful ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday psychology. Overthinking is the habit of excessively analyzing, dwelling on ...

Rohan’s nighttime fears of being robbed and abducted began at five years old. At nine, Rohan was still sleeping in his mother’s room plagued by nighttime obsessions. “I feel like we’re going to get ...