Give Clients the Tools to Stop Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts are uncomfortable, scary, or bizarre ideas, images, or urges that spontaneously manifest in the mind and often occur with frequency. Individuals who experience intrusive thoughts often feel distressed by the nature of these thoughts, which can cause periods of mental anguish and feelings of self-loathing and self-doubt.

The Stop Intrusive Thoughts Script from the Script Collection was put together to help individuals free themselves from the shame of intrusive thoughts and learn how to ignore them.

The script opens with a pre-talk that explains the emotional pain intrusive thoughts can cause. The client is assured that they can overcome their anguish, whether they're dealing with a fear, a disturbing mental image, morally appalling questions or a different kind of uncomfortable recurring thought.

The process of expunging intrusive thoughts is explained. Instead of fighting against the thoughts, arguing with them, or trying to disprove them, the way to beat back intrusive thoughts is to become indifferent to them.

The nature of intrusive thoughts is explained as a vicious cycle that begins with a thought that produces high levels of emotion or agitation, and continues through an internal grappling with the thought that can include a fight to disprove it. The cycle concludes with the client reassuring themselves about the thought, only for the process to begin anew.

The only way to quit the cycle is to disengage. The client is assured that if they can learn to stop interacting with their intrusive thoughts, their brains will begin to categorize intrusive thoughts as unimportant and begin to tune them out.

The induction opens with a progressive relaxation that asks the client to "glide their attention" over their body from the crown of the head to the bottom of their feet. Embedded commands direct them to soften and loosen their muscles, and the client is assured they do not need to make a conscious effort to relax.

A countdown ushers the client into a deeper state of relaxation as flowing language guides them to recall times of "complete freedom." The client is reminded of the "ease and simplicity" of processes in their life, such as deleting a spam email or ignoring a social media call to action, that they simply skim past and forget about it.

The full script continues.

Add the Stop Intrusive Thoughts Hypnosis Script to your script library today.

Stop Intrusive Thoughts is also available as an MP3 download.