You Can Manage Intrusive Thoughts — The Easy Way

Mastering Your Mind Is a Chalenge - One You Can Meet!

Have you ever tried not to think about something?

If so, you might be able to relate to the experience of somehow managing to think about it even more — and often more intensely.

And when it comes to unpleasant or traumatic thoughts and memories, intrusive thoughts become a significant problem which can become potentially debilitating when they interfere with daily activities or compromise the ability to concentrate.

How and why does this happen, and is there anything that can be done? Research reveals some relevant information.

Apparently, one way to master intrusive thoughts is to make sure to get enough sleep.

Mastering Your Mind

Marcus O. Harrington and Scott A. Cairney (2021) investigated how loss of sleep may prompt intrusive thoughts.

They acknowledge that intrusive thoughts occur when something in the environment triggers the retrieval of a memory related to an unpleasant past experience.

Many people attempt to control intrusive thoughts through memory suppression, which the authors explain delivers an initial respite and also can potentially have far-reaching benefits.

Specifically, they outline the process by which suppressing an unwelcome thought weakens the corresponding memory trace, which in turn decreases the likelihood of recurrence.

Harrington and Cairney (ibid.) also note that memory suppression lessons the affective response associated with unpleasant aversive past experiences, decreasing their emotional intensity.

They recognize that these lasting benefits of memory suppression are considered to be essential to healthy emotion regulation.

There Is a Link Between Sleeping and Thinking

Recognizing the neurological mechanism behind memory suppression, Harrington and Cairney (supra) propose a framework where the "inhibitory control network" supporting memory suppression can be compromised by loss of sleep.

They explain that this impairment permits intrusive thoughts "to break into consciousness unabated, undermining the benefits of memory suppression for emotion regulation."

Harrington and Cairney (supra) note that recent research has demonstrated how people who are sleep-deprived are unsuccessful in suppressing unwanted thoughts.

They note that memory suppression decreases thought intrusions in people who are well-rested, but sleep-deprived individuals do not enjoy the same benefit.

Additionally, they explain that even after sleep-deprived people gain control over an unwanted thought, they are vulnerable to experiencing relapses in memory control, leading to the previously suppressed thought re-emerging.

Out With the Bad, In With the Good

Harrington and Cairney (supra) propose what they describe as a potential lifeline: thought substitution. Recognizing substitution as an alternative to suppression with respect to effective memory control, they explain how it involves redirecting retrieval procedure to nonaversive memories.

Anyone who has tried to train themselves not to remember or ruminate on unpleasant memories can relate to the potential success of this method.

Sometimes just becoming distracted is an effective way to redirect.

But whatever the method, apparently being well-rested is a key not just to being well physically, but being well-regulated mentally.

This article was originally published in Psychology Today.

Wendy L. Patrick, JD, MDiv, Ph.D., is an award-winning career trial attorney and media commentator. She is host of "Live with Dr. Wendy" on KCBQ, and a daily guest on other media outlets, delivering a lively mix of flash, substance, and style. Read Dr. Wendy L. Patrick's Reports — More Here.