How to Stop Intrusive Thoughts in Their Tracks
Food, body image, social media, news, work, school, family, friends, romantic relationships…life can be very noisy sometimes. In recovery, thoughts about food and body are also thrown into the mix- often times when we don’t want them there. These intrusive thoughts (I refer to them as the ANT’s - Automatic Negative Thought’s) can be overwhelming and frankly, annoying.
ANTS are often brought on by CHANGE. For example, let’s say you start challenging yourself to change a behavior (ie. restricting food, purging after meals, or decreasing body checking). The controller/manager/critical part of you gets anxious and starts to grasp at any straws to get you to engage in behaviors which it has determined are safe, soothing, or “right”. This can lead to an internal power struggle, gaslighting from the critic and often defeated feelings or rebellious behaviors.
So how do you get off the hamster wheel of a noisy brain? First, take a look at identifying your intrusive thoughts. Do you recognize them? Most people do as they are frequent and often say the same things. Then ask yourself if you would advise someone else to do what the intrusive thought is telling you to do. For example, if you have a thought to skip a meal because you are experiencing pressure at work, ask yourself, “Would I tell my coworker to skip lunch to feel better about this project?” Intrusive thoughts don’t fix things they just make them more difficult. And, they aren’t generally true. What does your wise mind have to say? Does she have an opinion too? If so, what is it? Other examples of disordered eating/body image related intrusive thoughts include:
“I’ve got a lot going on right now, so I’ll just skip my lunch today to keep working.”
“I shouldn’t have eaten that snack- I’ll go for an extra run today to burn it off.”
“If I don’t follow this exact meal plan this week, I have failed.”
“I look so bad today- I should skip dinner with my friends and stay home instead.”
“What if I don’t eat breakfast this week?”
“Maybe I should start exercising first thing in the morning and see if I can wait until lunch to eat.”
“Did she eat more than me? I’ll stop eating what’s on my plate just in case.”
“I look like I’ve gained weight. I should weigh myself to check.”
“I don’t deserve to eat today.”
“I need to eat less and burn more calories this week.”
The next time you have a thought like this consider accepting the thought and not acting on it. Trying to fight the thought often makes it that much louder. This may look like thinking, “I know that skipping a meal may make me feel more in control for a short period of time, but that is not what is best for my body or my mind.” It may seem hard to reframe ANT’s and it ‘s a know fact that sitting with an intrusive thoughts and not acting on them can be really uncomfortable.
Distractions, however, may be a helpful way to manage ANT’s in the short term (maybe while you are at work or around others). If you can, jot down some notes in a journal or your Notes app to externalize the thought and write what you want to say back to the thought. There are always two sides to a story. You can also phone a friend or family member to talk it through with you. As you continue to do this, you will start to notice the intrusive thoughts fade a little quicker. If you haven’t already, you might need to consider discussing your repetitive thoughts with a therapist or registered dietitian so that they can help you develop personalized coping strategies.
Lastly, try not to judge yourself. Seems impossible, right? Remember everybody has their own thoughts and struggles and you aren’t alone. Truthfully, almost everyone could benefit from talking to someone during difficult seasons of life. As registered dietitians, we are here to help you develop strategies to quiet the noise in your brain. Book an appointment with us today. Keep in mind that intrusive thoughts may also be associated with other mental health disorders. If you feel that you need more assistance, please contact a licensed therapist or other mental health professional to find a path forward.
Here are some articles that we sourced information on and are great resources if you are looking for more information:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/managing-intrusive-thoughts
https://www.nami.org/blog/dealing-with-intrusive-thoughts/
https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/unwanted-intrusive-thoughts
Written by Trinny Duncan, Student Intern and Peggy Pratt, PhD, RDN, LDN, CEDS-C