Learn to quiet your intrusive thoughts.
3k+
Helping people understand and quiet the thoughts that scare them most.
About us
A calm, structured way out of intrusive thoughts
Intrusive Thoughts is a self-paced course for people whose minds keep serving up the thoughts they least want. No waiting list between you and an explanation.
Our mission is simple: a name for what is happening, a method with real evidence behind it, and practical skills for everyday life.
More about the method100
Cards in the course
94%
Of people have had one
8
Kinds of thought covered
3k+
People helped
Our courses
Courses built around
what you are dealing with
Freedom From Intrusive ThoughtsOne hundred cards, one idea at a time, until the thoughts lose their grip.
Coming soonFreedom From AnxietyLearn to stop fighting the feeling, and watch it lose its power.
Coming soonMaking Room for GriefA gentler way to carry loss without being carried off by it.
Coming soonMeeting Your ShadowKnow the parts of yourself you were taught to hide.
Coming soonHealing Your Inner ChildMeet the younger you still running the show, and give them what they needed.
Coming soonLetting Go of ControlFor perfectionism, people-pleasing and the need to be certain.
What you get
Three things the course gives you
that reassurance cannot
A name for it
Your exact subtype, and why it says nothing about who you are.
A method that works
Let a thought come, skip the argument, watch it lose its grip.
At your own pace
Short lessons and private exercises you can return to.
How it works
A better way through
You start by naming your exact kind of intrusive thought. Then you see why fighting it is what makes it louder, and learn to let one arrive without answering it. Finish a card, the next unlocks. Exercises help you put each step into use.
Start the courseWhy it works
From the tangle
to the calm
100
Cards, one idea at a time
Your way to a quieter mind
From the thought that hijacks your day to letting it pass, one small card at a time.
Before: Stuck, Dread, Shame, Doubt, Alone. After: Named, Understood, Steady, Calm, Connected.
3k+
People helped
94%
Of people have had one
Made for the thought you actually have
Testimonials
What it looks like
from the other side
It took me a year and a half of exposure therapy and meds to get here. It feels great. Don't get discouraged. You are at the beginning.
someone in recoveryThe biggest turning point was realizing I was in the driver's seat. I didn't have to follow the thoughts.
someone in recoveryThere IS anxiety, there IS obsession, and there IS compulsion, but it's not in control of me.
someone in recoveryHoly. Crap. I thought I was the only one.
someone with intrusive thoughts
It's been well over six months since I last had these intrusive thoughts. I remember reading posts like this while I was struggling and thinking, I can't wait to feel like that someday. Recently it hit me that I'm finally there.
someone with HOCDIt got about 1% easier every day. Now my OCD is a minor inconvenience I forget about most days.
someone in recoveryI talked to my therapist about it today. Last time I wasn't brave enough, but today I pushed myself.
someone with POCDIt was not an easy journey and I constantly doubted I'd ever live normally. It doesn't cloud my whole life anymore.
someone in recovery
From the blog
Clear writing for
the days it gets loud
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
1. What are intrusive thoughts?
An intrusive thought is an unwelcome, involuntary thought, image or urge that enters your mind uninvited. It is usually distressing precisely because it runs against what you actually value. In the largest cross-cultural study to date, 94 percent of people reported at least one in a three-month window.
2. Does having an intrusive thought mean I want to act on it?
No. Intrusive thoughts are ego-dystonic, meaning they are repugnant to the person having them. The distress you feel is evidence that the thought conflicts with your values, not evidence of intent.
3. Are intrusive thoughts a sign of OCD?
Not on their own. Almost everyone has intrusive thoughts. What separates an ordinary intrusive thought from OCD is not the thought itself but the response to it: whether it gets stuck, how much distress it causes, and whether you develop rituals to neutralise it.
4. Which kinds of intrusive thoughts does the course cover?
Every major subtype: harm, relationship, sexual, religious, existential and more. The method is the same underneath, and the course shows you why your particular theme is not the exception you fear it is.
5. How long does the course take?
It is self-paced. The course is one hundred cards, a few minutes each, and finishing one unlocks the next. Most people take it one card a day, but there is no clock on it.
6. Is any of it free?
Yes. The first three cards of the course are free, and the self-check is free, private and stores nothing.
7. Is the course a replacement for therapy?
No. It is education and self-help, and it teaches the same principles a good clinician would, but it does not replace one. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line now.
8. What do I finish with?
The whole method, exercises to revisit, and a certificate of completion.
Two minutes from now,
this has a name
The free self-check tells you which kind of intrusive thoughts you are dealing with and what actually helps. When you are ready for more, the course is there.