Intrusive thoughts

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I am very familiar with intrusive thoughts. I have read books written for the clinical psychologists on the subject.
I have also read an interesting book written by the Dalai Lama called "Destructive Emotions: A scientific dialogue with the Dalai Lama".

I was diagnosed with GAD and have suffered from anxiety all my life.
I have attempted all sorts of types of therapy in hope to combat the disturbances i get from intrusive thoughts.

I have some observations on the subject, as follows:

I found that the quantity of intrusive thoughts that i experienced were greater when i was on certain medications.
In particular antidepressants. As you likely know, some antidepressants are more "stimulating" than others.

I found that the quantity of intrusive thoughts I experienced were also much greater when consuming certain food stuffs, in particular any food stuff with quantities of caffeine. I also found intrusive thoughts to get greater the day after consuming large quantities of alcohol.

I believe the same goes for any food stuff or supplement that has a stimulant contained within it.

Now, with regards to strategies which may help to combat these intrusive thoughts, I would say that there is no instant fix. I have had one on one CBT etc. didn't find it massively effective.

I have had some success with changing antidepressant type. I changed my antidepressant to one called Clomipromine,
which is primarily prescribed to people with depression and OCD.

Clomipromine is slightly sedating, although not to the extent that it is drowsy or particularly noticeable.
I found Clomipromine has certainly cleared my head a great deal when compared to the more modern SSNRI's and SNRI's. So I recommend this med, if you can get your doctor to prescribe it to you on trail.

Clomipromine does have some minor side effects. Firstly, for the first month it can make your mouth dry.
But this clears up with most, if you keep on taking it.

The other side effect which i have found, is that it can give a person brewers droop. Which certainly is enough to spoil the moment if you finally are able to find a girl friend and one that is willing to get on down, only for your little buddy not to want to play ball. doh!... This other side effect can be gotten around with other meds apparently. But that's another story.

To be a lot free'r of intrusive thoughts is certainly a breath of fresh air.
Which leaves just the days when you get meltdowns etc.

Now, for alternative approaches to remedying intrusive thoughts
a long term plan would be to start meditating every day, learning to gain control of your mind
not so you can stop the intrusive thoughts, as you will never
but you can learn to not take notice of them so much so that they do not cause you so much disturbance

I have done some meditation and consider meditation like an activity that you learn to let go of the
things in your head that cause you distress

I recommend simple breathing meditation as one method that you can use to do this.
Learning to simple sit and watch your thoughts, as if they are items on a conveyor belt,
which you do not need to grab onto! just let it pass and don't feed it

and you will continue to sit in peace

learning to do this, would be a really useful skill for people who get disturbed by instrusive thoughts
although i would say that meditation, for it to work, needs to be practised every day

its not something that you can learn for a few weeks, and then it cures all your problem
meditation to combat intrusive thoughts is a bit like bailing out water on a boat with a leak

its a job that is never done
but needs to be constantly maintained

but if you do
you will not sink in your thoughts

Another way to meditate, is simply go for walks
counting your steps one at a time
one to ten
and then back to the start again

if you find yourself over counting
no problem
just go back to one again

if you find yourself drifting off on another subject
no problem

go back to one again

if pass go
do not worry

just go back to one again
and start your count over again

do this every day
and you will learn to focus on your counting
and less on your destructive thoughts

hope this advice helps