“Intrusive thoughts” has become a TikTok catchphrase for people describing random—sometimes fun or quirky—impulses, but the actual mental health term has a meaning a lot more nuanced, and misusing it ...

Haupt is a health and wellness editor at TIME. Haupt is a health and wellness editor at TIME. On average, people have about 6,200 thoughts each day. Inevitably, some will be unwanted, alarming, or ...

Intrusive thoughts don't have to hold you back. “Intrusive thoughts tend to reflect our greatest fears or most unwanted scenarios, so you can treat it as a signal of something important to you,” Dr.

TikTokers are sharing videos showing impulsive acts with the caption "intrusive thoughts." Viewers are debating the difference between the mental health term and typical impulses. A psychologist told ...

Intrusive thoughts are a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition in which a person experiences involuntary obsessions and compulsions that may cause distress.