A Mental Health Term Gets Used—And Abused—On TikTok

Topline

“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 has sparked a determined backlash on social media.

Key Facts

TikTokers have adopted the phrase “intrusive thoughts” to refer to random impulses, but some users have pointed out the medical term has a different meaning and is closely associated with obsessive compulsive disorder.

The comment sections of these videos often contain users correcting these content creators, who fear the potentially inaccurate use of “intrusive thoughts” dilutes the meaning of a real mental health issue.

Intrusive thoughts are commonly associated with obsessive compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders and can manifest as unwanted impulses or mental images, often reoccurring, that may include disturbing thoughts about “harm/violence, sexuality/sexual behaviors, religion, and making mistakes/causing accidents,” according to the OCD & Anxiety Center.

Not all intrusive thoughts are caused by mental health disorders: big life stressors and periods of intense anxiety, like childbirth, can trigger intrusive thoughts, Harvard Health Publishing reported.

Intrusive thoughts are automatic, and having unwanted urges does not mean the person actually wants to act on them.

More than six million Americans are estimated to be affected by intrusive thoughts, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Intrusive thoughts can be treated through cognitive behavioral therapy and treating potential underlying conditions, like stress or anxiety disorders.

Chief Critics

In one video viewed nearly 3 million times, a TikTok user poked fun at a “person that thinks ‘intrusive thoughts’ just means an idea.” “My intrusive thoughts won that day because I did end up raking the leaves,” she joked. Another user made a popular video criticizing TikTokers that make light of intrusive thoughts and other mental health terms, including dissociating and being triggered, claiming that this stigmatizes these words. One widely shared tweet with nearly 15 million views critiques a TikTok user who claimed in a video her intrusive thoughts are quitting her job, breaking her phone and disappearing, writing: “i don’t think u guys know what intrusive thoughts mean.” A reply in that tweet thread included a TikTok video featuring a user criticizing the misuse of “intrusive thoughts,” explaining the conflation of a hidden desire, like someone wanting to cut their hair, with real intrusive thoughts, which can include violence or racism, can incorrectly imply people suffering from intrusive thoughts secretly believe their unwanted thoughts.

Big Number

796 million. That’s how many views videos tagged with #intrusivethoughts have on TikTok. Videos under this hashtag include both people using “intrusive thoughts” to refer to regular impulses and people criticizing those for misusing the term.

Tangent

Intrusive thoughts is one of the latest mental health terms going viral on TikTok, a phenomenon that has been concerning to some mental health professionals. Increased discourse about conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder and ADHD, while potentially positive for raising awareness about mental health, has caused some TikTok users to self-diagnose and approach healthcare providers with a specific diagnosis in mind, The New York Times reported. This has helped some people receive accurate diagnoses and receive proper treatment, the Times reported, though healthcare providers fear finding symptoms on TikTok may lead to misdiagnoses. “I think it empowers youth to know it’s not just them making something up, or it’s not all in my head — ‘Look, other people feel this way, too,’” therapist Sara Anne Hawkins told the Times, adding “a little bit of information can be dangerous.”

Further Reading

TikTok’s latest mental health buzzword is ‘intrusive thoughts’ — but viewers are locked in a debate about what it means (Insider)

9 mental health trends on TikTok, from intrusive thoughts to ‘lucky girl syndrome’ (Medical Marketing + Media)