Intrusive Thoughts vs. Intuition: How to Tell the Difference
Maybe you’ve had similar thoughts to these before:
“Is this my gut telling me something’s wrong… or am I spiraling?”
“Should I listen to this thought — or ignore it?”
“Am I being responsible, or am I feeding the OCD?”
If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, you’re not alone. One of the most frustrating parts of living with OCD or anxiety is trying to tell the difference between your intuition — that deeper sense of inner knowing — and an intrusive thought that’s trying to hijack your attention.
Because intrusive thoughts often arrive disguised as warnings or moral concerns, they can feel just as real and urgent as intuition. And when you’ve learned to “trust your gut,” it makes sense that you’d worry about ignoring them. But the truth is, intuition and intrusive thoughts don’t come from the same place — and learning to spot the difference is an important part of healing.
What Intrusive Thoughts Actually Are
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, involuntary, and often distressing thoughts, images, or urges that pop into your mind. Everyone has them, but for people with OCD, they tend to stick — triggering intense anxiety and a desperate need to neutralize or figure them out.
A few key features of intrusive thoughts:
They feel urgent and loud. They demand your immediate attention and insist you must respond right now to prevent something bad.
They’re repetitive. They show up over and over, even when you try to push them away.
They trigger anxiety, guilt, or disgust. They don’t feel like helpful inner guidance — they feel threatening.
They often contradict your values. For example, someone with Harm OCD might have thoughts about hurting someone they love — even though they’d never want to.
They fuel compulsions. This could mean mental checking, reassurance-seeking, confessing, avoiding triggers, or researching endlessly.
Intrusive thoughts are the brain’s false alarms. They’re not signals of danger — they’re glitches in your threat-detection system, designed to feel convincing even when they’re not.
What Intuition Actually Feels Like
Intuition, on the other hand, is your internal compass. It’s the subtle, nonverbal sense that helps you make decisions or recognize patterns without conscious reasoning. It’s not a flaw in the system — it’s a feature.
Some key differences:
It’s grounded, not panicked. Intuitive thoughts might nudge you, but they don’t scream or bully you.
It’s not repetitive. Once you acknowledge it, intuition tends to quiet down. It doesn’t loop endlessly.
It’s value-aligned. It often reflects your deeper priorities and desires, not your worst fears.
It feels like clarity. Even if it points you toward something difficult, intuition often feels calm and steady — like a “knowing,” not a “what if.”
It doesn’t demand certainty. Intuition is okay with not knowing everything. Intrusive thoughts crave 100% proof.
Quick Gut Check: Is It OCD or Intuition?
When you’re stuck in the gray area, ask yourself a few grounding questions:
Does this thought feel urgent or panicky? → Likely intrusive.
Is it looping and repetitive, no matter how many times I think it through? → Likely intrusive.
Does it demand absolute certainty before I can move on? → Likely intrusive.
Does it feel like a calm, values-aligned nudge — even if it’s uncomfortable? → Likely intuition.
Would I be doing a compulsion (like checking, analyzing, or asking for reassurance) if I followed this thought? → Likely intrusive.
If the answer to several of these points leans toward “intrusive,” it’s worth treating the thought as an OCD symptom — not as truth.
Why It’s Hard to Trust Yourself (and How to Rebuild That Trust)
OCD makes you doubt everything — your memory, your morality, your safety, your decisions. Over time, that doubt erodes your confidence in your own judgment. You might start outsourcing decisions, overanalyzing every choice, or avoiding anything that triggers uncertainty.
But here’s the good news: you can relearn how to trust yourself. It takes practice, but it’s possible.
Some ways to start:
Label intrusive thoughts for what they are. Try: “This is an OCD thought, not a fact.”
Resist the urge to do compulsions. They give short-term relief but reinforce long-term doubt.
Practice tolerating uncertainty. It’s a muscle that gets stronger with time.
Work with a therapist. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) which is the gold-standard treatment for OCD can help you break the cycle.
Start small. Build trust by making low-stakes decisions without overanalyzing them.
You’re Not Broken — Your Brain Is Just on Overdrive
If you’re stuck wondering whether you can trust your own thoughts, know this: there’s nothing wrong with you. OCD is a neurobiological condition — not a character flaw — and confusing intrusive thoughts with intuition is part of how it works. It’s not proof that you’re broken or weak. It’s proof that your brain is trying too hard to protect you.
Learning to tell the difference takes time and self-compassion. But with support and practice, you can learn to recognize your real inner voice — and stop letting OCD’s false alarms run the show.
You Don’t Have to Untangle It Alone
At Found Mental Health, we specialize in helping people navigate OCD, anxiety, and the self-doubt that comes with them. Our therapists understand how deeply these thoughts can impact your daily life — and we’re here to help you build the tools to trust yourself again.
Offices located in Provo, UT | Online help available across Utah
