Intrusive Thoughts and Overthinking: The Skill of Cognitive Defusion 20/30

Get the course: How to Help: Peer-to-Peer Support Certification 2, 2021&utm_medium=Description&utm_source=YouTube Get the course: How to Process Your Emotions 2, 2021&utm_medium=Description&utm_source=YouTube Do you ever find yourself overthinking a situation or battling intrusive thoughts? This video will teach you the skill of cognitive defusion, which will help you separate yourself from your thoughts so that you can look at them rather than through them. Intrusive thoughts can be scary, dark or painful. They can make you worry that you’re losing your mind. they are associated with OCD but they can also just pop up out of nowhere. But Intrusive thoughts don’t have to ruin your life. Overthinking is another problem that many people face, constantly dwelling on thoughts or rehashing them over and over. We swim through our thoughts like a fish swims through water. We don’t even notice that the way we think colors our view of the world. Or sometimes we do notice thoughts that we don’t like, and then we don’t know what to do with them. Sometimes you fight them or struggle against them, but that doesn’t feel any better. So sometimes you get stuck in an endless loop of overthinking, obsessively struggling against a thought. But that’s not any better, because struggle steals your attention and energy. In this video you’re going to learn how to get unstuck from your intrusive thoughts and break free from patterns of overthinking. You’re going to learn how to look at your thoughts instead of through them. This skill is called cognitive defusion. Looking for affordable online therapy? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off: Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: Support my mission on Patreon: Sign up for my newsletter: Check out my favorite self-help books: Check out my podcast, Therapy in a Nutshell: Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life’s direction. And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services. Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC ---- Music licensed from or Images from (premium license), Pixabay, or Wikimedia commons