When a negative thought pops into your head, what’s the first thing you do? Let it exist? Ignore it? Try to replace it with a more positive one? Pop a rubber band on your wrist? If you chose one of the latter three, then you’re likely using a technique known as thought stopping or thought suppression.
While thought stopping may seem effective at the moment, it’s not the best way to handle your negative thoughts—especially if they’re tied to mental health conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Keep reading to learn why thought blocking is ineffective and what you can do to handle negative thoughts more effectively.
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What is thought stopping?
Thought stopping is a strategy where you try to block and replace unwanted and distressing thoughts. “The goal of somebody trying to thought-stop is ‘I don’t like these thoughts. What can I do to make them stop coming?’” says Tracie Zinman-Ibrahim, LMFT, CST, and Chief Compliance Officer at NOCD. “People will try not to think of something they don’t want to think of.”
Thought stopping is an older but common technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that supposedly helps people with mental health conditions like phobias, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and OCD reframe their thinking. The term “thought stopping” was originally coined in the 1950s by psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Wolpe.
Some examples of popular thought stopping techniques include:
- Using rubber band therapy, which involves slapping a rubber band against your wrist.
- Saying “stop” in your mind (or out loud) or visualizing a stop sign.
- Replacing a negative thought with a more positive one.
- Keeping track of how often you have negative thoughts by writing them down each time.
- Making a noise, such as snapping your fingers or clapping your hands.
The goal of somebody trying to thought-stop is ‘I don’t like these thoughts. What can I do to make them stop coming?’ People will try not to think of something they don’t want to think of.
Why are thought stopping techniques ineffective?
Trying to stop your thoughts with any of the above-mentioned techniques is usually not effective. “You can’t control your thoughts—especially if you’re trying to not have a thought,” says Zinman-Ibrahim. “Thoughts are going to come and go because we have an amount of control over our actions, but not over our thoughts.”
Here are additional reasons why thought stopping doesn’t work:
- It doesn’t actually replace the negative thoughts. When you try to block or avoid a distressing thought, you’re making yourself more aware of it—which is known as an ironic process. This can lead to it taking more space in your mind and possibly becoming a recurring thought. “Try not to think of a pink elephant,” says Zinman-Ibrahim. “Then all you can think of is a pink elephant, because I said don’t think of a pink elephant.”
- It can make your symptoms worse. One study published in 2010 found that thought blocking can actually worsen symptoms for people who have anxiety, depression, and OCD.
- It only provides temporary relief. Research suggests that trying to stop your negative thoughts doesn’t have a long-term effect. Those same thoughts may disappear for a while, but they are likely to come back.
- It can create rituals. Intrusive thoughts, or obsessions, are a common symptom of OCD. Because obsessions can cause a lot of distress, it’s normal to want to stop them. However, by practicing thought suppression, people with OCD can develop a ritual—which is an example of a compulsion (behaviors or acts done to stop the distress from an intrusive thought). “I knew somebody that if they walked into a room with a negative thought, they would walk backward out of the room and then try to walk back in the room with a positive thought,” says Zinman-Ibrahim.
- It doesn’t address the root cause: Distressing thoughts and emotions are often tied to things like trauma, mental health problems, life changes, and other circumstances. While you might think you’re protecting yourself from the pain, thought blocking only stops you from addressing those thoughts, which can pile on to your emotional distress.
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Are there any benefits to thought stopping?
With the many downsides to thought blocking, it can be hard to imagine any benefits to doing this technique. If you don’t have a mental health condition, or if the thoughts aren’t disrupting your life, doing thought suppression might be beneficial.
In a 2012 review, participants found some success in suppressing negative thoughts without experiencing any rebound effects (worsening of negative thoughts). A 2001 study found that thought stopping was more effective when people knew that rebounding could occur.
But, for the most part, thought stopping can bring more harm than good, so it’s best to avoid it altogether.
How to manage negative thoughts
If you’ve gotten this far, you probably want to figure out how to stop negative thoughts. But, unfortunately, it’s actually not possible to completely get rid of them.
While you can’t stop negative or intrusive thoughts, you can try different ways to overcome them. Below are some alternatives to thought stopping strategies:
Acceptance
Sometimes, managing negative thoughts may be as simple as just accepting them for what they are. According to a 2019 study, acceptance allows you to disarm and regain control over negative thoughts. Another study found that people who accept their intrusive thoughts instead of blocking them were able to see an improvement in their mental well-being.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an effective treatment for helping identify and realize your thoughts without criticism or judgment. This form of talk therapy teaches you strategies for moving past distressing thoughts and emotions and deciding how to respond based on your own values.
“ACT can help you decide in those moments when intrusive thoughts and images happen, ‘What is your value right now? What would you like to do?’” says Zinman-Ibrahim. “So, if you would like to focus at work, then focus on work.”
Distraction
It might seem like more of a thought stopping technique, but it is a much better way to handle negative thoughts. Distraction can involve focusing on something that brings you joy and engages you, such as watching your favorite TV show, trying out a new recipe, or taking your dog for a walk.
Distracting yourself is not the same as blocking or avoiding distressing thoughts. Instead, you’re intentionally re-directing your negative thoughts by allowing yourself to think about other things. Evidence backs up this method as a healthy outlet for negative thinking: a 2008 study discovered that people with depression who practiced distraction experienced a significant change in their mood and symptoms compared to those who were ruminating about their thoughts and feelings.
Mindfulness practices
Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of your surroundings. If you’re practicing mindfulness, the negative thoughts don’t define you, so there’s no need to act on them.
Mindfulness can strengthen your mental capabilities to the point where you’re able to redirect unwanted thoughts. Research suggests that practicing mindfulness can be beneficial for diminishing negative thoughts. Mindfulness meditation, yoga, and deep breathing are just a few examples of how you practice mindfulness.
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When to seek help
While some people are able to manage their negative thoughts with the techniques mentioned above, others might need a bit more guidance on getting them under control. If negative thinking is causing significant distress and/or impairing your ability to function in daily life, Zinman-Ibrahim recommends seeking mental health treatment.
If you have (or think you have) OCD, exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy can help you manage intrusive thoughts. It is the gold standard treatment for OCD, as it is more successful than other therapies like traditional CBT. “If you get a lot of intrusive thoughts, it might be helpful to do some ERP and learn what to do when intrusive thoughts come—which is to let them be there,” says Zinman-Ibrahim.
With the help of a therapist, you’ll be guided through exposures, which are scenarios meant to trigger your intrusive thoughts, such as a dirty public bathroom, the thought of a loved one who passed, or a specific scent that causes discomfort.
The second part of this specialized therapy involves response prevention techniques. These are strategies your ERP therapist will teach you to resist compulsion when negative thoughts pop up in your mind. Some examples of response prevention techniques could be not making a noise when a negative thought appears, or leaving the house without wearing a rubber band.
In some cases, ACT may be a supplementary therapy for OCD, says Zinman-Ibrahim. “You could do ACT by itself, but it might not be as helpful,” she says. “You could get your basics down for ERP and then also incorporate ACT.”
There’s no method out there to learn how to stop OCD thinking completely, but going to therapy can be super helpful.
“If you effectively do your ERP, especially the response prevention, then your symptoms, including how often and how distressing your intrusive thoughts and images are, can be reduced in frequency and intensity,” says Zinman-Ibrahim.
If you’re having negative thoughts, know that you’re not alone. If they’re affecting your day-to-day life, seek help from a licensed therapist so you can learn how to cope with them.
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