How do you experience your thoughts?

[Torsa]

Intrusive thoughts are obviously a core part of OCD, but I was interested in how everyone experiences these thoughts?

For me, my intrusive thoughts are kind of like a permanent, buzzing cloud inside my head - like a swarm of angry bees.
It's always there, but at certain times one particularly vicious bee might fly out of the swarm and make itself known.
With CBT, I've got better at not paying attention to those bees, but the swarm is still always there, buzzing away in the background.

How do other people experience their thoughts?

[dksea]

For me it can really come in a variety of ways.  It can be a general sensation that things aren't "right".  It can be a specific image of an event or action.  It can be the general idea of something.  Sometimes its subtle and creeps up on me, sometimes its sudden and loud.  It might be a single issue that takes all the focus, or it might be a cluster of issues that seem smaller but draw your attention in different directions. But its always got that core of doubt, of not feeling sure, of not knowing for sure.  All the ways OCD presents itself to me have that in common.

[Handy]

Usually as pictures with some emotion. Intrusive thoughts are thoughts I don’t put there myself. If I put a thought there it’s not intrusive b