Intrusive thoughts don’t make much sense, so it’s not easy or helpful to reason with them. For example, you can’t reason with a thought that predicts that if you touch your kitchen counter and don’t wash your hands afterward, you’ll die—because the likelihood of that happening is already near zero. Or, if you challenge the thought I’m a child molester with the question What’s the worst that can happen, and how bad is that? you’re not likely to come back with an answer that helps you feel less anxious.

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