The harder we try to push a thought out of the anxiety box, the harder it pushes its way back inside (Wegner 1994). It’s quite common to have strange thoughts that don’t make sense. Most people easily let go of these thoughts by telling themselves, That’s a silly thought, and soon their minds are on to other things. Some people, particularly people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, however, can’t easily let go of certain thoughts, particularly when the thoughts enter their anxious minds with great power and force.

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