Obsessive intrusive thinking, also known as intrusive thoughts, refers to the pattern of recurring and unwanted thoughts or images that are often distressing and difficult to control. Individuals experiencing obsessive intrusive thinking may find these thoughts intrusive and alarming, causing significant anxiety and distress. These thoughts are typically experienced as intrusive and unwanted, causing a great deal of distress and discomfort. They may take the form of violent or aggressive thoughts, sexual or religious thoughts, or thoughts related to harm, contamination, or perfectionism. Regardless of the specific content, these thoughts are distressing and unsettling to the individual experiencing them. Obsessive intrusive thinking is often associated with conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or anxiety disorders.
As her peers post memes about their goals of a smooth-brained existence, Eloise imagines that would be scary. Her focus is to position her brain to work with her, not against her, and bask in her heightened capacity to enjoy things whenever possible. “Sometimes I do wish I could switch it off. It’s something I struggle with a lot. But, if I’m going to have thoughts all the time, I do my best to try to steer them towards good things rather than bad thoughts by doing things I enjoy.” While still certainly not a self-help book, Eloise’s commitment to focusing on what she calls “life-affirming situations,”—seeing Lorde three times in a month, walking on the beach with her dog, riding The Haunted Mansion all afternoon—is inspiring. For an overthinker who mused for 270 pages about the complexities of obsessions, her ultimate sentiment is reassuringly simple. “You can’t have any control over the bad things that happen, but if you don’t try to have those little moments within what you can afford and achieve that are positive, then what’s the point?”
Born in Leicester, a dreary city in the middle of England, Eloise now lives with her dog and fiancé in Brighton, a quaint beach town south of London. Even if you don t deeply identify with the content of the essays, they re a really good portrayal of neurodiversity in an entertaining and enjoyable way, especially considering how much autism and OCD are misunderstood by neurotypical people.
Obsessive intrusive thinking is often associated with conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or anxiety disorders. Individuals with OCD may experience obsessions, which are unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety or distress. These individuals may engage in compulsions, repetitive behaviors or mental acts that are performed in response to the obsessions in an attempt to alleviate anxiety or prevent a feared outcome.
Marianne Eloise’s Uniquely Obsessive Inner World
In her debut book Obsessive Intrusive Magical Thinking, Marianne Eloise’s brings her "uniquely obsessive" inner world to light.
by Lina Abascal July 19, 2022The first thing to know about writer Marianne Eloise’s debut, Obsessive Intrusive Magical Thinking, is that it’s not a self-help book. She didn’t anticipate having to specify that, but the collection of essays about obsessions through the eyes of an autistic woman with OCD and ADHD, has mistakenly been interpreted as a guide to living your best, neurodivergent life. While Eloise wishes she had all the answers, “I can’t even help myself,” she laughs nervously. But she’s trying.
In Obsessive Intrusive Magical Thinking, out July 19 in the U.S., Eloise deep dives into her obsessions across lyrical, often funny, prose. In three sections (obsessive, intrusive, and magical thinking), the essays are segmented by their subject matter and tone, oscillating from dark to light and back again. While some of the subjects of her obsessions may keep her up at night — the possibility of a house fire, her dog’s impending passing, Medusa — Eloise’s writing is consistent in her strong sense of belief, whether it’s in folklore, magic, or the pursuit of a peaceful life. Sprinkled with references to The O.C., Fall Out Boy, Greek mythology, and Joan Didion, the essays will leave readers feeling secondhand joy and maybe even encouragement to own their love for their own less-than-cool favorite things.
Through investigating her wormholes and intrusive thoughts Eloise sheds light on how she uniquely experiences the world. “Being autistic underpins literally everything about me, what I eat, where I go, who I’m friends with, what I’m interested in, what’s hard for me,” Eloise explains, “My biggest thing was that I wanted to get across in the book was that I have this brain, and because I’m autistic, this is how I view the world. Here are the good things about it.” She doesn’t speak on behalf of autistic folks everywhere, but hopes that telling her story through the lens of pop culture may help readers see autism differently. “Maybe if they had their own prejudices about what it meant to be autistic, maybe, it would help them to realize their assumptions weren’t right,” she says. “I am one person and we are all extremely different. When I talk to my friends who are also autistic, we have such different interests and needs. What’s helpful to one person is hell for me, which is why I never wanted to veer into self-help.”
Born in Leicester, a dreary city in the middle of England, Eloise now lives with her dog and fiancé in Brighton, a quaint beach town south of London. Over the past decade, she’s written about music and culture for New York Mag, The New York Times, i-D, The Guardian, and previously worked as a staff writer for Dazed. She began working on the book seven years ago while working a day job she hated; it was around this time that Eloise, (who received her OCD diagnosis at seventeen), began to wonder if she was autistic. Thus far she had categorized herself as “uniquely obsessive.” It was after a draft of Obsessive Intrusive Magical Thinking was completed, but before the pitch went out, that she received her official diagnosis after a multi-year journey with England’s “free, but sh*t,” National Healthcare System. The diagnosis only changed a few lines of the book's introduction, but for Eloise, it helped her understand how her brain works and who she is.
With the book’s deep intimacy, it can be hard to imagine there was a time when Eloise wasn’t as forthright about her obsessions. For a period in high school, “it got beaten out of me a little bit and I calmed down and pretended to stop loving things as much,” she says. She practiced reflecting on her obsessions and referencing the meticulous journal keeping of her youth in her zine series Emo Diary, where she pulls direct quotes from her teenage musings on Fall Out Boy. These diaries — albeit less of the Pete Wentz portions — came in handy while writing this essay collection; some essays begin with epigraphs from deeply personal entries and others were only able to be written by referencing periods she had tried to block out.
Now, Eloise speaks loudly about her obsessions. “This is a generalization and it’s a stereotype, but we [autistics] tend to be more earnest,” she says. “With that comes a naivety. I got bullied a lot growing up and even as an adult. I won’t know straight away because I expect the best from everyone at all times. It takes a long time for me to realize if I’m being used or ostracized, but it also means that I’m very open.” By surrounding herself with alternative music circles, she has found friends who are more open to earnest displays of love and fandom (think mosh pits) and participate in mocked hobbies (think Adult Disneyland lovers).
As her peers post memes about their goals of a smooth-brained existence, Eloise imagines that would be scary. Her focus is to position her brain to work with her, not against her, and bask in her heightened capacity to enjoy things whenever possible. “Sometimes I do wish I could switch it off. It’s something I struggle with a lot. But, if I’m going to have thoughts all the time, I do my best to try to steer them towards good things rather than bad thoughts by doing things I enjoy.” While still certainly not a self-help book, Eloise’s commitment to focusing on what she calls “life-affirming situations,”—seeing Lorde three times in a month, walking on the beach with her dog, riding The Haunted Mansion all afternoon—is inspiring. For an overthinker who mused for 270 pages about the complexities of obsessions, her ultimate sentiment is reassuringly simple. “You can’t have any control over the bad things that happen, but if you don’t try to have those little moments within what you can afford and achieve that are positive, then what’s the point?”
The impact of obsessive intrusive thinking can be significant, interfering with daily functioning, relationships, and overall well-being. Individuals may spend a significant amount of time and energy attempting to suppress or distract themselves from these thoughts. They may also engage in excessive reassurance seeking, avoidance behaviors, or other maladaptive coping strategies as a means of managing the distress caused by the intrusive thoughts. Treatment for obsessive intrusive thinking often involves a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication. CBT aims to help individuals challenge and modify their patterns of thinking and behavior, with a specific focus on reducing obsessions and compulsions. Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also be prescribed to help manage symptoms. Overall, obsessive intrusive thinking is a challenging and distressing experience often associated with conditions such as OCD or anxiety. Treatment options are available and can be effective in reducing the impact of these thoughts and improving overall well-being..
Reviews for "Exploring the Impact of Culture on Obsessive Intrusive Magical Thinking"
- Emily Johnson - 1 star
I did not enjoy reading "Obsessive Intrusive Thinking". The constant repetitive nature of the author's thoughts became tedious and monotonous. It felt like reading a never-ending loop of negativity. Additionally, I found the book lacked practical advice or tools to overcome the intrusive thinking. It was more of a self-indulgent rambling rather than a helpful guide. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to others.
- David Thompson - 2 stars
While "Obsessive Intrusive Thinking" addresses an important topic, I found the author's writing style to be confusing and chaotic. The book lacked a clear structure, making it hard to follow and understand the main points. The constant stream of personal anecdotes and tangents made the book disjointed and distracted from the main theme. I was hoping for a more concise and practical guide to overcoming intrusive thinking, but unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations.
- Samantha Miller - 1 star
I found "Obsessive Intrusive Thinking" to be a poorly written and self-indulgent book. The author seemed more focused on expressing their own thoughts and feelings rather than providing helpful advice or strategies. The book lacked any real substance and failed to offer concrete solutions for dealing with intrusive thoughts. It felt like a wasted opportunity to explore a pressing issue with depth and understanding. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for practical guidance on managing intrusive thinking.