Pacific Mind Health Releases Free Guide to Help People Tell Everyday Worry From Intrusive Thoughts

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Mind Health has released a FREE downloadable guide, Worry or Intrusive Thought? How to Tell the Difference, designed to help people understand the unwanted thoughts that show up in their heads and recognize when those thoughts may be worth talking to a professional about.

Intrusive thoughts are far more common than most people realize. They aren't limited to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In one study of college students, 79% of women and 66% of men said they'd had the intrusive thought that they left the stove on. Because these thoughts can be strange or upsetting, many people worry about what having them says about who they are. This guide offers a simple way to sort out what's going on.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE WORRY VS. INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS GUIDE

"A lot of people have a sudden, out-of-character thought and immediately wonder, 'What's wrong with me?'" said Joshua Flatow, MD, medical director and chief psychiatrist at Pacific Mind Health. "Knowing that these thoughts are common, and knowing how they differ from ordinary worry, can take a lot of the fear out of them."

The guide includes:

• A look at some of the most common intrusive thoughts, drawn from published research
• A side-by-side comparison of how worry and intrusive thoughts start, feel, and show up
• Four questions to help identify what kind of thought you're having
• Signs it may be time to talk with a mental health professional

The guide focuses on understanding thoughts rather than trying to stop them. The goal is to help people respond to unwanted thoughts with more curiosity and less alarm.

"Having an unwanted thought isn't the problem. What matters is how much time and energy it takes up," said Flatow. "If thoughts or the rituals people use to quiet them start getting in the way of daily life, that can be a sign of OCD or an anxiety disorder, and both are treatable."

Short and easy to scan, the guide can be read in a few minutes and kept on hand for the next time a thought won't let go.

Worry or Intrusive Thought? How to Tell the Difference is available now as a free download at pacificmindhealth.com. It's part of Pacific Mind Health's ongoing effort to provide accessible, practical mental health resources for the community.

MEDIA CONTACT
Name: Millicent Skiles
Title: Content Marketing Manager
Company Name: Pacific Mind Health
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://pacificmindhealth.com

About Pacific Mind Health
Pacific Mind Health is a provider of outpatient psychiatry and interventional psychiatry services in California. The practice offers personalized, evidence-based care including psychiatry, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), ketamine, and Spravato® (esketamine). Pacific Mind Health provides both in-person and online appointments, with locations in Long Beach, West Los Angeles, Irvine, and throughout California.

SOURCE Pacific Mind Health