Unwanted, recurring, distressing thoughts, images, or impulses related to a traumatic event that enter consciousness involuntarily. Unlike flashbacks — which involve re-experiencing the event as if it is happening again — intrusive thoughts are recognised by the person as memories or mental events from the past, but they are unwanted and difficult to control or dismiss. Common examples for cardiac arrest co-survivors include repeatedly replaying the moment of collapse, thoughts about what might have happened had they not been there, or mental images of the survivor in the ICU. For survivors who have no memory of the arrest itself, intrusive thoughts may instead focus on what they have been told happened, or on fears about the future. Intrusive thoughts are a normal response to trauma and do not mean a person is going mad — but when persistent and distressing, psychological support is helpful.
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