A mom draws what it’s like to have intrusive thoughts — and how to cope

['La Johnson', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-08-26 09:00:00

(LA Johnson/NPR)Have you ever had scary thoughts pop into your head that you just couldn’t stop thinking about? They’re called intrusive thoughts, and they are distressing, repetitive and unwanted. They can be triggered by big life changes or mental health issues. Editor’s note: This comic will discuss mental health topics and suicidal ideation. (LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)(LA Johnson/NPR)This story was edited by Malaka Gharib.