Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Understanding OCD and the “Dumb Vagus”
If you live with OCD, you already know how exhausting it can be to constantly question your own mind. The phrase I often remind my clients of is:
“Don’t believe everything you think.”
It sounds simple, but it’s one of the most powerful tools for loosening the grip of intrusive thoughts. To understand why this phrase matters, let’s take a quick look at the brain and the role of the amygdala.
The Amygdala and Its Job (a.k.a. The “Dumb Vagus”)
Your amygdala is a small almond-shaped part of your brain that plays a big role in fear, threat detection, and survival. Its job is to scan the environment for danger and alert you when it notices something that feels like a potential threat.
The problem? The amygdala isn’t great at nuance or context. In psychology, it’s often referred to as the “dumb vagus” because it reacts quickly and automatically—but not always accurately. It doesn’t pause to analyze whether something is actually dangerous.
Instead, it works like this:
It notices a smell, a sound, or a situation that reminds you of something scary.
It then creates a “worst-case scenario” thought, trying to protect you.
That thought may feel very real and very urgent, even though it’s not based in truth.
Why Intrusive Thoughts Feel So Real
When the amygdala fires off intrusive thoughts, it can feel impossible not to engage. OCD makes this even trickier because the brain gets caught in a cycle of doubt and “what ifs.”
But here’s the key: the amygdala is not speaking truth. It’s just signaling fear.
This is why I tell my clients: you don’t need to argue with your amygdala. You could spend hours trying to reason with it, but it won’t understand. It doesn’t “speak logic.”
You Can’t Talk to the Amygdala But You Can Breathe to It
Because the amygdala doesn’t respond to logic, facts, or reassurance, arguing with it only pulls you deeper into OCD’s cycle.
The good news is: there is a way to calm it.
Slow, steady breathing tells your nervous system, “We’re safe.”
Mindful awareness helps you notice the thought without needing to fight it.
Accepting the thought as just an intrusive thought but not a truth breaks the cycle.
This is why breathing, grounding, and exposure-based practices are so powerful in OCD treatment.
The Takeaway
Your amygdala is trying to help but it’s clumsy, dramatic, and not very smart about context. That’s why intrusive thoughts often sound like the worst-case scenario.
Remember:
Don’t believe everything you think.
Intrusive thoughts are fear signals, not facts.
You don’t need to argue with your amygdala.
You can breathe through it and continue living your life aligned with your values.
Over time, with practice (and often with the support of the best therapy for OCD in Columbus OH- ERP therapy), your brain learns not to take these thoughts so seriously. The thoughts may still pop up, but they lose their power.