Thought-action fusion is when you believe that simply thinking about an action is equivalent to actually carrying out that action. For example, if a thought randomly pops into your mind about something unacceptable -- such as physically assaulting someone -- you might believe this to just as bad as actually harming them.
Thought-action fusion can also lead people to believe that thinking about an unwanted event makes it more likely that the event will happen. For instance, you might think that imagining a loved one dying in a plane crash somehow increases the chances that this will actually happen.
Thought-action fusion may help cause and maintain OCD symptoms by promoting thought suppression. Namely, thought-action fusion makes thoughts appear more dangerous, which often leads to thought suppression. Although pushing away these dangerous thoughts seems to make sense, research has shown that suppressing thoughts only makes them worse. Thought suppression may be partly how obsessions are formed.
Addressing thought-action fusion is a key component of many cognitive-behaviorally oriented psychological treatments for OCD and is usually accomplished through exposure exercises.
