Hello jaz: Well... there is a school of thought that says trying to stop or "stuff down" or simply forget intrusive thoughts just makes them keep coming back stronger & more frequently. This is a Buddhist perspective. An alternative is to allow them to arise & fade at their own pace & to accept them with compassion. This is a practice called compassionate abiding. Here's a link to a mental-health-oriented description of the practice:

https://mindsetdoc.wordpress.com/201...e-abiding-101/

May it be of benefit.