Peter !
- Date posted
- 3y
Recoverer Recoverer
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
I’ve bounced back and forth between thoughts of harming others and harming myself when I’ve been alone the last few weeks. It’s incredibly dehibilitating and I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I believe getting the anxiety under control is a good step but it’s also hard because to an extent you can’t really control it. Because as a result, it’s not the thoughts that cripple us but the anxiety that comes with it. But anyways, talk to a friend, get out of your home, go for a walk, exercise, play a video game, those are my first recommendations. Medically, I’d say an antidepressant combined with therapy will help lower the anxiety, but some people can find relief in doing just one or the other. However, with antidepressants, they can make you feel worse at the start before you get better as your body is adjusting to the medicine. And it can be a game of cat and mouse trying to find a medication that works for you because there’s so many meds out there and our bodies can have reactions or side effects to any of them. Lastly, for the thoughts, as much as they suck and as terrifying as they are, the more you try to run away from them and tell yourself “they’re not me, I don’t want to do anything bad” the more the thoughts will keep coming in and attacking you worse. And with harm, trust me, accepting these thoughts is extremely tough, I just was dealing with this and I still am to an extent, but it’s less about actually “agreeing” with the thoughts that you’ll do them and more about just acknowledging their presence in your hand and then remembering and saying, “hey, I can’t control the future, but I’m just gonna keep it moving anyways. Maybe something terrible would or could happen, but I’m not there and I can’t predict it” and also get yourself into an activity or routine everyday. The more you shift your focus to other things, the less time you’ll spend ruminating. In doing this, you may even hit a point saying, “well I haven’t been thinking the thoughts as much lately, so does this mean I want to do them now?” And in essence, that’s just your mind telling you to keep focusing on the fear when you know deep down it’s not a threat because thought doesn’t automatically equal action. If you hit this point, you’re already improving because you’ve already been taking less time obsessing over the intrusive thoughts and ruminating. You’ll get there, it’s hard for me to say those words to myself even but we will.
Recoverer Recoverer
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
*in your head
Related posts
ddrew
- Date posted
- 24w
Some advice please
I’m experiencing anticipatory anxiety related to OCD. I have an important trip in 7 weeks and travel triggers my ocd. My feelings are just a dull ache in my belly constantly, and a jittery feeling. I’m confused about the actual obsessions. I used to have harm OCD that sprung from a travel incident years ago and ever since then, travel has been very fear inducing. I get the physical symptoms then my mind starts going hard. I ruminate about whether or not the stress will cause intrusive harm thoughts which in turn causes some intrusive harm thoughts. It’s very confusing and hard. I want to be someone who enjoys traveling and experiencing new things. I want so badly to enjoy this trip. Any advice helps. Thanks.
bradyx20
- Date posted
- 23w
don’t know what’s happening to me
i haven’t been diagnosed with ocd but I have anxiety about harming other people/family members and it’s like urges and im scared I actually want to do it? I don’t think I’ve ever been violent as a kid (im 21 now) and the intrusive thoughts don’t go away so im just stuck all day everyday for the past few weeks just thinking and being scared about it and im having all these weird emotions like being irritated and angry I don’t want to hurt people I don’t think idk why my mind is making me think I do I’ve had intrusive thoughts before that I could brush away sure it took like a day or two but this one is different it doesn’t go away and leaves me with the worst fear imaginable and nothing I look up that should be giving me relief is giving me relief + I feel like im not in control of my body and that im just gonna lose it and act on these thoughts it’s just all on a loop and im not sure how im supposed to live the rest of my life when im in constant fear of my self
Vee <3
- Date posted
- 22w
Heyyyy!
So my OCD has been bad lately. I’ve been ruminating and obsessing over my sexuality again. And it just keeps getting worse. I hate it so much. I try to sit with the discomfort but then my ocd does the backdoor spike. And the groinal response is what keeps me looped. It SUCKS. I am not attracted to men, but my OCD is trying SO hard to convince me that I am. There have been days where I’m just so mentally exhausted that I “accept” what my ocd tells me and I just walk around a hollow, lethargic shell. But then I rethink it and I feel better. It feels like I can only find my TRUE self when I tire my nervous system out enough that it literally breaks down and has me suicidal and hopeless. And then accepting my OCD’s “truth” (that I’m attracted to men) feels like a burden and a chore. I woke up today from an OCD dream, tried to go back to sleep, and my stomach kept cramping bc I was so anxious and ruminating over my intrusive thoughts. I’m starting to doubt it being OCD anymore. My brain is too tired to fight and cry about it anymore.
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