Has anyone with harm OCD had their anxiety get so intense your OCD starts telling you “I’ve had enough I’m just going to do it” or something along those lines. That just happened to me and it was terrifying. Not sure what to do in those extreme moments which leads to me questioning myself and feels like a set back as I felt like I was making progress.
Also it was so intense I felt like I was going to pass out.
Hi, yes I have harm ocd and yes this is typical and frustrating and sucks. What you need to do is recognize it immediately as only ocd giving another angle to get afraid of…my harm ocd gives me the scariest angles and I still get scared but I now immediately call it out then don’t ruminate. It will try to pull you in but just keep moving on with your day and don’t ruminate. It will eventually sometimes within seconds pass (even though anxiety can stick around) and of course it will come back but just keep recognizing what it really is immediately and that is ocd messing with you again. It’s the anxiety at the route so when you get these thoughts sit with anxiety let the thought pass on without ruminating. If you ruminate you only make the thought keep going. The thought cannot keep going if you don’t ruminate. And if the I’ve had enough phrase sits in your head that’s ok let it be there without giving it attention and it will move on to something else. You can totally do it because I know exactly what you are talking about, we need to do the work and we can get better. You can get stronger at it, just keep practicing!!💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Yes. Today was actually going very well as I was ignoring my thoughts and not paying them any mind. Not doing any compulsions. None of that. Didn’t ruminate much just let the thoughts keep coming and going. But when I was out in the kitchen cleaning and doing dishes my anxiety started to build up and get higher and higher and higher and then at the peaks it was like “I’ve had enough I’m just going to do it” which was extremely scary and lead me to finish what I was doing and distract myself. I was ignoring it for so long and that made me get really bad and extremely terrified. It was also extremely scary because I started to question was it me or the OCD. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one. It’s hard not to ruminate when that happens. I hope that counts as some sort of exposure. Obviously I didn’t do anything as intense as it got but there’s always the anxiety of “what about next time”. Any advice is greatly appreciated as I just started therapy this week and started ERP this prior Friday
@Codbla94 I’d also like to question can not eating enough make things worse
Hope this helps!!
I commented above also. I truly appreciate your help. What do you think I can do next time it gets that bad.
Hi, sounds like you’re doing great work with your ocd! since you’re just starting therapy, the ERP will help immensely, and yes it sounds like you did an exposure today, but the best thing is to remember to recognize all thoughts on same level. I have been there so many times where it seems as if one thought ups me and makes me think it’s much more serious than the last thought and what if this thought makes me a real threat and what if that means it’s not ocd. All ways for ocd to TRY to make you pay attention. and as far as the thought ‘what about next time’ this is constant with me with the harm, and it’s been the hardest thing, but then I recognize that very thought as another compulsion and another way ocd wants to trick me into ruminating. I just have to not pay attention to that and live through anxiety without ruminating accept it as ocd. It’s so tough but you gotta hold strong, and don’t push the thoughts out and avoid them if they pop up let them be there and then leave on their own. I takes practice, this is definitely work . I used to get so mad because I’d feel success that the thought left but then when it came back (sometimes seconds later) then I’d be mad, and say oh no, I can’t stand this, but once I ACCEPTED the thoughts will come back but I don’t need to give them attention it started to get better. I think acceptance is the first and most important step in ocd recovery. I constantly questioned what if it’s not ocd, and this held me back constantly. i had to fully accept and believe this diagnosis and then things started to get better. I said oh wow, I have this mental illness and these are the tools I need to use and be ruthless about. And we’re not alone. i struggle still but it gets so much better, the therapy is going to be great. Also every time one of these terrible thoughts come up, try to see the opportunity in them, and say I can use my tools here. https://iocdf.org › expert-opinions25 Tips for Succeeding in Your OCD Treatment
Hope that helps! The link is 25 tips for ocd but didn’t come through completely. Look up 25 tips for succeeding in ocd treatment. It’s so good!
Amazing thank you!
Yes this was terrifying but I think the exposure was good and next time it won’t be as severe. I wouldn’t say I ignore the thoughts or push them out . I just don’t pay it any mind usually. I guess that’s ignoring. I just kind of let them sit and do their thing. Without letting myself engage with them
@Codbla94 That’s the way to do it, it will get better especially when you recognize them and identify…I always get the dread feeling in my chest and start feeling short Of breath and sick and scared so I also try to identify feelings as well and then move on. Keep up the good work:)
Sure!!! Have a good week!! 💪🏼
I was doing so much better with my OCD. I thought I finally figured it out. However, the last two weeks have been a nightmare. It’s like I went from 0-100 all over again. And it’s become scarier than it ever has been. Every other thought is either causing me anxiety or turning into an intrusive thought. Any headache or feeling of derealization, and I start to spiral. My thoughts are becoming more gruesome and feeling more real. The intrusive urges are so bad it feels like at any moment I could actually just snap. It feels like I am about to go crazy. Another hard aspect is when I’m getting these intrusive urges it feels like I want to do it or I don’t care if I do it. I don’t feel like myself. I feel like this disgusting monster who is just going to lose it and I want it to be over. Why is this happening when I was finally better? It makes me feel like it’s not OCD and I’m actually this person and I’m just holding my true self back. I’m sick to my stomach.
I am struggling right now with intrusive harm urges. They feel real and it feels like I am going to act any second. It feels like I have to hold myself back, which is a scary thoughts. I am trying so hard not to compulse, but does anyone have tips on what they do in these situations?
i’m back in a cycle of having harm related OCD thoughts and feelings and urges and i get these episodes where it’s like i’m disassociating and feel like i’m about to snap and go crazy violent. does anyone else experience this? i need help
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