Something I often hear over the course of OCD treatment is: “I know my intrusive thoughts aren’t real. But why do they feel so real?” That’s because OCD makes our brains respond to intrusive thoughts the exact same way they respond to real threats. Our brains fill us with anxiety, telling us that we need to take action—that’s why we have such a strong urge to do compulsions. By resisting the urge to do compulsions when our intrusive thoughts arise, we can actually retrain our brains to recognize that we don’t have to respond to the anxiety that comes from them. Read more about why intrusive thoughts feel so real, and how exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy works to retrain your brain.

@BeaBr Yep! Anything can be a theme, even if it's not a "common" one (realistically, all themes are uncommon - we have a disorder for a reason!)

@moonlights So true! Thank you!!

Yes a theme can be about anything. No ocd disorder is the same for each individual, they arr all different, but each and every theme counts, matters and should be taken care of.

@BeaBr That’s exactly how I feel. I feel like the thing I’ve thought about is something no one else has and it makes me feel so alone.

@BeaBr Oh no, literally anything. I’ve had darn near every category at this point. Not the most fun thing on the planet but ERP is for real. It works and leads to freedom.

@Taylor10 Oh no. That’s the ocd trying to trick you. People have and will continue to think about them

@cmac1339 Try talking to a therapist or professional about this, they might be able to help you.

@SophieDofieeDoo I’ve been to therapy quite a few times and most therapists have been very by-the-book. Which is understandable, it’s just that the worse OCD gets, the more complex it gets to deal with a case. I appreciate your help but my point is therapy is designed for newer cases typically.

@cmac1339 I suffer from OCD for 32 years, I even got diagnosed with treatment resistant OCD, but last year I made the first break through. I had never thought ERP would ever help me, but it did. I still have a long way to go, but my MT OCD is silent most of the time, where as before I started ERP, it nearly constantly tortured me. A former therapist of mine told me, that the brain is flexible and new ways of approaching and processing things be learned at any age.

@Enya How wonderful! So happy for you.

@Enya Intrusive thoughts is more or less an umbrella term for all of that - because our thoughts aren't *just* words, they are images, and urges, and etc. etc. I've never met anyone with OCD that only had word/sentence thoughts - they always have everything else, too. 🤷‍♀️

@Anonymous This is super helpful, thank you! I am also struggling with intrusive urges and keep blaming myself for it, trying to figure out what it all means. It’s a disorder for a reason.

@Enya I have intrusive thoughts. The images that pop into my head, from something that occurred is terrible. Seeing something & replaying the vision is so uncomfortable.

@DreamCat Everyone's obsessions *are* real to them, that's why OCD latches onto it - the fear that we feel is extremely real and debilitating. ERP will work the same for everything, it's all about accepting the uncertainty of life and that *anything* is possible. I mean no offense when I say this, but you and your OCD aren't any different to anyone else's - and the more you steer away from that mindset, the more you'll benefit from ERP and other additional therapies/tools for OCD. :)

@moonlights Love this answer. Spot on!

@moonlights Thanks for this response.

@moonlights ERP - it works if you work it, it won’t if you don’t. Trying to plan in 1-2 hours a day. How about others?

@Frogmom✨ I think intrusions can be anything really, but better ask an OCD specialist.

@Enya How can i see if it is

@Frogmom✨ I second @enya. Ask an OCD specialist

@Frogmom✨ Better ask a therapist who specialized in OCD.

When intrusive thoughts are discussed in OCD we often are referring to thoughts, feelings, urges and images. It is very possible that the intrusive thoughts are only images, etc. Hope that this clarifies.

Thanks so much for your response, I am so glad to hear that you are able to start treatment. My best wishes to you!

@NOCD Therapist - Stacy Q. Thanks Stacy. I’ve been working on changing things through ERP. It’s going slowly, I feel, so far. Living with uncertainty is difficult.

@NOCD Therapist - Stacy Q. I hear people say they no deep down they know it’s not real. What if it feels real from the beginning and you don’t know deep down it’s not? Is the above statement still applicable?

@Anonymous Maybe, maybe not. OCD is the doubting disorder. Work with a knowledgeable OCD specialist.

@Anonymous - Remember OCD will always say ...but what if...what if it feels real? OCD causes things to feel VERY real in the moment- that's why people are so prone to go to compulsions because they provide a immediate temporary relief- but it doesn't work in the long term, we have to learn to allow the anxiety surrounding the obsession. Maybe and maybe not. I cannot know whether it is "real" in this case and I will continue to live my life on my terms by my values.

Me to. And what scares me the most is the thought an I realy a woman. Or do I realy know Who I am. And so on. And what if I forget everything. It is soooo Hard sometimes.

@Majchy1981 It is,I constantly ruminate all day about it

@casperjeremy You 2 have this kind of thoughts?

@casperjeremy Me too! I am so afraid I will lose my mind and I will be mean to people because of it.

@Anonymous Oh yeah. I have them as well. Living in the uncertainty so to speak and letting the thoughts be there all of a sudden you notice you’re going about your life without them

@Scotchann I wonder about that too myself

@Anonymous Did you read the facts and info NOCD posted above? There they explain why it feels so real.