Should I tell people my thoughts? My logic is that if they were just normal thoughts then I shouldn’t have any fears about telling people, and then it takes the power away from the thoughts. But I have also read that confession is a compulsion. What should I do?
Confession is a compulsion, but it can at times be helpful. It depends on why you want to confess in the moment. If it is out of anxiety, it's probably a compulsion.
@CS7THE For me it isn’t like “I need to tell them this thought”, it’s more like I need to tell them I’m thinking this thought and how it’s making me feel, like I know it’s irrational
@floatingspirit It's not irrational, if you need to vent about something then do so with the right person,
People without OCD also get intrusive thoughts, but much less frequently. My question would be: Do they go around confessing these thoughts? In my personal experience, no. I would reframe this maybe- if you want to talk about these thoughts generally with a therapist or a trusted person, then this could be a very good thing to do for yourself. But remember- you have OCD and can’t help these thoughts like the rest of us. So think about it as talking about the thoughts rather than confessing them at a time you decide comfortable doing so. This will help to decrease the often harmful feelings of guilt and urgency which lead to compulsive behaviour .
@Anonymous Yes this is correct! My idea is to talk about them rather than confess them! Is this right?
@floatingspirit I am not an expert, but it is unsustainable to confess every thought that comes into your head that is problematic. I think the best thing to do would be to talk them over with a therapist. And only if you really think it would help, to talk about them to someone you trust. OCD intrusive thoughts are not crimes, unfortunately they are just a reality that we often can’t control.
You have to look at the purpose behind your sharing- do you genuinely want to have a conversation with that person about your thought or are you doing it out of a sense of urgency or anxiety- like if I tell them this thought I will feel better- or they can reassure me that they get these thoughts too. If its a sense of anxiety/discomfort than its likely a compulsion and I would not do this. Have you done any ERP yet? It can be helpful to work with a well-trained therapist to help sort out these compulsions as they can be very sneaky. Best wishes.
Nope.
I’m confused when people say accept your thoughts why would I accept the thoughts that are making me feel disgust and filth what if I start accepting them and then the thoughts actually become true?
Does confessing an intrusive thought just make it come back stronger?
I understand trying to find comfort in your thoughts but what can i do if i can’t keep these thoughts to myself sometimes?
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