- Username
- NOCD
- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- 1y ago
I want to use this as an opportunity to scream out that I'm sick of hearing from the experts that thoughts are thoughts and that everyone experiences intrusive thoughts. That information is as misleading as an OCD thought. For those of us with OCD, intrusive thoughts are not random, they are created with a purpose to deceive and strengthen the doubt. Also, OCD is a feeling problem and not a thought problem...it attacks the emotions we believe we cannot bear to feel.
@ChuckTambo OCD latches onto things you care about but that doesn’t mean YOU need to react to them. Thoughts only have meaning when you give them meaning. That’s when it becomes a problem for us.
@Nica Thank you but isnt that like saying that you don't have to blink when sticking something in your eye? If your compulsions are mental, your response is like a reflex, it's automatic and you do not have the option to choose, you can only try to catch yourself.
@ChuckTambo I don’t react in any way, shape, or form to my intrusive thoughts nor do I care that I have them. They’re just thoughts, nothing more. I have not done any sort of compulsion in hers because themes don’t form. Why? Because I simply don’t care about the thoughts and therefore my brain/OCD realizes that XYZ thought/image/urge isn’t dangerous, so it fades away and moves on.
@ChuckTambo I totally hear you when you say it’s emotions we can’t bear to feel…I think that’s what we are trying to control with compulsions and until we believe we can handle them, and accept the uncertainty it’s challenging to do ERP, especially the RP.
Lol, not sure if this is the -strangest- one, but recently my spouse and I were on our way to dinner, and I noticed they were texting a mutual friend of ours. My brain decided they were planning an intense intervention, where all of the people I love would just tear me apart and open up about everything wrong with me. Totally wild. I still spent the whole car ride trying not to seek reassurance for what I knew was nonsense. But even when we got there, I felt like everyone was gonna walk through the door at any minute. I can laugh at it now, but man it felt so real in the moment.
I don't know if I can say this one. It's embarrassing. 😕
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond