it’s weird because when i drink my intrusive thoughts seem to be more constant/more persistent, yet easier to ignore. i know for most they seem to get better with alcohol so then i worry that “this means my thoughts are real” but i know they aren’t. does anyone experience more persistent intrusive thoughts with alcohol?
I experience more intrusive thoughts with any altered state of consciousness, from mushrooms, to weed, to alcohol, all the way down to caffeine. For me personally, I'm pretty sure it stems from feeling like a substance is altering my state of being in some way, which makes me feel as though I'll have less control, perhaps even no control, in acting on them. It also makes me worry that maybe the substance will reveal the truth of the thoughts. It's all nonsense, and for a while weed was really helpful for me, until it/being high became central to my OCD themes, and over time I went from doing bong rips and feeling great, to not even being able to take a hit of hemp flower because I indulged in more and more compulsions to prove that I wasn't going to lose my mind, or whatever. There's also the aftermath of drinking in particular that absolutely can make my OCD worse. I'm almost always far more anxious, depressed, and susceptible to intrusive thoughts the day after. In short, you're not alone in this and I find it very relatable.
@Tommygdawg thank you so much! it feels good to know i’m not alone in this. i, like you, get worried that because my thoughts are more persistent with alcohol in my system that means they are “true” and i agree, it feels like i have less control of them
@snowflakes - This is kind of a sub theme I've dealt with for a while now. I used to be so into weed. I feel like OCD took it from me in a way, and I haven't been able to get it back. I don't know where I stand on substances right now, how hard should we fight to be able to keep using them? On one hand, it seems like letting OCD win to not drink or smoke. But on the other hand, people would probably rightfully say if it makes you anxious, don't do it! But I thought we were supposed to not stop doing things because they make us anxious...however I could see how it'd be different for substances. If you figure out the answer, let me know? :P
Alcohol is a double edged sword in my experience with my OCD. On one hand it lowers my anxiety and gives a momentary escape of the endless intrusive thoughts. Then the day after my OCD plagues me with what if doubts of what terrible thing I could have said or done when I was drinking. Of course I have no evidence or memory of doing anything bad but the alcohol is a high octane fuel for revving up the OCD engine. Im going to steer clear from alcohol from now on.
I find this relatable too. I often also find that while it lowers my inhibitions, there will inevitably be a moment when I'm drunk/tipsy where I will get extravagantly anxious because I've started ruminating that something I just said or did while "under the influence" was hurtful to someone.
OCD just latches onto any doubt or intrusive thought and alcohol puts in that fogginess effect where its so easy to question and start ruminating. My OCD has been persistent regardless of alcohol. Even after 5 months of zero drinking this year I had two of my worst OCD spikes. This goes in line with the way it has been my entire adult life. However when there is alcohol I usually have way more spikes and themes.
10000%. I find this with weed too. I get less spikes/panic attacks now that I'm not smoking, but it's not like I don't get them at all.
It's only been recently for me that my anxiety and intrusive thoughts have been the worse after drinking alcohol. I'm afraid of losing control and forgetting. I've been avoiding drinking alcohol which in the long run is a good thing to give up.
Does anyone have advice for intrusive thoughts while tipsy? I haven experience this before and then a random thought hit me! Had this happen. The buzz had warn off but it still freaked me out cause I don’t know it was OCD or an actual thought. I got anxiety really bad after.
I’m having constant intrusive thoughts and it’s driving me crazy. I will go through these periods where everything I do I get an intrusive thought and it’s just my brain is so loud. Anyone else?! How do you stop the constant intrusive thoughts when you can’t really do an exposure for every single one?!
I have had a huge increase in Intrusive Thoughts this week. It’s making things super difficult for me, I am on my period but I also think I’m having more intrusive thoughts recently because things are going well for me right now. I just keep waiting for everything to fall apart because my mind makes me believe that I don’t deserve more than one good thing at a time. My mind is in constant fight or flight mode. I cannot stop thinking about every past mistake or how someone may have thought I had bad or malicious intentions when I didn’t. I keep thinking I’m going to get in trouble for something and go to jail, I’m especially scared about work and messing up someone’s check out and getting fired or arrested. I hate feeling this way, there is just so much going on in my head and I’m terrified and stressed all the time.
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