- Username
- Lyka693
- Date posted
- 5y ago
When I had Harm OCD I used to have urges about stabbing people, pushing people in front of trains, hitting them over the head with sticks. I’m still a good person, and so are you. OCD messes with you so much, and Harm OCD is especially brutal. The only way to overcome it is through exposure. I started by watch End of The Fucking World on Netflix. It’s about a boy who thinks he’s a psychopath and wants to kill his first person. It freaked me out but afterwards my Harm OCD was mostly gone, and it was also just a really good show! If you’re not ready for that though, maybe try listening to songs that mention murder. Songs are shorter so they’re usually easier to handle. You’ve got this!
For a real life exposure, you may want to try sitting down near some people and just doing small movements with your toes and eventually feet as they walk by. Right now you’re afraid you’re going to act out of control. If you can face the fear and do it with control again and again, your brain will eventually stop getting so anxious about it and lose interest. If you have a trusted friend or family member, you could even ask them to walk back and forth in front of you for 5 min and then log the exposure in the app.
I’ve been exactly where you are. It feels so real and that’s how it gets you! What helps me is just fully accepting the weird urges and thoughts. So being like “yep I’m totally gonna do that”. At first your anxiety will spike, but when you don’t actually do it time after time, your brain will realize that there’s no real threat and the thoughts and urges should get less intense
Thanks all of you so much for the advice and support. Did I mention I'm supposed to be on vacation...lol. OCD sucks sometimes!! I will definitely try out your suggestions.
i am so terrified i might hurt somebody. i have harm ocd, and lately, the things i do to make myself feel better (my compulsions) aren’t helping anymore and i don’t know what to do. i’m scared i have the urge to hurt somebody, specifically my family. i hate being in the same house as them out of fear i might want to one day grab something and kill them. i don’t. i would never dream of it. but i’m so terrified. i keep on posting about the same things, and i’m sorry, i just don’t know what else to do to make myself feel better. i know i’m supposed to sit with uncertainty, but it’s just so hard 🙁
Yesterday I was sitting on my couch with my son enjoying time and suddenly my mind goes “what if you just killed him right now” and then I was going back and forth in my mind just do it, you don’t want to do it, what if you do, what would happen…..obviously I have control and didn’t do it but my fingers got all tingly I really was very upset by how real the urge felt. I’ve tried all my coping skills but I feel like a crazy person and can’t stop thinking about it. Any tips?
I’m wondering if anyone could please give me some advice/tips on breaking this cycle? I have had OCD for 12+ years, however I have only recently been officially diagnosed. I’m struggling significantly with harm OCD, involving thoughts/urges of harm towards other people, particularly my loved ones. This is incredibly distressing to me, as I don’t want to harm anyone and it is constantly sending me into severe distress and panic attacks. I understand that I need to lean into the discomfort/accept my thoughts to move forwards, rather than pushing it away as this adds fuel to the fire - but every time I do, I have a panic attack. My mind constantly tells me I have to act on the urge to get relief and that it’s the ‘only way’ out/to feel better.. I’m stuck in this habitual/learnt behaviour cycle, as I’ve always acted on my urges (not involving harming others) for the past 13 years to get temporary relief and to neutralise thoughts - Every time I think that I need to act on the urge or as though I’ll snap and act on it, I feel terrified and scared, then feel very distressed or have a panic attack.
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