Does anyone get the consist idea of being something they don’t want to be. Like they are not necessarily getting intrusive images but can’t shake the thought of them being for example of a pedophile or a killler .. whatever the theme that ocd takes. Like I’m having real trouble letting the thought go - and it’s like inevitable that I am this thing and I need to confess Help please :( really struggling

I am not currently in therapy I have been for hand washing /checking etc side of ocd in the past but I was too ashamed / afraid to talk about my pure o thoughts. Plus I feel like I know the tools on how to tackle it but it’s like a feel at a point just now where nothing will work. I have a stressful job that can often trigger it too. But I may look into finding an ocd specialist! I will definitely have a look at the link though! Thank you!

Hi pure o life! That is a really good way of looking at it! I thinking your absolutely right I’m looking for the conformation and a definite answer - which will never happen. Have you had success in overcoming it with that kind of erp like I feel like I’m never going to get anywhere or overcome it - I recently changed my meds as well so I’m thinking that might be making me worse at the moment

I do get these ideas, too. My mind is repeatedly trying to convince me that I would be able to commit any crime of which existence I know about. It absolutely makes me believe that I am a bad person and I even think about killing myself because I don‘t want to live with this burden. BUT — THAT is exactly the point that differentiates me from an ACTUAL criminal. And the same applies to you! The fact that we are disgusted, devastated, horrified and experiencing every other negative feeling because of these thoughts is absolute PROOF that we are NOT what OCD is telling about us. A criminal person doesn‘t question if their immoral thoughts are right or wrong — they just act upon them and possible even like what they think. We ABSOLUTELY don‘t. Your intrusive thoughts are the exact opposite of who you are and your OCD places them in your head to make you feel that you‘re a bad person but your recognition that these thoughts are bad proves the opposite. You are a good person.

Thanks for that icreatcharacters it’s gives me hope and relief that it can be overcome when your share your experience! And as we all know on here too well. We know it’s the opposite of what we are however does anyone else get the nagging from their ocd mind that your the exception to ocd and you actually are that person - I take it that is also part of the ocd making you think it’s not the ocd!

Sounds like OCD to me. Don’t confess: that’s a compulsion. Also, remind yourself that right now your OCD is making you seek out a certain conclusion (that you’re a bad person, a killer, a pedophile, etc) so your mind is primed for confirmation bias. When you see something that supports these “conclusions” say to yourself: “is it possible I’m making this conclusion not because it makes rational sense, but because of confirmation bias?” And if the answer is “yes, it’s possible” then reframe the thought. “Yes I felt X or thought Y or said Z, but there’s nothing to conclude from this. Maybe I’m secretly a XYZ, but maybe not. I can’t prove/disprove this based on this observation.” And sit with the anxiety that uncertainty produced until it naturally subsides. My therapist told me to imagine myself in a courtroom: if you were to present your evidence to a group of unbiased peers, would they convict? Most of the time, the answer isn’t just “no,” but that you don’t even have enough evidence to make a case to begin with. You’d get thrown out immediately.

Oh, I get the exact same thought! Like, what if I am the first human being to ever ACT upon intrusive thoughts? But this is also a symptom of the mind-wrecking illness that OCD unfortunately is.

What I’m describing is CBT, specifically restructuring cognitive distortions. Practicing this will definitely help over time. There are lots of cognitive distortions you can learn to challenge: https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions/ and here’s how to deal with them: https://psychcentral.com/lib/fixing-cognitive-distortions/ But ERP is a separate CBT exercise. Are you working with an OCD specialist? Setting up a proper fear hierarchy and getting help doing exposures is very helpful. Many people do mental compulsions without knowing it, so having a professional introduce you to the right way to do it is super helpful when first getting started.