Is there anything special for handling command thoughts? It is exceedingly distressing and I've been considering hospitalization... I'm experiencing these for the first time, almost certainly because I read about them and I set up a wall against thinking them...
It’s just like any other intrusive thought. Nothing special about it.
Intrusive thoughts can come in statements, including commands. You don't choose your unwanted thoughts, but you do get to choose how you respond. You don't act on every thought. This is no different. When OCD says something, you can use non-engagement responses. Something like "you can bring up whatever you want, OCD. You don't get to decide what I do or don't do. I'm doing [something else] instead." Might work.
Also wanted to say that I'm sorry you're feeling so much distress. I understand how scary that is. I have the same theme and it can be terrifying. I'm doing ERP but am struggling to do it for this theme. I'm starting with writing a few trigger words on sticky notes around the house and when I see them, saying "yep, that might be true" or "that could happen"... it worked really well for some of my other core fears, so I'm going to try it with some low-level ones related to harm and work my way up. You're not alone in this.
I hear you ❤️ and I'm so sorry you are struggling with this right now. If I could share and hope that you find it helpful. I recently caved in and went to the hospital twice and wasn't much successful. Medications are the only thing they offer. And in my case, my OCD is too strong for the medications to work. I can only speak for myself. Everyone has a different experience. I think you are in the right place here with people who actually specialize in OCD. You won't find many in a hospital setting that are aware of how delicate OCD is. If anything, seek out a place that specializes in OCD if you need to go somewhere or it may do more harm than good
Thank you. I am hoping they can get me on meds and maybe refer me somewhere else for treatment. Outpatient isn't cutting it plus I think my therapist, as kind as he may be, has no idea how to help
Hope you are feeling better, even if it's just a bit, in this moment ❤️ Have you tried a therapist on here? The BH clinics will prescribe meds. Have you researched inpatient clinics that specialize in OCD near you?
Two things are happening: I get thoughts that just keep looping. They almost feel like song stuck in my head. Also, I’ll imagine something and I feel my stomach drop. Then as the seconds go by I keep getting fragments of the this thought but with different details. For example, it’s kinda like how a “vision” is portrayed. I’ll get a glimpse of the thought and then it’ll rapidly expand into something worse every few seconds. I don’t know if I’m causing this or if it’s just an automatic thing like any other intrusive thought. It feels unavoidable, idk if this is a compulsion or if it’s just another manifestation of an intrusive thought. Apart from that remembering an intrusive thought triggers the full thought again and then it just keeps looping or expanding. I don’t know how to stop any of this. Help?
OK, this might sound really dumb, but when you guys get intrusive thoughts, do they just come once and then go away? I’ve heard that repeatedly thinking about an intrusive thought is considered ‘checking,’ but it doesn’t feel like I have any control over how many times it comes up in my head. It’s not like I’m trying to check anything—it just keeps showing up, almost like it’s terrorizing me every time. I can’t seem to stop it from looping, stop remembering it, or prevent it from coming up. Every time it does, I feel horrified, and I already know it’s going to horrify me. I don’t think I’m actively trying to see if my feelings have changed, so is this still considered checking? How do other people get an intrusive thought and just move on? Doesn’t it pop up a million times for them too? I always thought that was normal, but now I’m hearing this could be a compulsion, and I feel really confused, scared, and lost. Is this why my OCD feels so extreme? Because I really don’t feel like I can control how many times the thought pops up.
I cannot for the life of me stop ruminating or checking how I feel about thoughts or focusing on thoughts or creating more thoughts. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I want to scream. I try not to ruminate about the thoughts, but trying not to just makes me think about them more. I try not to check, but somehow, I still check. I want to let a thought sit in the background, but the more I try not to focus on it, the more I end up focusing on it. I don’t want the thought to expand because that feels like engaging with it, but I can’t just stop it from expanding. It feels impossible. People keep saying I’m in control of my compulsions, and maybe that’s true for the physical ones. But when it comes to the mental compulsions, I swear I have no control. It feels like I’m missing something that everyone else seems to have, like there’s some tool they’re using that I don’t have. Controlling mental compulsions has never felt possible for me. I’m starting to fear them. And every time someone says I’m in control and can just choose not to do them, I end up beating myself up even more when they happen. Or when I *choose* I guess. I don’t know anymore. If this is my fault, if I’m responsible for this, then what does that make me? I feel like a monster. I am at my wits’ end. How am I supposed to control mental compulsions when it feels like they control me? I freak out when they happen. They don’t bring me relief, they just make me panic. I want it to stop so bad.
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