- Username
- mermaidmoon
- Date posted
- 5y ago
My username comes from my experience with Hit and Run OCD. This is actually a very common Harm OCD thought. The sensation to hit pedestrians is actually an intrusive mental urge. Urges can feel real but is is the combination of feeling out of control and horror associated that lets you know it is OCD talking. I have done extensive ERP on this and the best things I did was watching YouTube videos where there is a person vs auto accident. Remember this urge is just another intrusive experience and is just like a mental fart ?; let it pass and do not analyze.
Driving OCD falls under "false memory OCD". Most people with OCD have had false memory OCD at one point, and the only way to overcome it is to do ERP. You can't avoid driving so you have to confront the OCD thoughts. You have to just let the thoughts sit in your mind when they come to you but just don't consciously react to them or analyse them. No analysing the car journey either.
But do I accept the OCD thoughts as true and convince myself I hit someone or do I label them as OCD and just feel anxious
I totally get this!!! This happens to me ALL the time. You’re not alone.
You don't accept the OCD thoughts as true, you don't accept them at all. You just allow them to sit in your mind without acknowledging them. Don't consciously respond to the thoughts with fear and don't analyse them or the car journey to try figure out if the thoughts are true. You have to rewire your brains response to these thoughts, and the best way to teach your brain is to show it that nothing is wrong by behaving as if there is nothing wrong. Having anxiety is fine as that comes on autopilot, but analysing and powering the thoughts up with conscious fear is a choice and you have to choose not to.
I am new to this, and really hope it helps. I have pretty severe driving OCD. It has definitely gotten progressively worse. Every bump in the road I hit, every bicyclist, every-time I have to drive on the highway I constantly worry that I hit someone or caused an accident. Some of the rituals I have been experiencing include driving around the “scene” multiple times, checking my rear view mirror (a lot), checking the local news to see if there were any accidents in the area. I have to have my husband confirm there is no damage on my car... it’s endless. To put it plainly, it is beyond exhausting. It’s also pretty lonely as the majority of people I tell have no clue or just look at me like I have 10 heads. If anyone else goes through this my heart is with you, it’s awful.
Does anyone here experience hit and run ocd? If so, do you mind sharing any tips on how to deal with it? I’m struggling! I can’t drive anywhere without it creeping up on me, I try not to drive around for reassurance but I always do and it definitely doesn’t help! I spend the rest of the night trying to remember every detail of my driving and I’m always checking the news I hate it ughhhhh
My entire life anytime I saw something on the news or heard about someone hurting a child sexually or beating/killing them, I would get so angry and sick over it. I still do but ever since developing ocd, my ocd tells me i’m just like those people and really tries to make me believe it and question myself. This theme also latches onto my own family and my children. It’s the hardest and worst theme i’ve had. It makes me not want to live and is so unbearable😩😢
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