Quick question. Does anyone find that alcohol makes intrusive thoughts/urges seem more... real? If that makes sense? Or more intense? I know alcohol affects your mentality. But I don't know much on what impact it has on ocd. Just looking for info.
Yes for me it makes them seem real, even before I'm at the really drunk stage
I feel like once I feel it, I notice a difference. And the thoughts/urges just feel stronger if I get in my head. š I wasn't sure if it's a thing with ocd and alcohol. Makes sense though.
@LoveMyself I've read from others and some articles that many feel like alcohol usually affects them worse after it wears off or the day after drinking
@jdd Aw wow. I think after it wears off it when I feel the guilt/distress. And that sucks.
@LoveMyself I have also noticed that alcohol especially more than 1 tends to cause me to lose the few positive feelings/moments down below for my desired opposite gender preference and worse yet if I drink "a lot" that day.
Worsens mine and so does weed when Iām dabbling in them. Not every time it happens but it does amp it up when it happens. So I have cut back on both and Iām mindful when it would pop up that itās just the drug. Helps the situation lessen.
Yeah, it's like.. I could have the same intrusive thought sober and it not make me feel as bad as when I'm drunk. Like, being drunk I'm more "vulnerable" and just intensifies the intrusive thought/urge. So then after I sober up, I look back at how "real" the thought or urge was... if that makes sense. Then makes me feel even worse.
@LoveMyself Agree with everything except when I look back Iām relieved because I know it was my altered state of mind (which is actually me) but not my grounded me (sober) and the thought I had in my altered state is completely disarmed in my sober state. But you are absolutely right in how REAL it feels just because well the whole altered state feels real whether itās enjoyable or uncomfortable. Why does it make you feel worse?
@JordTheNord I think I feel worse because the urge/thought feels so much more intense as if I wanted to go through with it. Even though I didn't and it's something new I'm struggling with. But I should feel relieved because I know it was an unwanted thought. And what I'm struggling with I feel like is a common thought/urge. But it's just making me feel like this bad person I guess. Or guilty.
@LoveMyself Oh ok! And totally understand the guilt. I guess for me my OCD is more intense sober because Iām sober and when I have thoughts of any sort good or bad and I sober up I know the thought process was influenced by a substance. So when I do sober up itās a nice way of practicing āthat was a thought/urge altered by a drugā. So I started applying that to my sober self. āHey itās a habit I developed of intrusive thoughts, I know the ins and outs of this (everyone has intrusive thoughts, Iām latching on to mine, Iām forgetting facts that would keep this thought at bay and not even care, diving into compulsions or constant reassurance doesnāt help) so I donāt have to take the thought as serious anymore and start believing in myself instead of the constant questioning because the constant questioning has got me nowhere. We can look at it like this too: Kids take playing/using imagination serious enough to engage in being a pirate, alien, explorers, but they know that itās not REALLY them and they go about their day. Adults take seriousness as a vice of our imagination. We take our intrusive thoughts so seriously we forget that we donāt have to engage them and theyāre not real in the sense that they are us just a part of our imagination. So we take on these thoughts as roles and thatās what freaks us out. The guilt and shame of negative thoughts and the seriousness of āwhat ifsā. Itās our intensity to our thoughts that make it so scary (without having proper awareness or the tools to ārememberā that theyāre just thoughts). A user on here said think of the mind as a river and all our thoughts are in it, good, bad, ugly. We ladle out of the river the thoughts that we choose to identify with. Doesnāt mean those intrusive thoughts arenāt in the river but doesnāt mean we have to ladle those out.
@JordTheNord I love how you said that! And now I understand how sober vs drinking affects you! I guess my thought process is the same, just flipped flopped. (Your sober is my "tipsy/drunk" in a way). But yes, I definitely can tell the difference in how the thoughts/urges feel sober and not. So I have to remember that. Alcohol can make it worse for me and it's still just a thought that I wouldn't act on, just like if im sober. I'm going to have to make a note of this because it definitely helps me look at it differently. Guilt is one of the biggest things I struggle with and I just have to remember a thought is a thought. Doesn't make me a bad person.
@LoveMyself Absolutely! Guilt and shame plagued me for years. most of my life I had OCD undiagnosed and experienced almost every subcategory. Happy to say the guilt and shame is gone. Not entirely of course Iām human and all humans, OCD and non, experience them. Just OCD for me is done with šš»
@JordTheNord I know some day, I'll have this under control (for the most part lol). I've been struggling for years, but I always thought it was anxiety. Then this past year, I looked more into and was finally diagnosed and I reached out for help. So im just beginning my journey. I know deep down, I'm a good person. We have intrusive thoughts and attach feelings to them. Where as other people have these same thoughts and are able to just let it go and "forget". I want that someday.
@LoveMyself Youāll get it I promise! Youāre already doing great. Progress is progress. It takes time. Now youāre more in a constructive?? environment where you can get precise help, advice, and care to aid you in your healing. Most importantly, just like your name, always remember to love yourself š
@JordTheNord Thank you!! I am trying so hard to heal. My therapist has been wonderful and I just started back on an anxiety medto hopefully help with my distress. It's been quite a journey. Thank you so much for your kind words and input! Means a lot!
@LoveMyself My pleasure! š
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I can see how it can help you escape. I don't act on compulsions as much. Just my thoughts and urge are stronger. Then after I'm sober, is when it hits me. I don't drink much, just socially. And I only have to get tipsy for me to notice a difference. The brains works in crazy ways. Wishing you the best!
Yes. From what I heard is that alcohol enhances the intrusive thoughts. Itās like adding more wood to the fire, mines are worse the day after a night of drinking.
Aw I'm sorry!! Yeah I feel like it definitely makes it worse. Then the ruminating is worse for me after I'm sobered up. (For me)
I don't know, but I quit alcohol and coffee just in case.
When I smoke weed when I think of non ocd things or themes, my head starts to make sense of things I feel more open and I think clearer. So thatās where my big concern is!!! Because when Iām high and think of ocd things like being a killer, or someone whoās a sociopath or someone that can be a pedo it feels real like my mind is clearer that I am these things Any one who has experienced weed with ocd help me I need insight on this im very confused and itās causing me to ruminate all day
Does anyone know if weed helps ocd symptoms?
Iām curious if anyone else has ever had this. This is my specific theme in regards to my OCD that has been prevalent in my life since 2022. Quick back story: went to a party college for 4.5 years and had a blast, got as drunk as I wanted on weekends and never once felt bad about it. Then, hangovers got worse and I started partying too much. After graduation, I told myself that itād be a really cool goal to get to the point where I could go out and just have 4 beers. Enough to enjoy myself, not enough to make me hungover. Well, this simple healthy goal turned into a massive obsession. Now, if I go over my limit of 4-5 beers/drinks, two things happen: 1. I give up and binge drink bc I might as well if Iām already over my limit. 2. The next day even if Iām super hungover, unless I canāt bc of work scheduling, I will perform a check where I drink 4 beers and see if I can still get drunk off of those. If I can get drunk, then I feel normal. If I am not as drunk, then this cycle continues. I worry about becoming an alcoholic all the time bc at this point in my life I am very active in my social scene, and alcohol is very much present. While I certainly do not have any family history of alcoholism nor the personality or drive to become one, I still fear that I might one day despite knowing I wonāt. I also worry about raising my drinking tolerance by continuing to feed this obsession/compulsion loop. Itās slightly affected my personality and confidence. Iām aware itās irrational and the solution is to simply cut back as anyone would and go out less frequently, or drink less frequently when Iām out. And yet, my other obsession with alcohol is experiencing the painful withdrawals that alcoholics experience when they stop drinking!! Despite never having experienced those withdrawals when Iāve not drank on a given night. So, itās a weird one. Thinking the ERP is just going to be not performing those checks. If Iāve reached my limit and am not as drunk, okay. Alcohol absorption is affected by a lot. No need to check my tolerance nor go overboard since Iām not as drunk. Weāll see. Iām on Zoloft too which has helped a ton with other symptoms but this theme is making it less effective and I need to get control of it now.
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