Can anyone differentiate what is an intrusive thought vs an auditory hallucination? I am very worried the repetitive sound loops in my head are not just intrusive thoughts . It is little second sound bites from movies or a TikTok video or sometimes just random stuff I may just be creating in my own mind. I don’t know why I can’t control it , which drives my fear.
I was told mine was like an ear worm. You don't try to control thoughts esp intrusive thoughts. It's a compulsion.
@Will86 So could intrusive thoughts be very repetitive ? And by that I mean every 10-20 seconds . It is either rapid intrusive thoughts or I am mentally repeating the thought over an over as a compulsion . The uncertainty of this is brutal for me !
@Mike0310 Absolutely, how much do you know about rumination?
@Will86 I would say I know about it ? But I think it is soooo engrained in me as a compulsion I don’t even realize I’m doing it . Any insight or articles I would definitely read. Anything to know more at this point . Doing both ERT and talk therapy along with med management so I’m working hard at it.
@Mike0310 We get "sticky" thoughts with ocd it's a thought we can't seem to shake (in this instance it would be your sound bite replay). Normally people would call it catchy and kinda go about their business but someone with ocd will start to think maybe it means something or maybe it'll never go away and it'll have huge consequences. That's when rumination as a compulsion kicks in. Rumination as a compulsion means trying to figure out what to do, or what to believe, in order to avoid our discomfort. So you hear a song yesterday. Today you wake up replaying this song in your head. Your brain says shit if you don't stop you won't be able to focus and if you can't focus you'll lose your job and you'll be homeless. You then get stuck in this cycle of song, examine, worry, compulse. (This isn't a finite example so allow wiggle room for an individual)
@Will86 My understanding though is the whole process from song to compulse can be rumination. It's the replaying of a thought(s) which includes the worry you might have a comobidity. Coming on here could be a reassurance (compulsion) cause we dk if you have hallucinations for sure. Most of us aint qualified to make that judgement but if I said it wasn't you'd feel better for a moment right?
@Will86 100 % would make me feel better … for maybe an hour . Which is another compulsion of mine . The intrusive thought comes in then it’s the constant replaying and pondering over it literally like a record that is broken . It can be any sound whether, Verbal ,musical, basically anything . I just latch on to everything since I am so HYPERAWARE. The uncertainty I guess is where I have to live . What a pain in the a$$!
Are you legitimately hearing sounds that aren’t there, seeing things that aren’t there? Hallucinations are a whole different game and unrelated to OCD.
@Chambers Bryan @Chambers Bryan Not seeing things . Not hearing anything “external “ that isn’t there. It’s all the in my head. When I question this and it gets intense I tend to either 1) throw on music on my headphones 2) hold my ears closed quickly to make sure it’s just a thought and I’m not hearing anything 3) avoid going out until the anxiety from the sounds /thoughts subsides . Very very compulsive behaviors I know 🥹
I posted this awhile ago & hoping it helps you: Sorry you’re going through this. For me at times I give my OCD thoughts the F-it! responses. If I’m gonna go crazy and start hearing & seeing things F-it!, If I’m gonna turn into a puff of smoke F-it!, If I’m going to have a heart attack or stop breathing F-it!!! Mind you, I love living but when OCD baits me into the rabbit hole, then F-it! I lean towards the uncertainty.
@Dee C @Dee C I’m adding this to my exposure response list. Thank you for the recommendation. It is almost like I have to do it all backwards to move forward . Our brains must have been made backwards
I’ve had many types of OCD, but I gained control over them over the years, but a new one has started to arise. Do y’all ever have scary thoughts about something you might do? Recently I’ll get extremely uncomfortable no matter where I am because I can’t stop thinking about “what if I screamed really loud in my lecture class tomorrow?” And other stupid stuff like that. Also, this one is kind of funny, but sometimes when I use the bathroom I pause before because I think “what if I’m actually in class right now?” I also cannot control the thoughts about past embarrassing moments. I know everyone does, but I will become visibly uncomfortable and harp on something from years ago. This happens all throughout the day. Also, does anyone else do things that resemble tics when you get these thoughts. Like when they happen I’ll curse under my breath or like jerk my head a little bit. When I’m in public I keep it low key but when I’m alone sometimes I’ll physically get up and pace or something when those thoughts happen. Just curious if anyone has had these experiences
I don’t know how to explain this so I’ll do it to the best of my ability. Does anyone experience “co-intrusive” thoughts that try to negatively support the initial intrusive thought? Example: Me: “Thank God I never acted on (scary intrusive thought) & I’m getting better!” Intrusive thought: “What a shame you didn’t” These types of things send me into a spiral. It makes me think that it could lead to a desire instead of staying a fear. Like an intrusive disappointment that I didn’t follow through with the thought? It’s been a long fear/obsession & I think my OCD is trying to trick me that the only satisfaction would be to act on the thought. (I know that’s bs) But IS that why it sends me the negative co-intrusive thoughts? That’s the only explanation that makes sense. Then I wonder is it something else? Am I a grenade waiting to explode??? I simply cannot relax in any moment because I think what’s the use if I’m just going to (xyz) one day?
idk why this is such a recurrent thing for me , I get so scared through the day when I’m not distracted when I think about psychosis. or being put in a mental hospital that it gives me bad anxiety, one time I had a panic attack at the thought of having it 💔 I can’t pin point if it’s intrusive thoughts because it’s a fear of mine .. or not. I think this is the worst thought / fear I have
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