* I am really really sorry if this triggers anyone else. So please know before continuing to read that is is about worries of impulsive control and if this is something you worry do not continue to read * I am always worried about how I feel I carry out actions that I don’t want to do, however minor. I’ve always struggled to find someone who experiences the same. I do have a diagnosis of OCD. Today I looked up impulsive control and OCD. And it came up with this academic article about the link between OCD and Impulsive control disorders. It mentioned the link between this impulsive control disorder and ROCD. Which made me panic!!! As my OCD circles around the fear of cheating on my loving, incredible boyfriend. I couldn’t really understand what the article was saying and meaning though. Could I maybe post it for someone to read in the comments? Now I’m obviously panicking that I have his disorder and it means I really am out of control of myself and my actions. Meaning I could harm my cat or cheat on my boyfriend. For instance, last night I told myself to be careful as I was close to leaning on my cats paw. And then I leaned on it a wee bit. He didn’t yelp or anything but then he started to lick it which made me worry and think that means it hurt him. I would really appreciate a response on this post as I am panicking beyond belief

Aw wow so I read that wrong then! What do you mean by the spectrum? Thank you for all of this!

So do you think that when I leaned on my cats paw or walked into the door handle when carrying him (thanks again for responding on that one too) it’s not relevant to the impulsive control disorder and it just the OCD, and when I leaned on his paw it would of been minor and maybe a coincidence that he then licked his paw afterwards? (As I linked that to him being sore) I know that I don’t want to hurt anyone or my cat who I love so much. Thank you for all of your help!

There's an inherent problem with googling something you obsess about. Why? Because the Internet always gives you something, even if it is garbage (and there's a lot of garbage out there). It's confirmation bias magnified to the x degree by the sheer amount of content online. I don't even think the article is worth reading. If there were really something to worry about, your psychologist or medicator would know about it. If you still worry about it past that point, I think you just have to accept the small amount of uncertainty. Example. I forgot to take my dose of sertraline yesterday. I had withdrawal symptoms this morning, and I started worrying I had damaged my brain. I was tempted to google "antidepressant withdrawal brain damage" but I didn't because I know that's a black hole. If there were a serious issue to worry about (e.g. permanent brain damage) it's pretty likely I would've already known from e.g. my medicator. So that's a "good enough" for me not to obssess. Any uncertainty that remains I just have to accept.

I’ve only seen the psychiatrist who diagnosed me once and I will see the psychologist next week for the first time. Thank you @MaroonedDreams. I guess it’s just bedside no one seems to understand how I feel I do these minor things when I have the thought not to. I’ve read about thought action fusion and it’s not that. I’m on sertraline as well, 200mg but I don’t know if it’s working.

I totally understand the fear from reading stuff online. I have spent many hours on Google scholar hunting down studies supposedly confirming my obsessions. They are contamination obsessions but I think the thought process is very similar for both of us. As for the impulse control thing, I can understand how scary it would be to think you have that. I also totally understand how OCD takes tiny things and makes them huge. So don't feel alone? I want to help you feel better right now though while you are figuring things out. So take this to heart. When I think of "impulse control" I imagine people persistently doing extraordinarily inappropriate things in public, like, I don't know, ... punching someone in the face for no reason. Leaning on your cat's paw a tiny bit doesn't count. It just doesn't ? I wouldn't worry even a tiny bit about being around you in person. ?

btw, just taking a glance at impulse disorders and ocd, I see that the relationship is actually an inverse one. They are only related in that they are opposite ends of a spectrum. Literally opposite. I have a psychiatric reference manual that talks about this.

I wish I could send a picture of the diagram in the book. It shows a spectrum. You are literally as far away on the spectrum from impulse control disorders as you could be?

I don't understand it fully, but it sounds like a classification scheme used by some researchers for convenience, as a way of organizing certain similarities and differences of number of disorders (including polar opposites). My book says it's also still just a theoretical construct and some people debate its usefulness. So basically it's not something to read much into?(and anyway, you are the polar opposite of the so called impulsive control disorder?

I read that it can be urges and the lack of control to control such urges that then results in pressure etc. And to me that’s maybe a bit what like my OCD does.

genuine lack of control is not present in your case. I don't see any evidence for it. Weird urges are certainly a part of OCD though.

*Everyone has weird urges of course, but most people just dismiss them as silly and irrelevant. Only people with ocd give them special meaning and dwell on them.

Yes I'm pretty sure that's OCD. I wouldn't even blink an eye if you were house-sitting my cat (who I'm very attached too) ? In the long run I think it is important to move away from reassurance, but one step at a time ?