Or do they only show up in „what if I did this and that?“ and then create an image? Bc a few weeks ago I was ruminating on another false memory and suddenly I had an even worse image and started obsessing over this but now I’m scared that it’s an actual memory bc it was an image even though I can’t remember doing that and it could only be a few months ago
Yes
@chinarider Really? Because I only ever see people say that they show up in „what if I had….“ but not abt them showing up as images so I’m extremely scared that it was just some memory that I forgot abt so I would really appreciate the truth and by now I can’t remember anymore if I had already had another false memory show up as an image so I’m just extremely distressed abt this
But its important to not try to figure out if its real or not. It will only get worse if you do. John hershfield has written helpful content on false memories and how they are formed. I deal with this too. Mindfulness meditation is extremely helpful too. Try headspace or the calm app
@chinarider The thing is that for me it’s actually really terrible and it’s not sth an actual good person would do and especially not just forget about. I would need to gp to jail if I had done this and honestly if it was real I would probably end my life it’s really not just some minor detail in life idk if it’s even possible to just forget abt that completely in like 2 months and then have it come back as some image but idk anymore
@m1ch3ll3 They can definitely come in the form of intrusive images. Ive had one occur that way and then later realized it was from a dream years prior so it felt like it was remembered. Ive had other people say they came as random images too. I dont want to offer you anymore reassurance because that will only make it worse but trust me when i say that fear and anxiety can do anything to make you believe them. The only way to move on is that you can truly never know if it was real or not. You could concince youself it is but that isnt proof. 1 thing is certain the more you replay it in your head the more it will grow. Whether or not it ever occured. That is how memories are formed. They are not concrete. If it were truly that bad it is unlikely you would have forgotten it. Especially so recently. Please try to stay in the present moment and dont ruminate. Therapy would probably help you a lot if it is an option for you. I wish you the best and im rooting for you
@chinarider Ohhh ok thank you so much😭 I was actually abt to cry bc I started to be convinced that it showing up like this must mean that it’s real. For me I remember this being a pretty regular intrusive thought when I didn’t even know that this was ocd so maybe it just was there yet again once and maybe I completely got this wrong idk. It doesn’t feel like I’ve done this at all but false memory ocd is just so insane rn but I’m starting medication soon and will talk abt this with my psychotherapist so maybe he’ll be able to properly let me get rid of this
Hi all, I’m really grateful for all the support I’ve gotten from people in the last few days. My mental health is at an all time low and I really appreciate the relief people have brought. I had a question about whether an intrusive image of a potentially imagined event can feel just as real as a real memory. I’m doing my best to stop ruminating over an image I have in my head, and have gone so far as requested security footage of myself and have been told both through that and by my friends that nothing bad happened, but the image in my head feels just as real as other memories. I was also drinking the night in question, which makes it harder for me to dismiss the image and makes me feel like I shouldn’t. I was just wondering if imagined images can feel just as real? I’m trying to use tools to ignore the image, and have therapy scheduled for tomorrow, but I feel like I can’t responsibly dismiss the image even with the evidence I’ve gathered if there’s something about a real memory that looks different in the brain and that if so, that suggests my memory is real and I should confess it. I’m really working on stopping reassurance seeking as well, especially now that even after being told that nothing bad happened when the establishment I was at reviewed security footage, my brain is telling me “they’re probably just lying and never reviewed it.” I know I need to just stop ruminating, reassurance seeking, and mentally checking the memory, but I just don’t know if I can/should in case the image is what I should trust more, if that makes sense.
Without trying to seek reassurance, I’m wondering if anyone has insight on identifying an intrusive thought vs reality. Something that’s always really helped ground me in moments of false memory ocd is clearly remembering the exact moment the thought arose and how it started as “what if I cheated and don’t remember.” Then the images come and are extremely distressing, but I’ve always found some comfort in coming back to that moment of “this started as what if.” It feels like my brain is almost getting more creative with the thoughts now, and I’ve been having probably the worst anxiety of my life the past couple months after another intrusive thought entered my mind. I woke up after a night drinking and thought to myself “did you kiss your friend and don’t remember?” (Didn’t happen, undeniably proved). The rest of the day I stayed anxious about other things I could have done and poured over all my memories of the night. Then the next day I finally had found some peace based on all the evidence from my friends who were with me that nothing bad happened. I then thought “what about when you went to the bathroom,” which I hadn’t really been thinking about before, and then my mind immediately started flashing with images of me performing sex acts in the bathroom with some person who has no name, face, details, or anything I remember about interacting with them. I think I’m just concerned that this was a moment of genuine memory recall since I hadn’t been thinking about the bathroom before, and it was more of a sudden flash of images and “did you do that” vs “what if you did that.” I’m wondering how others are able to identify that something is an intrusive thought vs reality.
I have been ruminating on why I have been having intrusive thoughts on a specific topic. Anyone know why? Where do they come from? It freaks me out and makes me think that it came from a real memory (I struggle with false memory OCD)
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