Alcohol and Intrusive Thoughts

I often want to be able to drink alcohol like a normal 21 year old with friends, but then I notice I question if I handled my intrusive thoughts normally while under the influence. I then convince myself that the alcohol made me less aware and more likely to engage with the thought. Even though I think I’m fighting against the thought even more than if i was sober. It’s annoying because I want to be able to relax when buzzed but when the ocd thoughts start, then it’s harder to ignore them than when sober. I wish I could just trust in myself and know that even if i am tipsy, that i am stronger than intrusive thoughts and can handle them as I usually do.

Username: Ananda98Ananda98

Date posted: 42w ago

I don’t believe anything is coincidence, I myself struggle with harm intrusive thoughts. I have two cats, and I live by myself with them, and I love them dearly but I have intrusive thoughts that remind me of the possibilities of hurting them or myself, and I have never had a good relationship with alcohol as most people don’t, but when I do have strictly IPA beers, I enjoy it for a moment, and then my OCD kicks in and then, I will wake up “sober” with very very bad thoughts versus if I had not drank the night before or if I just stopped drinking altogether I feel so much better and I am able to manage my OCD much better. Alcohol absolutely will destroy any progress you have made with your OCD intrusive thoughts. I personally understand what it feels like to battle with the habit of using alcohol to just relax at the end of the day, but one thing that I can recommend is Kava. It’s a relaxing drink that will give you that same buzz, but without intoxication, and it almost allows you to free your mind safely and comfortably while you’re still in control physically. I know it’s hard to break bad habits, but if alcohol is a vice for you, and you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts, I’m right there with you and give yourself grace and allow yourself to grow. Growing also means repeating the same mistake again and again until you get it right.❤️

Username: ShrlztmplShrlztmpl

Date posted: 42w ago

Wow I literally feel the same way when going out and drinking. I’ll have a good time but I then start to feel like I’m not as aware as I should be with my phobia. I used to be able to drink with no problem I’m not too sure when it started but I will try not to drink because of it. It’s super hard to trust yourself I’m still learning how to be able to know I am safe and aware even if I’m drinking alcohol. I feel even worse the next day I feel guilty and super off the whole day just thinking of whether or not I was aware or if I acted out in my phobia. It honestly the worst :(

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 42w ago

Going through the same thing, my ocd has been good recently but i drank yesterday and my cheating ocd flares up so much - any moment im alone my brain will fill it with an image of me cheating and its so sad I just want to be normal and drink like everyone else but i dont think it will ever be possible :/

Username: NotSoNewb82NotSoNewb82

Date posted: 42w ago

You are better off in my opinion. I wouldn’t sweat it.

Username: Catlove9Catlove9

Date posted: 42w ago

I had to quit because I was getting awful false memories

Username: elopaelopa

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 42w ago

Drinking makes my ocd so much worse the next day

Username: XiennaVidet72XiennaVidet72

Date posted: 42w ago

Hey, I totally get how frustrating and confusing this must feel for you, wanting to enjoy your time like everyone else but then having those intrusive thoughts sneak up on you. It's super tough, but you're not alone in this struggle. 🌟 I'm no OCD expert, especially with this theme, so I think it might be helpful to share some resources that have been useful for me, if that's cool with you. The OCD stories podcast is something I've found really insightful; it shares experiences from others who are navigating similar challenges, and it might offer you some comfort or useful strategies. Also, there's this app called "unstuck OCD therapy tools" that my NOCD therapist recommended to me. It's pretty neat because it provides AI-personalized guidance and exercises exactly when you need them. It's like having a little helper in your pocket for those moments when the thoughts feel overwhelming. Might be worth checking out! 📱

Username: hannie

Date posted: 5y ago

Does anyone have advice for intrusive thoughts while tipsy? I haven experience this before and then a random thought hit me! Had this happen. The buzz had warn off but it still freaked me out cause I don’t know it was OCD or an actual thought. I got anxiety really bad after.

Username: Jamarceline

Date posted: 4y ago

Can someone please help . My OCD is more about obsessive thoughts. I dont know how to catch myself on the obsessive thoughts. How to fix it. I mean that I have so many thoughts and my thoughts are spinning and spinning then I dont know how to find an actual topic of my thoughts.... and what caused an obsessive thought . I hope it makes sense . It feels lately like I dont think and I just have obsessive thoughts . I'm second day in a row drinking alcohol to feel tipsy and to stop having the thoughts but I dont wanna become an alcoholic . But it's an awesome feeling to stop thinking and being focused on painting ( cause I'm painting and drinking right now )

Username: VicVinegar

Date posted: 3y ago

Alcohol and OCD: A cruel mistress! Hi all. I wanted to share my thoughts and potentially start a discussion about the role of alcohol in OCD. Certainly in my case I think it is a fundamental contributor to my suffering, and I'm not surprised about the statistics related to how many OCD sufferers also suffer from problematic drinking. My current obsessive themes are Real Event/guilt OCD and are often related to situations and events where I was incredibly drunk with fuzzy and missing memories, or my drunkenness contributed to certain actions that I now obsessively regret. Whilst this was in the past, alcohol is still contributing to my suffering, and I'm starting to wonder whether I would be much happier without it. I find that after sometimes months of feeling fine, most if not all of my major relapses have occurred directly after a night of heavy drinking, and that spark has sent me spiralling for days and sometimes weeks. I then became obsessed about limiting my drinking in certain situations, I had a fear that if I was drunk I would end up committing some horrible crime or cheating on my partner. Now though I'm finding that I'm drinking moderate amounts of alcohol on a very regular basis, just to take my mind off my obsessions, which is very unhealthy. When I have a drink, even just one, it feels like my thoughts just almost vanish in importance, it's like a beautiful break from all the suffering. This feeling scares me a little and I now worry that I might be verging on some form of dependency on alcohol. I'm not looking for any reassurance here, just wanted to share my experience and chat with others who might also be struggling in this way.

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Alcohol and Intrusive Thoughts

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