- Username
- hannie
- Date posted
- 5y ago
An intrusive thought is characterized by something so unwanted it brings you almost debilitating emotional distress.
Definitely
Thank you for responding!
Angel faith I totally relate to what you’re saying! They keep popping up because they’re intrusive thoughts and unfortunately we’re just going to have to expose ourselves to them and sit with the anxiety until eventually it subsides. The more we try to avoid thinking about it and these ‘pop ups’, the more they’ll happen and our minds will obsess over it until we do behaviours to give is initial relief until it happens again. It doesn’t mean we love them or aren’t over them and don’t love our new partners, it’s ocd being a bitchhhhh!!
It isn't as bad as it was, but still happens and makes me feel awful. My compulsion was telling my boyfriend my thought ?
I wonder that as well. This sounds crazy but my ex constantly pops in my head, like, if I read a "lovey" card (like for an anniversary or something) he'll just pop in my mind. It used to be so bad. Anytime is hug or kiss my boyfriend my ex would pop up. It freaks me out because I think I'm not over him, the thought of my ex being with someone else doesn't phase me anymore. I don't care what he does. But him (and others) popping up freaks me out.
My compulsion is seeking reassurance from others and confessing to checking his Facebook or logging into his account as I can’t help but check when he pops into my head almost to like check he’s talking badly about me and I have no feelings for him still and sometimes just out of curiosity then I feel guilty and worry that I’m not over him or that I’m cheating on my boyfriend by being interested in his messages but I know deep down I’m not and it’s probably an ocd thing and seeking reassurance is annoying people and I just need to sit with it and let it slip by
Oh the guilt!! It's horrible, I get thoughts that I've cheated too. I'll think I've cheated and somehow it got deleted from my momory.
Omg same! It’s horrible! And whenever I talk to a guy, particularly this guy I work with which I did things with in the past I feel like I have to reiterate the whole thing to my boyfriend, even if it’s literally just a laugh about the work, so if there’s any cheating he will know so I don’t feel like I’m being sneaky or anything. I know it’s annoying because hes then like why are you sending me that? And on occasion wonders if I’m doing it as an attempt to make him jealous which I’m really not because that’s the opposite of what I want! I never realised it was ocd until now! Honestly this disorder is so irrational and embarrassing sometimes!!!
Oh and to top it all off, if I find someone even remotely attractive I automatically think I like them. Like I've got feelings for them and I have to tell my boyfriend because if I don't I'm horrible.
Same! ?
Added you
Thank you for responding. It’s just crazy how they come out of nowhere. The bring so much stress and anxiety. Hoping this will pass
It’s hard to do but we have to accept the thoughts as they are and let them go by without judgement.
Can intrusive thoughts be very detailed and feel so real? Can they be about anything? Also can they hit out of nowhere? I was laying down trying to meditate when I was hit with a religious theme so badly. I have just felt like I am losing it and the guilt of having it is so strong. I keep thinking about having those thoughts over and over and I feel like something is wrong. Any advice would help. Couple days ago I was struggling with the theme of schizophrenia and now it’s like o have both themes at once.
Can ocd cause intrusive urges?? Like it can be sexual/violent????? Moreso anything I believe..
Every highly anxious person has to cope with intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are frightening thoughts about what might happen to you or someone you care about, or what you might do to yourself or another person. They seem to come from outside of your control, and their content feels alien and threatening. For some people, intrusive thoughts are part and parcel of panic or intense anxiety. In these types of intrusive thoughts, it feels like the thoughts come about as a result of the anxiety, and they function to add more fear to the anxiety you are already experiencing. The intrusive thoughts keep the anxiety going, and maintain the fear-producing spiral. So, for example, you might think, “what if I have a heart attack?” in the midst of an anxiety attack. You are already in the altered state of consciousness that I call anxious thinking, and your thoughts feel likely to happen. However, there is another class of intrusive thoughts that I call intrusive obsessive thoughts. These thoughts seem to come from out of nowhere, arrive with a distressing whoosh, and cause a great deal of anxiety. The content of intrusive obsessive thoughts almost always focus on sexual or violent images. Here are typical examples of intrusive obsessive thoughts: “Killing someone. Torturing a pet animal. Stabbing a child. Throwing someone (or yourself) out of a window. Jumping onto a train track as the train comes into the station. Molesting a child. Raping someone. Taking off your clothes in public.” This is not a complete list, but it gives you a good feeling of the content of these thoughts. People who experience intrusive obsessive thoughts are afraid that they might commit the acts they picture in their mind. They might imagine hurting someone or committing an act of sexual violation. Intrusive obsessive thoughts can be very explicit, and most people are embarrassed and frightened of them. There are a number of myths about intrusive obsessive thoughts. The greatest myth is that having thoughts of a sexual or violent nature mean that you want to do the things that come into your mind.This is not true. You do not want to do the things that enter your mind when you have intrusive obsessive thoughts. In fact, the opposite is true. People with intrusive obsessive thoughts are gentle and non-violent. FULL ARTICLE: https://drmartinseif.com/intrusive-thoughts/
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