I don't "get" OCD.

OK, hear me out. I know OCD -> Obessions -> Compulsions -> Relieve anxiety -> Repeat. I say Pink Elephant. You automatically think of a Pink Elephant. 🐘 Because you're reading it, I've more or less placed it in your head. (Sorry!) But the bit I don't get are the hyperthetical thoughts. How the brain creates them. Why it creates them? Example: So you could be looking out the bus window on your way to work and get the thought of a Pink Elephant trampling you to death. Random. But wait. Nobody mentioned a Pink Elephant. There was absolutely no reference. How does the brain invent such an mage? Why does it invent this image? You see what I'm saying?

777Q

Date posted: 1y

The brain gets bored 🥱 easily and wants to create dramas it thinks it is helping you , because then you respond. If you’re more indifferent the brain will “ help you” less , LOL !

djkaz

Date posted: 1y

Oh, my brain sounds like a lot of my friends. Get bored so create drama. Aha. But yeah, anxiety is definitely worse when sitting bored. I totally get you.

em__

Date posted: 1y

This!!! Realizing that my symptoms peak when I'm bored has been a game changer. And, like, so annoying. 🤣 why, brain. Why.

Princess Lorita

Date posted: 1y

Just because no one said pink elephant in that moment doesn’t mean that your brain doesn’t have that phrase in your head already.

djkaz

Date posted: 1y

That's true. I don't understand why it would pull it up completely random without any encouragement. It seems so irrelevant. But causes so much distress.

Princess Lorita

Date posted: 1y

@djkaz So it’s just a random thought. If you have seen it, heard it, or thought it before, it’s already stored away in your brain, it’s just a recording basically and it looped its way back around.

Wolfram

Date posted: 1y

https://youtu.be/xoSlOnUuw-U?feature=shared This is a basic explanation. I can go into more depth

djkaz

Date posted: 1y

Thank you. I appreciate that. I'll have a read and give you my thoughts. :)

djkaz

Date posted: 1y

That's a perfect explanation. Yes, that answers my question. Thank you for sharing that. :)

SomaticSun🌤️

Date posted: 1y

1. The chemicals in your brain have created a feeling of anxiety for no apparent reason, or something may have unconsciously triggered it. 2. Your body perceives the anxiety, or maybe not, but the anxiety has been sparked. The mind (and this is automatic) creates a disturbing image, thought, OCD theme, etc. to match the anxiety that is already present. 3. This way, the anxiety being felt is now distracted by this new, troubling thing, or even justified because you now have this new, troubling thing. 4. When brain chemicals stabilize, and this could be a matter of hours or days, the mind won’t be sticking so hard to troubling thoughts and games. 5. The process will repeat when anxiety is ramped up again, with or without a cause. The mind usually tries the first thing that bothered you the first time around to match the feeling of anxiety. If you find it boring or already played out “aka you already beat it” it will quickly find something new and disturbing to hold your interest. It will try many, until one sticks. This is an automatic, illogical defense mechanism. An unhealthy defense mechanism beyond our control. The enemy is actually your friend in disguise, trying to protect you and distract you. It’s the mind’s way of not only matching something to anxiety that shouldn’t even be there, but an attempt to distract you from the discomfort of anxiety itself.

djkaz

Date posted: 1y

Thank you. That is an in-depth answer. And it's really made me understand this condition a little better. Having had it for 25 years and only within the past 2-3 years did I find out that's what I've been suffering, I'm trying to really understand the condition and perhaps why it happens. Because I refused to believe it could be just random thoughts that would trigger such distress for weeks, months or years.

Wolfram

Date posted: 1y

The pink elephant is based on the white bear experiment. It's called ironic process theory. I can explain it if you'd like. There are good videos on it though

Peytonk

Date posted: 23w

My fav way to describe ocd rn for non ocd havers

Sometimes I find the best way to describe how my mind works is this “the elephant in the room is screaming at you” bc that’s what it feels like. Like there’s an elephant in the room but it’s screaming at you to pay attention to it and attend to it and fix it or figure it out or whatever it is. The elephant is screaming, screaming at you. I just find lately through some experiences it’s helped some people understand what it’s like. It’s truly hard to explain to people who just have thoughts and let them flow through them or don’t have themes that trigger them.

alex l

Date posted: 21w

feeling like my thoughts are too unique

for the past few years i have been struggling with a certain theme of ocd as well as most of the other themes. but this one i have not figured out a good way to do my own form of erp or non-engaging responses. basically i will be daydreaming or thinking and have a very random thought. i wouldn’t call these thoughts intrusive thoughts because it’s not necessarily fear of the thoughts coming true, its just fear that my thoughts are too unique. my ocd will latch on to random or weird thoughts and may also add in that i was doing something weird while doing the thought. let’s say for example i thought of something random while i was rubbing my feet. then my ocd would be like “why are u having such a unique thought while doing something weird? nobody has ever thought about that specific thought while rubbing their feet before” (just an example). but basically it’s like my ocd bullies me for having thoughts that are too random and things i’ve never heard people talk about before if that makes sense. i am just trying to see if anyone relates even a little and how i can accept that everyone has unique thoughts.

Anonymous

Date posted: 20w

Help🤍

Guys, I would like help with maladaptive daydreaming and impulsivity. What would both be in OCD? I've always had daydreams. But it was something I did because I liked creating stories. But recently I've noticed that sometimes when I'm stressed, if I think about a situation, it feels like I'm going to imagine it or want to imagine it. When I say don't do it, it feels like it's basically going to happen. I talked here the other day about what if I try to create a compulsion to get out of my subject? Yesterday I was so anxious and I did this counting thing. Then it came to my mind, "put something like, if you don't do this, someone will suffer harm." And I don't want that. And I don't even want to create this compulsion because I would know that it would be worse because I would never risk it. But the thing is, even though I had a clear idea, it seemed like I was going to do it. I just wouldn't let it happen. Is that daydreaming? Is that impulsiveness? This has happened to my OCD theme before. But I had the feeling that I wasn't taking things seriously. That I was being childish. But I don't do it on purpose, it seems like I can't get out of the habit. Thanks for the help!

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I don't "get" OCD.

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