Trying to justify immorality of intrusive thoughts

Does anyone’s mind every try to justify why their intrusive thoughts are not immoral? My OCD revolves around sexual taboo themes and my mind is always trying to come up with reasons for why certain things are not inherently immoral. I’m thinking this is a sort of mental compulsion? I try to remind myself that even if nothing in this world can be labeled as inherently immoral, it is still wrong according to my morals and move on with my day.

AaronB1111

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

Hi there mate! I honestly used to do this all the time. I used to think it was helpful but god knows it did not help me at all!😂 The content of the thoughts does not matter in the slightest. All you have to realise is that OCD is just trying to trick you. It sounds like you are struggling with “rumination” which is one of the hardest compulsions to overcome, as sometimes it can feel automatic. I even still struggle with it now but I am much more in control of it! Deep down, you know who you are as a person. You know who you are in control and you know what is important to you in life. OCD will try and target your values and beliefs because it knows this will affect you. If OCD tried to throw thoughts about football or chicken in your head, my bets would be that this would not really cause you to stress or worry or ruminate over. When it comes to things you value, OCD will try and do anything to get you to doubt yourself. Just allow the thought to be there and try not to respond to it. Use a non-engagement response like “nice try ocd!” Or “ocd, thank you so much for reminding me what my values are, have a nice day mate” Deep down, we all know who we are as people, OCD tries very hard to trick us into believing that we are someone completely evil. OCD lies. It will make you doubt anything. Have faith and trust in yourself. You know what you love and value in life. Don’t let OCD take control of that. You are in control!

Hopeful$7

Date posted: 1y

@AaronB1111 Thanks for the thoughtful response. I do tend to use the non-engagement responses you mentioned, which can help. These mental compulsions are so sneaky, by the time I realize I’m ruminating my mind has already created a bunch of crazy narratives lol

Jabre7

Date posted: 13w

Anyone else have a problem with this?

I can be way too hard on myself and beat myself up over the smallest slip up in regards to OCD. Sometimes it can feel like I'm gaslighting myself on what was "so blatantly and obviously a moral atrocity in thought and intent", when 95% of the time I'm not even sure what my own intent with dealing with these thoughts is or why I do what I do. It makes me feel like some shameless beast for "daring to even entertain the thought of something so VILE!!!" When I just get so confused and scared on moral issues, like my mind is pulled down a rabbit hole I can't escape until the tricks are done on me and it's too late, i've accepted such ideas I hate until that hate and trying to not give in convince me "it might not be that bad". It feels like anything, even the most mundane things can trigger this. This cycle happens mainly because I feel like there's "no way to escape committing more 'attrocities' in thought or compulsion anyway"...and these cycles become the basis for more of these incidents. there a way to stop this? There have been multiple times where I called myself the R word, and even knowing it's a slur I still called myself that because "I'm nothing if not deserving of such scorn". Any attempt to stop the madness makes it worse and it's like all this I talked about is so convincing I dare not question it until after the fact. Please help.

issphra 🫶🏻

Date posted: 13w

I think this is a self reassurance compulsion, idk

Input please. Whenever I have a thought or come across something like news about pedophilia or other awful things, I feel like I try to make it okay in my head. Like I am trying to explain it away, excuse it. And when I look at that from a more compassionate lens, I think maybe I am just trying to process something bad. Maybe I am trying to make something horrific feel a little less horrifying so I can keep existing in a world where it happens. Because the truth is, whenever I hear about something terrible, it does not just go away. I do not have that ability to shove it aside and move on. I have to live with it. I carry it. I live my life alongside these awful things that exist. But then, when I look at it through a different lens, it gets darker. Maybe I am not trying to process something bad. Maybe I am actually trying to justify it. Maybe I am trying to convince myself it is not that bad… because deep down I agree with the people who do it. Or maybe I am afraid that if it were not so stigmatized, I would somehow be okay with it. And that thought worries me. I know that why someone holds moral values is not as important as the fact that they do. I know that what matters is your actions and your commitment to being a good person. It still scares me. I keep asking myself: am I trying to justify something awful just so I can mentally survive it, or am I trying to justify something awful because some part of me agrees with it?

LizM99

Date posted: 8w

Does anyone else’s OCD convince them that bad thoughts are not actually that bad…. Like I know they are so why do I feel like they arent😭😭

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Trying to justify immorality of intrusive thoughts

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