Empath and OCD

Hello, I’ve been going through this and it’s my first time also. Mines more of fearing death & depression. I have intrusive thoughts and there so uncomfortable. I go to therapy and that’s helped a ton also speaking about it with your family and opening up. You’re not alone. I’ve come to realize there just thoughts and it doesn’t mean that they will hurt you. It’s taken me so much time to come to that but allow the thoughts to pass try and let them pass without having fear it’s harder said than done but letting them pass without fearing it helps a ton and also speak it way “that was intrusive” and let it pass

Sounds like classic OCD. First, i would encourage you to visit the NOCD website and read about HOCD or Harm OCD. a sub-type of OCD where you obsess over unwanted thoughts of hurting yourself or others. I experienced this too when I was about your age ( I'm 33 now). I was afraid of kitchen knives, scissors, anything that could be considered a weapon for harm. OCD causes thoughts that are ego-dystonic, which means they do not line up with who you are from a moral and values standpoint. You( no one actually) cannot control their thoughts, everyone has weird thoughts but unaffected people can dismiss them whereas people with OCD attach some type of meaning to them and think the thought represents something bad about them as a person. This is not true. The treatment for this seems very counterproductive, but all of the things you are doing to try to ease your distress, those are called compulsions ( the C in OCD) and the more you engage in compulsions, the stronger your OCD actually gets ( you will feel comfort temporarily but your distress will come back and that's is what feeds the cycle). So I would first recommend going through the literature on the NOCD website. An understood enemy is much easier to defeat than a mysterious one. I would see if you can get in with one of their therapist ( I have one and she Is AMAZING) and then I would being slowly resisting doing the things you do to seek comfort and teach yourself to just sort of, tolerate the uneasy feelings. No more books ( unless its something cool like Harry Potter) no more podcasts, unless its someone fun like Theo Von, no more material or information that is focused on what you fear. Your thoughts won't go away but by not engaging in the compulsions, the distress you FEEL when you get the thoughts will lessen and eventually you will see a rope for what it is, a tool, a way people might harm themselves, a toy, all of these things, but none will have more meaning than the other. I overcame harm ocd. I see knives. I think " yea, you could totally (insert self-harm idea here)" but I need to open this box with it right now. I feel ZERO distress around "dangerous objects now" Don't put the rope away, don't hide objects. train yourself to tolerate discomfort and it will go away in time. " that which you resist- persists". you are on your way to recovery if you start with what iv suggested. You got this.

Hello, I am sorry that you are going through this and as someone with a similar theme I know how hard it is. Are you getting therapy? Because honestly that’s number 1 to recovery Secondly, be kind to yourself this is a very tough situation to be in especially at your young age. Don’t be angry your having these thoughts or try to rid of them. And lastly you have to work on acceptance (the one I struggle with the most). You have to find your core fear? Because as someone who’s been depressed I took some tablets and then within the month I slowly got better so what Is it about being depressed that stressed you out so deeply? Once you know this I’m sure your progress will show.