- Date posted
- 6y
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y
I think they feel so real because your brain almost mimics the real feeling because you spend so much time focusing on it and thinking it , so your brain may be getting confused and thinks it’s who you are.
- Date posted
- 6y
Hi ELO! I’m not a therapist or anything and I don’t know the science behind anything really at this point. But I can definitely affirm that they do feel very legitimate and it can be very confusing and unsettling. One thing a therapist told me once is that you can’t stop a bird from flying over a tree, but you can stop it from getting in and making a nest. That’s what intrusive thoughts can do, especially to people who struggle with OCD. Whereas a typically functioning mind might think something that the self finds repulsive and think “wow that was strange. Hm. Whatever” (bird flew over the tree) the OCD mind will think, “that was repulsive. I’m a monster. Am I being unfaithful? Do I WANT to be unfaithful? I don’t want to do that! What is wrong with me?” (Bird came in and built the nest) The best way that I currently know of to deal with intrusive thoughts is to accept them, acknowledge them, and let them keep on flying over that tree. The more you try to ignore them and suppress them, the worse they will probably become. I hope that helps at least a little.
- Date posted
- 6y
Yes mine feel real too. Not a therapist either but have done a lot of reading about ocd, from my understanding The intrusive thoughts come from dumb/primitive parts of our brain that warn us of danger. Most everyone has intrusive thoughts but normal people can dismiss them as weird and random and not respond to them. I can vouch for this because I get intrusive thoughts about random stuff that is not my ocd themes and they are no upsetting at all... My brain just thinks well that was weird and moves on. The problem with ocd is not the thoughts but how we respond. We spend so much time trying to neutralize, banish the thoughts and it gives the thoughts more and more power over time. Through erp we can correct our behavior and responses, eventually that can lead to less troublesome thoughts.
- Date posted
- 6y
exactly guys! I agree. I overthink everything. you know how professional sports players use concentrated focus to rehearse in their head what they are about to do and then they perform better? well it's like that for people with OCD except not beneficial.
- Date posted
- 6y
All great info!
- Date posted
- 6y
My biggest problem is fusing with the irrational thought then compulsing.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w
Hello, this is my second post, not too long ago i made my first, talking about a sudden come-back of my intrusive thoughts. This post will talk about another of my issues, mainly regarding ocd (obviously) and relationships. As i had said before, i had been feeling terrible and felt like i didnt deserve love, especially the love of the guy that i love. I would like to add that in prior moments we have promised eachother and he has reassured me he will never leave me, but today he was pretty much gone all day (long distance) and for the most part ive just been overthinking, all night, actually.. thinking that at any moment he will just randomly block me on everything and never talk to me again. Its now 4:03 AM, and i just feel so scared. Im scared of losing him, this is predominantly because in a past relationship things ended suddenly, my ex switched up after we had promises and everything and i am absolutely horrified of things ending the same way for me and him. I’ve been anxious, trying to take my mind off of it, but if i do, my mind tells me that if i look away, when i look back, i’ll miss it and he’ll have already blocked me. and tries to tie in earlier conversations i had throughout the day and somehow ties them back to now. (Like my bestfriend telling me she had some dream where i apologized to my friends for ‘leaving’) For the past few hours ive just been out of it. Im scared of being obsessive, Im scared of losing him, and whenever i check to see, my heart skips a beat because i thinks he’s gone. The thing is, I know this isnt the case, and I know there must be an explanation, but for some reason im still worried. and I know these thoughts arent a reflection of reality, but ive also had the idea that my thoughts can also affect what actually happens. I would also like to add that he lives in the US and is mexican, and with the increasing violent situation, my mind even starts to wander off and ask itself what if something happened to him? It makes it worse. because i can’t control it. and that makes me afraid. Im also worried about being a horrible partner, about everything failing and its all just making me feel worse. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling sort of out of it, and throughout the day i felt as if i were emotionless, which made me wonder what if i had lost emotions for him? this also happens to me sometimes. I, for some reason begin thinking like “you lost your love for him nothings gonna happen ever.” and my mind starts making up reasons why, or simply gives me this feeling of emptiness for that love, as if i have been detached from it. and then i overthink again “what if i actually dont love him but im just obsessed and thats all it is an obsession and none of it is real?” that last part, im feeling it right now. along with everything else. Im exhausted, Im tired, and i just want to be happy with him. Thank you to all those who choose to read this. thank you. ❤️ Edit: I would also like to add that ive been also dealing with the occasional regular intrusive thoughts. which dont form fully in my brain but i can still sort of, “feel” the intrusive thoughts uncomfortable themes.
- Date posted
- 14w
TW. hii, ive been dealing with horrible thoughts as of lately. its gotten to a point where as of recently, ive been starting to eat less, sleep more, and cry a whole lot. i dont know whats wrong with me, i have confusing memories. im in a relationship, and as a highschool girl who loves hard since this is my first relationship, ive been having confusing thoughts about whether or not if i found attraction to a boy last year on a cruise. the first time i met this boy, my boyfriend knew about him because i made sure to update my boyfriend on everything. me and the boy were only friends & thats how i thought my intentions were before. but i dont know why now, a whole year later… ive been having confusing, yet convincing thoughts that i found attraction to the boy and i cheated on my boyfriend. everything seems so convincing, yet makes no sense, but i want to know the answer, did i find that boy attractive, and i try to look back into my memory to remember how i felt, but nothing works, i dont know how i felt or feel anymore. i dont know if these are false memories or theyre real memories. how do i know if they are real, concrete memories & how do i genuinely get rid of these thoughts?
- Date posted
- 8w
It's been 9 days now that I've been dealing with an intrusive thought which appeared as a question. It pretty much asked me if I want to cheat on my boyfriend with a specific person who has been a trigger for me for almost 5 months now. I read somewhere that responding affirmatively to intrusive thoughts will help, so I made the mistake and I tried it.... Not only did it not help but I've been spiralling ever since, I feel like my response was evidence that I actually want to do that (although I know for a fact that I don't, I just can't trust myself). I also feel like I should break up with my boyfriend because I can't be with him after this (which is absurd, I love my boyfriend and I'm so happy with him). I just can't be present around him because I'm constantly preoccupied and on edge due to the thoughts. I'm also having intrusive images of the face of that person that triggers me and I'm so scared. I don't know how to deal with that either and it has caused me a lot of sleep disturbances lately. Any piece of advice would be much appreciated.
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