- Username
- ha1333
- Date posted
- 5y ago
I get this too, you aren’t alone!
After visiting a old asylum in pennhurst (that had a very weird smell to it) I was convinced I had bought something home with me and my OCD went insane with it to the point when in high anxiety situations aka loads of intrusive thoughts, I would smell the smell from the place! It makes you feel a bit crazy... but you aren’t alone and this is just another OCD theme that will go. I hope this doesn’t last too long for you. Sending love
But do you still get scared of paranormal stuff ? Or you believe it’s fake so it doens’t bother you? I believe so much that I am affected by a spirit, that my ocd latched onto this paranormal theme.
Yes! I’m very concerned about what I watch just Incase I get triggered. At the height of the obsession I 100 percent believed I had a spirit attached to me. To the point I almost got someone to come in and cleanse. Then after a while it died down. This is your ocd, fight through it just like any other obsession. You’ll do it. There’s no spirit, just your ocd.
This helps me thanks. I really need to accept and believe that I have OCD and not that a spirit is haunting me. I just wish I didn’t believe in this kind of supernatural stuff. I dont even really believe in it, but just the 5% possibility of being cursed is making me crazy. Even though I am diagnosed with OCD, the small possibility of actually being haunted is what is preventing me from recovering. Its not easy to deal with this uncertainty like they say we have to, because spirits are something that maybe can hurt me, and I simply dont want to accept the uncertainty of being haunted.
I hope any of that made sense. Haha!
Also I want to add to what I said in my previous comment ^ that you’re right if nothing bad is happening I can just ignore it and move on. But for me the intrusive thoughts that I have about the scary videos that I watched and the urges to watch it again, IS the bad thing that is happening and I am blaming that on being cursed or hypnotised by demons. This belief that these thoughts are caused by the fact that I am cursed rather than it just being OCD prevents me completely from recovering. It’s like I am saying to myself that the videos have a special power that can make me have urges to watch it over and over again. I don’t have the logical part that tells me, it’s just a silly something behind a screen and it can’t affect me this way.
I wish I had some good tips, but the only one I can think of that has worked for me is trying to distract myself as much as possible. I don't know if that's a compulsion, but it kinda works for me sometimes.
No I had this obsession and I still get intrusive thoughts about it despite hocd being my main theme.
I don't know how to help unfortunately because I didn't do anything to make it go away my focus just switched to hocd.
@hateocd123 It’s been three months almost now and it is really starting to affect my daily life. I am trying to get better by looking up scienfitic articles that debunk paranormal activities, basically saying that it doesn’t really exist. Tolerating the uncertainty that I might be posessed isn’t helping me at all in this case because it gives me too much anxiety. Also i developped like a harm ocd kind of thing, like being scared of googling how to get haunted, and actually haunting myself by accident. Did you experience something similar, is it really possible to recover from that? It’s like I really need to believe that it’s all fake to get better.
@ha1333 I've experienced the exact same thing. I still have trouble sleeping alone because of it. I think it's possible to recover from any form of OCD. Are you able to see an OCD specialist? If not I would start with your normal doctor and tell them that you're having intrusive thoughts. I did and my doctor prescribed me an SSRI. I haven't started it yet, but I think SSRIs can be great in conjunction with ERP, especially in cases like yours where the anxiety is too debilitating to get through it alone. Medication isn't something you have to take long term, you can take it, use it as a buffer during erp and then eventually ween off of it with the help of your doctor. That's what I plan on doing. If you're not interested in medication, try to reduce the amount of compulsions you do in a day slowly. Reassurance is a compulsion, so try to cut some of those article you're reading out a little at a time.
@hateocd123 Ok it relaxes me knowing you experienced the same thing. And yes I went to a psychologist two times now and he diagnosed me with OCD. You have probably seen me here already but here’s basically what happened to me. I had unwanted urges to look up or click on stuff that gave me anxiety on the internet. It’s like the only way to stop thinking about the particular thing I don’t want to watch, is to litteraly watch it. Then I watched too many scary videos, that now whenever I have an urge to watch another, i believe it’s because I am haunted my a spirit in my body that wants me to watch scary stuff, and not because I have OCD. And when I start thinking about one video in particular, my brain wants to know every detail in it so I have to back and look at it again to stop wondering about the details. Anyways, so now I believe I am being haunted by a spirit because of the videos, or that I am cursed basically. I almost stopped completely watching these videos, the urges are diminishing, but I am scared that I am haunted and I don’t know how to get over it. The more that I believe a particular video cursed me, the more I’ll have an unwanted urge to watch it again, or i’ll just think about it constantly because it scares me. And looking at scientific articles is litteraly the only thing that is helping me a bit, because it helps me see that paranormal stuff are fake.
@ha1333 Wow, I'm glad you brought this up because I have the same issue involving urges to watch videos about the subject. I almost relapsed into that theme mixed with another gruesome theme I had because I decided to give in to the urge to watch the videos. It led to me having a big break down in the middle of the night and not allowing myself to go to sleep until it was light out.
@hateocd123 This was about a week ago.
@hateocd123 The thing is, I dont watch the scary videos because I want to or to reassure me. They litteraly give me anxiety, I watch them because my brain tells me that if I dont watch them I will never stop thinking about them. Like i watch them to get over the fact that I dont want to watch them. Also did you slowly realize that you can’t be haunted or whatever your paranormal fear was to kinda recover ? Because basically, your ocd attacks the thing you fear, and I am scared of being cursed and I believe these videos cursed me or a spirit is haunting me because of it, so if I know that being cursed if a fake concept, I will see these videos as neutral and I will stop thinking about them. I feel that’s really the only way to recover... as long as I believe that I am cursed because of them, my ocd will always get stuck on this.
@ha1333 No, the videos definitely don't reassure me and I don't want to watch them either but I feel like I have to. I have a death obsession too revolving around decomposition too (they kind of go hand in hand for me when the death obsession takes hold so does the paranormal one ), I've had strong urges to look at really disgusting autopsy photos and crime scene photos. They terrify me and make me want to curl up in a ball and stop existing, but the feeling that I have to look at them is really intense and for the same reason, It's because I really really really do not want to look at them. I don't know why I do it. I hate haunted stuff, but I went to the historic district of the city over from me with my boyfriend yesterday and went to a tool store that used to be a mortuary. People talk about it being haunted and I felt I HAD to go in even though I really did not want to. The whole time I felt like something terrible was going to happen, but thankfully it didn't. I kept praying continually that anything in there wouldn't follow me out and I felt guilty that I went in in the first place because it almost felt like I was inviting stuff in.
@ha1333 I never really recovered, this theme just isn't as prominent as my hocd right now.
@hateocd123 I don't even really believe in ghosts. When I'm in my right mind I don't at least.
@hateocd123 Okay wow you have almost the same symptoms as me. I would have also felt the urge to go in the haunted house even though I don’t want to: basically we have the urge to do stuff we don’t want to do. But I believe I have these urges are caused by the fact that I am cursed, and not because I have OCD, which makes the urges or intrusive thoughts even worse. So what is the solution you think? I believe you have experienced that longer than me, you have any tips ? I know that if I stop believing I am cursed, and that I finally believe that it is all caused by the OCD, I will recover.
Do jump full in and cut out all compulsions at once, that's too overwhelming. Just cut out one at a time and sit with the anxiety until you can cut out more.
Don't*
Look at it this way, the reason we get obsessed with things is because we ALWAYS believe the possibility of it being true/ happening is real. That’s how OCD works, with every single obsession that our brain latches onto. A good friend of mine said even if you feel you are being haunted, the best way to handle it is to acknowledge that their may be something there, but that doesn’t mean you have to interact with it and if you don’t, it ceases to exist. If the spirit isn’t harming you or if nothing is actually happening, it’s just a feeling. Whenever you feel like something is there or feel like there might be, acknowledge the possibility and say hey spirit, hope you’re having a good day and move on. This worked for me, may not for you but worth a shot. The majority of spirits (if you believe in them) are mostly just those who have passed, nothing demonic and nothing unsettling, just people popping in to say hello to whoever. If your tv is not turning on and off and nothing is being flown across the room, from what my nan told me (who was convinced she had a ghost FYI, for decades) you most likely aren’t being haunted or nothing is attached, but it you get a feeling something is there they are just passing through. But remember; this is most likely your ocd grabbing onto a fear- let that pass as much as you can, once you take away the fear of worrying about whether a ghost can harm you, you take away the obsession. No ghost has thrown anything at your head, you aren’t haunted. Accepting the uncertainty is going to be tough, but you’ve had obsessions before and you will conquer this. Try to change your perspective on the paranormal, and maybe you can change your obsession.
My TV does turn on and of by itself, but then I realized it's because my neighbors who share a wall with me also have a roku TV and use their phones as remotes. They were accidentally casting to my television ????
So basically, its probably (or even certainly) my OCD causing all of that. But I still have to accept being haunted because anyways it isnt hurting me. It’s like I know logically that its all caused by the OCD, but like you said it latched on the fact that maybe I am cursed. For example it has been 4 days I am obsessing over an image I saw on the internet, litteraly cannot stop thinking about every detail of it, and I believe that it’s because the image has a certain power that wants me to become obsess with it, and not simply because it disturbed me and my ocd made me stuck on it. All of this obsession wouldnt have happened if I wasn’t scared of spirits or didnt believed in them. It’s like im looking for people to yell at me and tell me straight up: you’re not cursed, its a concept that hasnt even been proven to exist and its obviously just your OCD making you obsess with it.
Btw since u have now hocd, but had before the paranormal theme, you never have like thoughts of what if I have hocd because im haunted by a spirit ? Or you believe it’s just an ocd symptom. Like for example now i believe if I developped a hocd theme I would blame it on the fact that I am haunted, rather that it being just another ocd obsession.
I have wondered that.
@hateocd123 I wish there was more research on this theme or that it was more common like the other themes. I feel like the vague character of the paranormal stuff is what makes it so hard to get over this theme. It’s too illogical and we don’t even know if it actually exists, so it’s just you wondering if it exists then wondering if you’re affected by it.
still the obsession with the idea of devils, demons and being possessed is in my mind although now it varies in intensity. i’m so alert to every sensation in my body - pins and needles, moving in my scalp, tingling hairs/muscles. These flare up most at night time. These sensations still make me feel uneasy - even if im told its anxiety, i still regard being possessed (or turning psychotic) as a possibility cos of those sensations. I immediately link these sensations to horror movies or stuff i’ve been told about spirits. i wish i didnt have this disturbing thought ? it feels like an obsession that no one else with OCD has, but if im wrong i hope someone can reach out and relate ??
Fear of psychosis. I don’t want to trigger anyone, but I’m having a particularly hard time with this “theme”. I’ve been on a high state of anxiety for days now about developing psychosis or already having it. I went to my psychologist and she claims it’s ocd. Basically what is going on is that I’m having obsessions over hearing voices. I’m compulsively researching etc and I fear I’m making it worse. I have intrusive thoughts about “hearing” a voice say something if that makes sense. Like I don’t actually hear a voice but I have a thought about a voice. It’s pretty scary and idk how to do erp with it. Also, late at night I have severely racing thoughts lately. Does this sound like OCD or something else?
Living with the fear of going crazy. Hey everyone, through my journey living with OCD I’ve had many different themes. The most enduring one was Harm OCD, but I would also have intermittent POCD thoughts. It wasn’t until the last few years that I developed a new theme: the fear of developing psychosis/schizophrenia. While this theme seems to be far more common, it is my experience it isn’t really noted in most of the conventional information you might find online. In all the books, websites, videos, and blogs I’ve digested, I’ve only seen it mentioned a few times. But a perusal online shows that in many OCD communities, it’s a common fear. That’s why, for those of you who are suffering or may suffer with this theme, that I find it important to share the experience openly. During the day-to-day, depending on the intensity of the obsessions, it can have a profoundly limited effect on your life. You want to avoid any scenario that might trigger the thoughts, but the avoidance leads to ever-increasing isolation. Personally, I’ve found actively participating in treatment and ERP has helped me maintain most of my regular responsibilities and habits. In the past, an OCD spike could really derail my life. And while I’m certainly dealing with more intrusive thoughts than “usual” at the moment, knowing I have the support of the community and my therapist helps me stay on course. It is without question that without treatment, my suffering would be greater than it is now. I have tools now to manage it that I never had before. It’s important to remember that no matter the theme, someone else is experiencing it. And within that theme, the particular thoughts aren’t really the issue. It’s our response and relationship to them. OCD is incredibly creative, and many with OCD tend to be reflective and conscientious people! You may have all manner of odd, strange, or disturbing thoughts. And that’s ok! Although it seems like a tired cliche, you’re never truly alone. If you have this theme, and are comfortable sharing, it can help others feel that they can be open and without judgement. I hope this has helped someone who felt isolated. Thank you!
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