When I talk about how terrible I used to be to my girlfriend it makes me feel like I’m gonna do it again which I don’t wanna do and it scares me and then I get intrusive thoughts and feelings about it doing it but I don’t want to, weird I know.
Hello Cam$$$, I can see that you are struggling with these intrusive thoughts. To add to what Jamie has said, the best approach is to let the thoughts pass, without disputing them. Intrusive thoughts feed on the desire to feel certain. The key is sitting with uncertainty. This is challenging and feels uncomfortable in the face of intrusive thoughts, the paradox is that when we sit with uncertainty rather than resist, the discomfort passes. Seeing this most would say, yeah, easier said than done. I have to agree, and that is where ERP comes in. Working with a therapist that has expertise in these conditions, allows you to take this challenge on incrementally. If you want to begin the process please don't hesitate to reach out to our care team at NOCD. I hope this information finds you well and know that at NOCD, we are always here to help!
Doing what? Your compulsions?
Not weird, these are common thoughts. How did you overcome being “terrible” before?
@MichelleV Well I got on mood stabilizers, and I’ve been pretty good. Yesterday we were talking about it and then I started to get anxiety about oh no whatt if I’ll do it again and now I have anxiety, I don’t know if it’s just my ocd trying to gaslight me ?
@Cam$$$ It could be your OCD. When you get scared that you might do it again, how do you want to respond? Do you feel an urge to ruminate or check your current behaviors?
@MichelleV I usually talk to my girlfriend and tell her my problems, which I know is unhealthy
Hey there, I agree with Michelle that this could absolutely be OCD pipping in. It loves to pick on our past behavior, where maybe we weren't our best version of ourselves and then tell us we have to figure out for certain if it will happen again or not. This is a slippery slope to take on. Have you engaged in ERP before? It would encourage you to allow those thoughts/ fears/doubts to be present while carrying on with your day. We don't have to like them, just allow them to follow us around while not giving them much attention (or compulsions). You might find this video helpful, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhKmY1IeFf8
@Jennifer Dalimonte I am in outpatient now and trying to learn that, I didn’t think it was OCD, but after you said that it might have been because IT DOES like to pick on what you’ve done in the past, hopefully I get better at catching it.
@Cam$$$ - I am glad that was helpful. OCD can be such a sneaky thing, it loves to change shape and try to throw us off our game. I'm glad you're in outpatient. Do you happen to know if your clinician specializes in treating OCD? It's actually very common for many therapists to not understand what OCD really is and accidentally play into OCD's games.
@Jennifer Dalimonte Yes they do not, I am trying to find an ocd therapist that takes my insurance, well I haven’t started to look but I do need too. What do they do exactly ?
@Cam$$$ - Have you considered booking a free 15 minute phone call with NOCD? We have wonderful staff who would be happy to check your insurance and talk with you about the ERP process with our OCD specialists.
I don't even know if I should put this here, but I have the greatest girlfriend in the whole world, and I love her very much, but my thoughts keep saying I'm going to hurt her, so I can hurt God and idk what to do, I feel so disgusted and idk what to do, and the worst part is why does some part of me just not even care idk what to do anymore, it's almost like I'm turning into this horrible person and idk what to do, I'm really not sure what to do. I have really been able to be happy I just feel like I don't deserve it and I want to care about people and God and I want to be a good person, but a part of me shuts off my caring nature and idk what to do, I'm really freaking out because it's like IDC and idk what to do I just feel so nasty and scared because why don't I feel like I care. Why does it feel like it's something I wanna do idk, what to do I'm really freaking worried. Also I don't want OCD but a part of me says I need it or I like these thoughts and idk what to do, as im writing this i just feel like laughing and idk what to do, i really judt want jesus to hug me and say everything will be alright, i am such a monster....
I don’t know how to stop confessing. It’s driving me insane. I confess every little thing to my boyfriend. I confessed that I liked attention (this is so obviously human), that I liked it when people found me pretty (also very human??) I confessed about a million other things and I feel out of control. I felt so safe with him last night that it just started pouring out of me. I felt guilty and awful and I just needed release, I couldn’t breathe I felt like I was dying. I’m stuck in a confessing loop and I know I’m only making things worse. Has anyone experienced this and been able to overcome it? It feels absolutely horrible and impossible. I tried to ERP this and I genuinely feel like I am suffocating if I hold off. I feel so disappointed in myself, but I can’t seem to stop. I even had a dream where I confessed to him and woke up needed to confess that. I’m scared I’ll start sharing my worst intrusive thoughts I’ve had if I feel too safe around my bf. Help please :(
So i play in a band, and we were having practice, and my girlfriend was there listening to us, then this girl around our age walks in, and my head tells me to cheat on my girlfriend with her. I know i would never do such a thing. And it bothered me for days. And i ended up telling my girlfriend, and tried to explain my ocd. It hurt her and she believes that the instrusive thoughts, are my thoughts so in that, i must feel something behind them. And she feels hurt because i explained to her the obsessive part of ocd and how this thought wouldnt leave my head. And she got upset knowing that i was constantly thinking about cheating on her. I cant help but feel its all my fault. And now that she doesnt understand i feel really guilty for my thoughts and they are coming more often and worse. When i was fine for months, but my ocd always acts up right as i get in relationships, then i usually tell my spouse and tell them i cant feel guilt for my thoughts or they will get worse. And they usually just accepted it and it was easy. But with her it seems she just cant seem to understand, ive tried to explain it to her countless times, she isnt willing to do research with me to help better understand it or anything. Maybe for my first ocd issue telling her that wasnt the best idea.
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