Anonymous

Date posted: 6d ago

Can intrusive thoughts be intentional thinking

I wanted to ask if it is possible to purposely think of an intrusive thought and then shifting your mind instantly to something else? Is it still an intrusive thought if you have been thinking of it 'purposely' for a second? I dont know how else to explain it, but it felt like I was purposely thinking of it. Anyone else had similar experience what happened during intimate moments like masturbation I feel so ashamed cuz the thoughts are so bad they're either about family members children and stuff like that it feels like I think it I just want to know if I'm not alone I feel like a monster because it feels like I thought these things or like I did think these things and I don't know what to do I feel so ashamed and grossed I need help I just want to know if anyone had a similar experience to shed light on because I don't know I feel so isolated

nae nae

Date posted: 6d ago

Oh, I've definitely had thoughts where I'm like, "Wait, was that OCD or me?" The best advice I've received got this is to just treat every one of these thoughts like it's an intrusive one. Even if it feels like you purposely thought of it, or maybe even built onto it! It's usually still OCD. Hang in there 🥲🫂

Anonymous

Date posted: 3d ago

Man I don't know it feels like it was intentional like did it feel that way for you too like you intentionally thought it I don't know what to do

nae nae

Date posted: 3d ago

@Anonymous Yes, it's felt like that for me, too. And it's sent me spiraling :( It got difficult to differentiate what I intentionally thought and which ones were intrusive. But, like I said; it's usually just another trick OCD uses against us. After I began responding to those thoughts like intrusive ones, they faded drastically.

Anonymous

Date posted: 3d ago

@nae nae But I feel terrible I think I thought me how would u say to help cope with it

Anonymous

Date posted: 3d ago

@nae nae I I think I thought the thought I can't go back in time how do I cope idk what to do I feel like a monster my OCD saying I use it as a excuse I feel I have to know idk what to do

nae nae

Date posted: 3d ago

@Anonymous You don't have to know. If OCD is telling you to figure it out, do the opposite and sit with the uncertainty. It won't be easy, but that's what's going to help you break out of whatever intrusive thought cycle you're trapped in right now. Nathan Peterson on YouTube has some really informative and helpful videos for each and every OCD theme. His channel helped me a lot when I first discovered I was dealing with OCD. Maybe it'll help you some, too.

Chococat

Date posted: 6d ago

You are definitely not alone in that! Sometimes when I'm not having an intrusive thought, my brain will purposefully put one there, maybe because it's so used to having them all the time? So I get why it can feel like on purpose. But your averse feelings to those thoughts are proof it's not who u are! Im not sure entirely why it happens but OCD attacks us with instrusive thoughts that are OPPOSITE to our beliefs But yeah, you are not a monster although it can FEEL that way. It's so easy to get attached to the belief we are bad because our thoughts seem that way. But we are not our thoughts ☺️ Remember who you are! You are strong and courageous!

Rayanswaid

Date posted: 5d ago

Hey, I just want to say — you are not a monster. You’re a human being dealing with one of the most vicious and misunderstood forms of OCD. And it’s doing exactly what it does best: twisting your thoughts, especially when you’re most vulnerable, and turning shame into a weapon. What you described? It’s actually really common among people with OCD, especially in themes like POCD, ROCD, SO-OCD, and others. Intrusive thoughts can feel like they were “intentional” — but that’s part of the trap. OCD loves to blur the line between thought and intent. Let me say it clearly: Having a thought — even during an intimate moment — doesn’t make you a bad person. Not reacting “perfectly” doesn’t make it intentional. And shifting your attention doesn’t mean you agreed with the thought. You’re not alone in this, even if OCD wants you to believe you are. And the fact that you’re horrified by the thoughts? That’s the clearest sign they’re ego-dystonic — meaning, they go against who you really are. I know it feels unbearable. But I promise you — there’s light on the other side of this tunnel. Keep holding on. You’re not disgusting — you’re just hurting. And if no one else says it: I believe you. I see you. You’re still good.

Anonymous

Date posted: 5d ago

Its always the same thoughts too it feels intentional idk what to do. I just think things man idk how to explain it.

Rayanswaid

Date posted: 5d ago

@Anonymous I hear you, truly. That feeling — like the thoughts are always there, like maybe you’re the one choosing them — that’s the trap. OCD is sneaky like that. It feels intentional because the brain is trying so hard to make sense of something that never made sense in the first place. But intention and obsession are not the same. You don’t have to explain it perfectly to be understood. You’re already making sense — in the way only someone who’s hurting but still fighting can. If no one else told you this today: I still believe you. You’re still good. And you’re not alone in this.

Anonymous

Date posted: 5d ago

@Rayanswaid Yeah it is hard to explain also like it makes me think I enjoy the thoughts too which I hate

Anonymous

Date posted: 5d ago

@Rayanswaid So basically what you're trying to say is I can't control what I think sometimes I'm just going to think things it just best to ignore them?

Rayanswaid

Date posted: 5d ago

@Anonymous Exactly. Sometimes the brain throws thoughts at us we didn’t choose — and trying to fight or understand every single one just makes them louder. It’s not about ignoring them as if they don’t exist, but more like… choosing not to give them power. You’re allowed to just let them pass without engaging.

Anonymous

Date posted: 5d ago

@Rayanswaid Even during intimate moments should I just let it go

Rayanswaid

Date posted: 5d ago

@Anonymous Yes, especially during intimate moments. OCD doesn’t care where you are — it’ll throw thoughts at you when you’re most vulnerable. But healing comes when you allow those thoughts to pass like background noise, without treating them like emergencies. You don’t have to wrestle with them or prove anything in that moment. Just stay present, and remember: the thought is not you. The more you give yourself permission to let it pass, the more power you take back.

Anonymous

Date posted: 5d ago

@Rayanswaid When I'm watching like videos or content for some reason now my thoughts are just telling me like oh you were seeking that or are you weren't focus on the video you were actually doing it to the thoughts and I just hate it man I don't know what to do

Anonymous

Date posted: 5d ago

@Rayanswaid My thoughts make me think I was actually engaging with the thoughts and not watching a intimate video

Anonymous

Date posted: 3d ago

@Rayanswaid Always during intimacy man cuz like we'll save us anytime I watch p*** or like I see an actress right my mind will just like look for like an association like say like oh the actress has curly hair just like your mom and it's like it's just like freaks me out man

I’m Batman

Date posted: 6d ago

Breathing is automatic until someone mentions it and then you start to manually do it because you are thinking about it. Our brains are kind of like toddlers running around tossing things on walls to see what sticks. It might toss 100 things out there but you only notice the intrusive ones. Let’s say you fear raccoons. Your brain tosses an image of a raccoon out there. Now it has your attention. You were not trying to think about raccoons but boom, intrusive raccoon. The kicker is , like a toddler, now that your brain has your attention, it will start looking for more raccoons. And now we go down a ocd fueled raccoon spiral. It’s still an intrusive raccoon , we did not ask it to be there. But because we have ocd , now it becomes rumination about an intrusive raccoon. That’s how I view it anyways. It’s still an intrusive thought even if I am thinking about it, cause I rather it not be there.

issphra 🫶🏻

Date posted: 19w ago

worried about intrusive thoughts during sex

Hi everyone, I wanted to reach out to see if anyone else has experienced something similar with OCD and intrusive thoughts. I’ve been struggling during moments of intimacy because intrusive thoughts, particularly ones related to POCD, feel so ‘sticky’—like they’re all I can picture. Even though I really want the thoughts to go away, they persist, and I’ve been trying not to avoid intimacy because of them. However, that makes me feel like I’m somehow ‘enjoying’ the thoughts or images, which I really dislike. It’s like my brain is playing this awful trick, and it’s leaving me feeling confused and gross. I guess I’m supposed to not let the thoughts bother me and continue as if nothing’s wrong, but I’m scared that by doing so, I’m almost training myself to get off to them or something. This fear makes it so hard to trust myself in those moments, and it’s been overwhelming. If anyone else has been through this, how do you handle it?

andrea_sam730

Date posted: 15w ago

Intrusive thoughts during self pleasuring :/

I’m really struggling with something related to me ocd, and I would appreciate kind and supportive advice. If you can’t relate or don’t think anything you have to say would be helpful, I kindly ask pls refrain from commenting this is a really sensitive topic for me. Recently, I’ve noticed a pattern that feels something extremely new and distressing. The first time it happened I remember telling myself before self pleasuring that I am in control no matter what thought comes into my mind because I wanted to prove to myself that these thoughts are just from OCD and I know who I am and an intrusive that came out of no where, and i suddenly felt an intense fear that I was acting on it. In the moment I genuinely felt like I did. And afterword, I panicked and started questioning myself. This SAME FEELING has happened three times in a row each time, the intrusive thought was unwanted and random, and completely against my morals most recently it involved pocd and it feels even worse because it generally felt like I acted on it the thought in the moment while I was self pleasuring the panic doesn’t hit until afterwards when I stop :/ I start thinking that maybe I generally made a mistake and I’m now just realizing that it’s wrong because it generally feels like that :( but when I actually think about it again goes against my morals and values doesn’t make sense it feels incredibly real, and I can’t seem to shake this feeling off that I may have acted on it I’m terrified because I never wanted these thoughts in the first place. And I definitely didn’t choose them. If I had known, I would’ve had these intrusive thoughts I wouldn’t have self pleasured in the first place but it’s extremely hard to convince myself that this may be OCD because I feel like I have no other reason to believe that I didn’t act on it :/

POCD

andrea_sam730

Date posted: 15w ago

Self pleasure and intrusive thoughts :/

I’m sharing this bc I need advice or even support from anyone who can relate. If you can’t relate and don’t think you’ll say anything helpful or kind pls don’t comment anything… I’ve been struggling with somethings that’s making me question myself. There has been moments while self pleasuring when I get intrusive thoughts, in those moments it feels like I’m enjoying or even self pleasuring myself bc of the thought. Right after I immediately have an anxiety attack and my HEART drops bc it feels terrible I feel like a disgusting monster :( ppl have told me I haven’t done a bad bc of how intense my guilt and panic are but I keep thinking that MAYBE I made a horrible decision in the moment and the guilt is just realising that it’s just wrong this doesn’t make sense to me because I’ve always told myself that I would never act on this in 1 million years and I’ve been known that these things are wrong so I’m just like constantly questioning myself these feelings and exact same situation has happened two times already I even promised myself that I wouldn’t act on anything beforehand and yeah, I still felt like I did act on my thought during my alone time I’m genuinely convinced that I’m a horrible and it’s even got into the point where I don’t wanna be here anymore and I don’t even think this is my OCD :( tbh

POCD

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Can intrusive thoughts be intentional thinking

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community