So whenever I'm tired or zoned out, I realize I tend to not process my intrusive thoughts nearly as quickly or as much as I'd like and whenever I get those types of thoughts, they're often accompanied with "pleasurable" feelings which worries me because these are intrusive thoughts! It feels like I genuinely just let the thoughts happen and I enjoyed it, I'm freaking out!
I understand that you’re experiencing this feeling of “pleasure.” What’s important to remember is that it doesn’t actually mean you enjoyed it. Thoughts and feelings come from the brain, and with OCD, the mind often tricks you into believing every thought or sensation is real and dangerous. But the truth is, your actions—not your thoughts or feelings—define who you are. To answer your question, you don’t need to stop the thoughts. Who told you that you must stop them? They are just thoughts—let them pass. Sometimes OCD makes us believe that if we feel a sexual sensation, it means we enjoyed something that goes against our values. But in reality, those are just false signals from the brain. They are tricks, not the truth. The more you fight the feeling, the stronger it gets. I’ve been through this myself. At first, I felt those sexual sensations and panicked. But when I practiced exposure and allowed the feelings to be there without resisting, over time, they faded. I realized they weren’t me—they were just OCD. It’s important to practice relaxation and not exhaust yourself with endless mental battles, because that only makes things worse. Try to live your life calmly and focus on recovery first. You can’t give your best at school or work if you’re completely drained. I learned this the hard way—I pushed myself for perfect grades in high school, but OCD only got worse. When I shifted my focus to treatment first, I actually achieved better results. So please, focus on therapy: exposure and response prevention (ERP), CBT, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with your therapist. Don’t try to suppress or control the thoughts, because that becomes another compulsion and keeps you stuck. And remember: those sexual sensations are just a sign of being “fused” with OCD. The faster you learn to step out of that fusion, the more you’ll prevent the problem from growing. Save your energy—you need it for healing. Exhaustion only feeds the OCD. Give yourself compassion, and in return, your mind will give you strength. ---
Thank you for your response, I truly appreciate it ❤️ I guess it's difficult when I see people rarely discussing these sorts of things like are we meant to be experiencing typical positive emotions? Why is it when I stop fighting said thoughts do I feel relieved, am I bad?
@Anonymous Your belief that you are “bad” is just OCD—it’s not reality. You are not doing anything wrong; these are just thoughts and feelings. It’s true that many people don’t talk about this, which can make it feel isolating. But you need to forgive yourself for these feelings, especially since guilt makes treatment harder. It’s well-known that when guilt combines with OCD, it intensifies the struggle. Remember, you don’t have to fight your thoughts or feelings—just let them be and focus on your treatment. Don’t let OCD trick you into thinking that because you feel a certain way, it means you are bad. That’s just a trick to make you feel guilty so the compulsions continue.
So, yesterday while I was laying in bed, I was relaxing when suddenly I had an intrusive thought about someone, but the thing is that it brought me a sense of enjoyment or calmness for a few seconds before it went away. Once it did, it was only until hours later when I realized what had happened and I began to freak out because I'm reading everywhere that when someone experiences this type of thing, the anxiety happens shortly after the enjoyment or "false" enjoyment. Can OCD do this?
I need advice for intrusive thoughts. I used to feel like I could handle them. They weren’t nearly as bad as the things that related to my actual life. But now, I’m suffering. I haven’t had a sexual experience in over a year that didn’t involve constant intrusive thoughts. Most are somehow related to kids and I keep chasing off the thoughts but it’s so bad. I know you’re supposed to ignore them but I don’t know how I can just ignore that and continue what I’m doing. But they’re coming on stronger. I had one earlier I could not get rid of just as things finished so the thought came on strongly just before my orgasm hit and now I feel absolutely disgusting. I hated the thought and I know it’s not me and it was not enjoyable but it still feels like I was getting off to it. I feel sick. I’m so fucking tired of these thoughts. They’re in my every day life too and it’s all the time. I just want it to stop but ignoring it feels so wrong. What should I do?
Is anyone else sort of desensitized by their intrusive thoughts? I still get slight discomfort, and I don't like them, but I think I've been becoming numb to them in a way? It might just be a mental drain. I've been having an anxiety spike due to them for a month now.
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