Is it normal that my intrusive thoughts latch onto my brother even when im not around him? Different intrusive thoughts about him loop in my head no matter where and when, even in my sleep.
Hi friend! ^-^ “Normal” is sort of a wiggly term, isn’t it? Are intrusive thoughts normal? Aha, well, no. Is it normal within known goings-on of OCD for intrusive thoughts to latch onto people, objects, places, or situations that are important to you? Well, yes, I think! I like to think of my own OCD as an an antagonist little goblin child that tries to use intrusive thoughts to wreck my nice things! Some of my nice things include the relationships that are important to me, which include my own siblings… and lo and behold my brain sometimes decides to assualt me with intrusive thoughts that if I’m not careful can make me doubt the integrity of my most important relationships. Unfortunately, I’d say it is fairly normal for those afflicted with OCD to have their intrusive thoughts revolve around what is most important/relevant to them. As for what causes that, I’m not really entirely sure! There is likely still more research to be done before a more definitive answer can be provided. This is just conjecture on my part, but I wonder if it is because OCD themes often revolve around feared outcomes, maybe intrusive thoughts tend to latch onto things like family members because most humans tend to be afraid of losing the relationships that are important to them, of which those are often familial relationships. I mean, fear in itself isn’t inherently a bad thing, though. I mean, being afraid for my family members is probably what encourages me to better protect them from actual, real threats! Anxiety is our friend, in that case. The problem arises when fear/anxiety is simply too good at its job, haha. For us over here in this corner of cyberspace this takes the form of OCD, wich very much involves those near constant (or at least percieved as near constant) streams of anxiety-provoking thoughts that come seemingly out of nowhere and against our will (i.e., intrusive thoughts). It can definitely suck sometimes, but I would say yes, that suckiness is pretty part and parcel for OCD. Luckily we have very well-developed tools like Exposure and Response prevention therapy to make these sorts of experiences easier!
Its been even scarier because recently I dont have anxiety despite how bad my thoughts are, which makes me feel like ive been in denial this whole time. I used to panic and cry. Now I feel like ive uncovered this horrible truth that im lying to myself about. Especially bc my thoughts dont feel random. Like theyre all I think about. And when im not i remind myself of thoughts ive had. Which turns into more.
@ran_0fff - Ohhh yes intrusive thoughts are often random but they almost never FEEL random! With my own grapplings with intrusive thoughts it is often tempting for me to say something along the lines of, "well, if it were any other thought in any other situation I would just disregard these thoughts but this thought is one which I actually should be worried about" or "I would take any other intrusive thought over this but this one I really just can't handle and have to do something to make it go away" but if you're here in the community posts for NOCD you've likely tried to do something in the past to make these uncomfortable experiences go away, and maybe they did go away for you! …but for a short bit… and then they came back, or took a new form… and then you feel the need to do the compulsions again, which make the discomfort go away temporarily, and then it comes back again, and then you might feel the urge to do compulsions again… and you can see how this vicious cycle forms that consume so much of your time and your energy! While we cannot yet force intrusive thoughts to go away, what we can do is choose to keep feeding a fire or choose to stop feeding fire. Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy and other forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for OCD are very good at giving you the tools to stop feeding those intrusive thoughts by giving in to the compulsive urges to perform some kind of mental or behavioral act to make the discomfort from the intrusive thoughts go away, because that… doesn't make them go away, ultimately, and just leaves you exhausted from doing the compulsions. It is not an experience I really have, but I have heard from other people with OCD, especially OCD themes around relationships, that a common but stealthy way intrusive thoughts might get you to start doing compulsions is to flood your brain with the thought that since you are not feeling anxious about your loved one then you must not care about them, and that is bad and you should fix that, or something along those lines… but the reality is that that is not true! If I were to take a guess: maybe what you are experiencing now is something not unlike that? Maybe you have been resisting some kind of urge to do a compulsion to mitigate some feeling of guilt concerning your family members or other people who are important to you, and in resisting that urge the anxiety from the intrusive thoughts may have actually levelled off! But then your intrusive thoughts might have taken a new form to try to get you to resume doing compulsions; maybe the intrusive thoughts now are attempting to make you feel guilty or anxious about not feeling guilty or anxious about the thoughts you are having — or the thoughts you had in the past — which may have themselves also been intrusive thoughts? I don't know! Just a thought from me. I could be completely wrong. But bottom-line, whatever is happening right now… take my energy! I believe that you can get through this! I think the fact that you are even reaching out for help with your experiences is a sign that you are getting stronger in this area and are well on your way to conquering OCD! I believe in you! Ah, I have to go now! But it was a pleasure chatting with you. I wish for peaceful days ahead for you! ^-^
Nothing is normal with OCD and yet everything is normal. It’s unpredictable like that, because it’s based on random thoughts.
Im more so asking why does it latch onto specific people and topics?
@ran_0fff He's your family that's probably why, there's meaning behind him
@YouWillSurvive I would say though, it’s not necessarily very helpful to try and go looking for meaning in intrusive thoughts, what matters is the cycle and breaking that cycle.
@YouWillSurvive You're probably right, but it's weird how it doesn't latch onto everyone.
@ran_0fff There can be a multitude of reasons, none of which are particularly important. Sit with the discomfort.
@Brad1991 Its important because it would mean im a completely different person than I thought.
@ran_0fff Or it could mean you’re just someone with OCD, a big part of which is worrying that our random thoughts are far more meaningful than they actually are.
@Brad1991 Maybe thats true. But mine dont feel random, they're constant.
That’s what OCD is, a random thought that your brain thinks is important, so it keeps giving you the thought.
But mine arent the exact same thiught on loop. Its multiple different thoughts around the same topic or person
@ran_0fff Again this is quite normal with OCD.
@Brad1991 I just feel like an exception or that im using it as an excuse.
Yep, totally normal. OCD latch is on to anybody in your life. Totally normal.
I dont feel normal at all.
Does it happen to you that when a person is specific in your ocd thoughts (my sister is my sister), that everything about her is a trigger for you when you see her? And the way he moves, talks, eyes, you suddenly sexualize everything, or is it just me? it really bothers me, because I constantly feel my groin, so I wonder if it's really OCD, or if it's something in me...
does anyone else constantly suffer from intrusive thoughts? it makes my head ache & i can barely think straight.
Is there something wrong with me if I’m not disgusted by my intrusive thoughts anymore like the disgust feeling has been gone for months now and why are my thoughts feel like they’re literally so close happening inside my brain why can I lowkey physically feel the images of that makes sense,Why do I get adrenaline why do I get a weird tingle my lips sometimes make an awkward like position when I get the thoughts it’s like I’m having a glitch idek which thought is intentional which one is intrusive but there bad thoughts and I don’t want them to be the truth about me but I literally cannot get myself to just feel relaxed even if they’re present like I actually get genuine headaches and feel uneasy for hours after having intrusive thoughts and I hate how it’s always the same kinda thoughts and sensations feelings etc around those thoughts out of nowhere when I’m just chilling they come in before when I had it is be like okay ew weird thought now I’m like what if I actually like this and I’m in denial uGHHH HATE MY BRAIN
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