- Date posted
- 5y
- Date posted
- 5y
Yes this is ocd. It's called pure o which is obsessional thinking. The rituals you do may not be outward but in your thinking such as trying to figure it out over and over and other types of ruminations. Best to try not to stop the thoughts but let them pass through your head or distract yourself. Research it and good luck to you.
- Date posted
- 5y
Why aren’t the obsessions based on fear? They pop up so randomly and then the anxiety comes when I try to ignore them
- Date posted
- 5y
@Derby I'm not a psychologist but someone who suffers with ocd predominately obsessional thoughts and compulsions. I believe this is part of your OCD because it is definitely a compulsion and something you can't shake you also have anxiety associated with the behavior even though the thought itself doesn't seem fear based I believe the same part of the brain is responsible for both. I recommend looking at a book called change your brain change your life by dr amen it talks about this. You can get it at the library.
- Date posted
- 5y
well that sounds like a compulsion without the obsession, i’m a bit confused too
- Date posted
- 5y
I get this too. I’m not sure? Maybe it’s a coping mechanism or something?
- Date posted
- 5y
Are you not that strongly bothered by other obsessions at the moment? Because sometimes when you are bored your OCD can tag onto pointless things? Also your mind is used to being in an anxious state due to ocd so it is just looking for something to play on and make you anxious, even though it doesn’t make you anxious in reality. Sometimes it can just be that you are anxious about being anxious? Sorry if that’s confusing lol. But I’ve noticed with my OCD worrying about worrying tends to actually become a little theme in itself :)
- Date posted
- 5y
I’m diagnosed with OCD and I think that I would fall into the category of Pure O with some outward compulsions related to contamination OCD and just right OCD, along with some reassurance seeking and like buying things. My obsessions pretty much cover every theme in the book and change constantly. I don’t really understand these obsessions that aren’t really based out of fear but lead to anxiety if I don’t act on them as a compulsion? Does that make any sense? Like earlier this year I couldn’t focus at all in school because I couldn’t stop looking at puppies on petfinder??? What’s the fear? Why can’t I stop thinking about stupid things like puppies and tiny sandwiches? Is it maybe a type of compulsion to try to make myself happy or distract myself or make my life better?? I feel like I’ll never get better because my OCD is all over the place.
- Date posted
- 5y
Some things that help me with my OCD Is doing regular exercise getting a lot of sleep And doing things that calm the nervous system everyday like yoga qigong deep breathing exercises and meditation. Also when I recognize that I'm in a loop and I'm actually in an OCD pattern where my thoughts are stuck when I'm able to recognize that then I canStop the focusing or hyperfocusing And I can distract myself I can do breathing exercises I can do stuff like that Or watch tv. I have read a lot of books And I found them very helpful so I think it would be good for you to research and find what works for you. Also grounding exercises can be very helpful like just being in the moment. you can look that up to. Stop the focusing or hyper focusing and I can distract myself I can do breathing exercises I can do stuff like that. I have read a lot of books And I found them very helpful so I think it would be good for you To research and see what works best for you. Its slot of work and is overwhelming at time but little by little you can make progress. Just stay committed to the work and for me I also lean on jesus. You can get better just do one small thing at a time and it will add up.
- Date posted
- 5y
Yeah, I totally understand that, and I can kind of relate. Although it isn’t associated with a typical OCD-related fear (something bad might happen if I don’t do X), it could be considered FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. Although that is not a technical medical term, I think its a reasonable explanation. Like for example, if my husband and I are out shopping and he touches something specific and comments on how it feels, then I HAVE to touch it because I want to know what it feels like and don’t want to miss out on that experience. Also, when it comes to a variety pack of cookies or candies or whatever, I am obsessed with wanting to try all of them, and if we are in a social situation where that would not be acceptable, then I get anxiety about which one I should pick, which is a combination of FOMO and FOBO: Fear of better options (again, not a technical medical term). I’m afraid that there might be a better option and that I will miss out on experiencing all of those other options if I can only pick one. Many “normal” people can suffer from FOMO and/or FOBO, BUT with people with OCD, it is often much more extreme in a way that hijacks their life: it takes FOREVER to make a decision, and then even after the situation has passed, we can’t stop obsessing about our decision, and if that opportunity is still available once you get to the point that you can’t stand the obsessing and must make it stop, then you give into the compulsion. For example, someone brought a variety box of donuts into work, and they all look so tasty, and if it was socially acceptable, I would take a bite out of each of the flavors, but since it’s not, and it would be inconsiderate to take more than 1 donut, I have to make a decision, which takes ridiculously long, but eventually I pick one, and even if I enjoy it, I can’t stop thinking about what the other flavors will taste like. After a few hours of being tortured by my obsessive thoughts, I go to the break room to see if there are any donuts left, and if there are, then of course I have to try another one, even though I know it isn’t healthy to give into my obsessions or eat a second donut. My OCD manifests in many other ways as well, such as perfectionism, contamination, and sometimes checking and numbers, so I think extreme FOBO and FOMO are likely to be experienced by people with OCD, but I’m not sure if someone who ONLY has EXTREME FOMO or FOBO would be classified as having OCD or not.
Related posts
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 21w
Not sure if this is OCD or ADHD or both, but sometimes I get really stuck on a topic to the point that it's obsessive and somewhat debilitating but still fun. Does anyone else get caught up on random topics (in a slightly unhealthy way)? This part of my mental health issues is one I don't mind as it has contributed a lot of joy to me through different fandoms and groups in my life. Just curious what obsessions (positive) you guys have and if you consider it a blessing, a curse or a blerse lol
- Date posted
- 20w
Lately I have been engaging is a very vicious mental cycle of not being as productive as I wanted to at work, worrying my boss with notice and get mad at me or fire me, and then feeling like I have to “figure out” how to “fix myself” and be more productive. I come up with detailed elaborate plans and lists for everything I need to do and fix to be a good person. I have a lot of negative thoughts that are very distressing to me and basically I am a horrible person if I don’t “fix myself” via making these plans. For me, oddly, it’s not about doing the things, it’s about making the list. I do research on how to be more productive and have this need to make the perfect plan that will solve my problems. And then once I make the list I feel better (temporarily, of course). All of the mental energy put into the researching and planning is so draining that it begins to negatively impact my work… and the cycle continues!!! I feel like this is not a “normal” obsession or intrusive thought that people with OCD have, so I guess I am trying to figure out if it could be OCD? This is a very consistent thing I have been experiencing since probably around 8th grade?? So 5+ years now. It’s always the never feeling like I’m good enough and then the compulsory planning until I felt like I had a good enough plan to fix myself. Thanks in advance!! Disclaimer: I have not been diagnosed with OCD but I suspect I have OCD/Pure O or OCPD and many people in my life agree. Obviously this is not my only reason for thinking I have OCD lol
- Date posted
- 18w
Hi! It’s pretty difficult for me to get the courage to post this but I’m really struggling to figure out if what I’m experiencing is OCD or Anxiety or neither. I think I have the “pure O” type of OCD where most of my compulsions take the form of ruminating and trying to figure out something all in my head. When I hear this talked about in forums or online the intrusive thoughts don’t really match mine- I worry often about things that seem more “grounded” if that makes sense. A common one for me is my own identity- i will spend long amounts of time stuck in my head trying to figure out my feelings (often sadness or other real emotions I have and patterns I have) and why I feel that way and what in my life caused that and how it’s impacting other things in my life. I also think often about which parts of my personality are the real me and which aren’t. Sometimes this takes the form of strictly ruminating and sometimes I have fake conversations with people I know. It’s intense and I feel I have to figure it out but with no specific intrusive thought that says something like “you have to figure this out or all of your loved ones will die” but it’s very intense. I think also often of all of the decisions I need to make in the future and how they’re going to affect those I love and care about as well as how much I’ll regret them. I imagine all of the ways I think my actions will emotionally hurt others and how to make the least harmful decision, but to me this feels like a valid concern but go over and over and never come to a conclusion. I often just get scared and never make any move because I don’t see an option that doesn’t hurt someone somehow. But again I’m having a hard time identifying the intrusive thought behind it. But I also don’t choose to think about these things most of the time. This is almost all decisions but especially big life decisions. It’s such a struggle because they are things I eventually do have to make decisions about. There is so much more to it that would take too long to explain but in general a lot of my fears revolve around pleasing others/ understanding others emotions to ensure they’re okay, my own identity and personality, and work/school performance. Someone mentioned OCD to me because in my head it feels like I have to solve these things and will go over and over them but I seriously can’t figure out if it’s anxiety, OCD, or none of the above. It’s all very disruptive to my life. I am never not thinking or not trying to figure something out and I feel as if I have no control over it Anyone have any insight?
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