I have bad OCD pertaining to sexual intrusive thoughts in many sub categories. But the thing is is I am just a regular straight male. Nothing more nothing less. I hate these thoughts and they dominate my life 24/7 and everything is a trigger.... Everything everything. Seriously, literally everything. Whenever I get "triggered" (I hate that word) my heart skips a beat and I freak out and mentally start spiraling out of control with a single episode that can last anwhere from minutes to literal months of 24/7 hell. I'm not triggered by seeing, hearing, or the touch of women as I actually like them and view that as normal healthy behavior. But the other stuff, nope. Don't like it. Never have and never will. And its literally because my brain says "don't think that" so it then in turn says some very very gross, scary, and undesirable thinga then my body gets triggered. Then that "Dont think that" turns into "Dont look, dont stare gross!!!" And other stuff along those lines. And soon everything gets me. But I know who I am and I'm not these things and dont like this stuff!!! At all! Nope! Never!! I go to therapy, practiced mindfulness, etc which honestly makes stuff worse because I dont want to let these thoughts flow and "not judge them". I understand the concept of the more you fight and resist thoughts the more the recur, but I'm also NOT okay with being okay with those thoughts. And I hate when people tell me that crap. Its not a matter of me not wanting to freak out, these are gross thoughts and considering they're sexual thoughts, I'm not okay with them and I dont want to be okay with them. Everything and everybody except women are a trigger and I DO NOT like this. These are not my desires or fantasies or wants. These thoughts are gross and bad and even if they weren't considered bad to some, they still are me. I just want to get out of this hell and become the real me again that doesnt think this garbage at all and doesnt freak out and label myself bad and gross things due to the fact that I have thought them... even though I am not those things! Then I can't get out of this unhealthy cycle and it is deterioating my personality, self esteem, and makes me question everything that I dont actually have to question or wonder about because Im already secure about it and know the answer. Then everything in every part of life and my head gets fucked up along with the other OCD topics and I literally feel panicky, crazy, and psychotic just stirring up new fucked up things to freak out on usually but not having some relation to the above topic. I just want to be me again! The real me. The confident, noncrazy feeling, funny, social, nondepressed, non crippled by anxiety, masculine, honest, hard working, not perverted, and well I still am straight like always but not think these gross thoughts anymore. I just want to live my life, be happy, be a good person without having to think about it, have good friends, good women, make good music, have a good career, be close to God, and die peacefully and happily. That's all I want! So that leads to my question: Healthy or unhealthy, advised to do by professionals or not, how do you handle unexpected visual, audible, and mental triggers when it comes to sexually instrusive thoughts and topics? And what effectiveness does it have on you and how long do those effects last?

Mike1234

Date posted: 5y

It doesn’t matter what type of intrusive thoughts you have or what topic they entail, sexual or otherwise. Your brain is generating these thoughts and it’s your responsibility to sort and filter them out. There is no miracle cure. You have to figure out which techniques you want to use from your “own” ocd toolbox ? that you have built from knowledge, skills, information and techniques from other successful people who have ocd.

Jaye

Date posted: 5y

Yes I know. Ive worked at this every day. Thebwhole point of me making this post is to see how others cope because Im still "figuring" that out. I never said it wasn't on me??

Mike1234

Date posted: 5y

@Jaye My bad, I thought you were resisting letting these thoughts just flow right on by...

Carl Cornett

Date posted: 5y

Well, you already stated that the known treatments you reject and don’t want to engage with. So you’ve answered your own question. I don’t mean that to be harsh, but there’s well-established science behind concepts like mindfulness, ERP, ACT and medication therapies. If you don’t want to engage with those methods of treatment, there’s not much anyone can do.

Jaye

Date posted: 5y

I still engage with those treatments. I said it makes it worse. Thats why I asked what others do to help

Carl Cornett

Date posted: 5y

@Jaye Based on your statement above, you’re not engaging with those therapies. Resisting and trying to stop the thoughts is a compulsion, that compulsion feeds your obsession. Mindfulness and ERP teach you to have a different response to the thoughts, which in turn allows you to live a more full life. It just so happens that more often than not, when we don’t respond to the thoughts with distress they tend to appear less often in the mind.

Carl Cornett

Date posted: 5y

@Jaye Well, sure, but even if that’s the case in your particular situation—and I’m doubtful it is—-then you would still need to explore other options with a professional. No one here is going to be qualified to give you an answer about next steps.

Mike1234

Date posted: 5y

To handle unexpected intrusive thoughts that present as (visual,audible,mental) you must be aware that they are occurring and immediately employ counter measures like to prevent them from getting out of control. Techniques like telling yourself it’s just my ocd again and I’ll ignore it etc...

Mike1234

Date posted: 5y

Not ruminating or obsessing over the thoughts. Not doubting that they are just fragmented thoughts. Not blaming yourself for these thoughts.

js94

Date posted: 5y

Thats all i want to my friend it sounds so simple but is so hard to accomplish with these intrusive thoughts. What r the thoughts u r referring to, hocd ?

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