So sorry if this is a trigger but does anyone feel the need to have to know why a murderer killed someone? One of my thoughts is that I’ll become an unexpected murderer (or that I already am one I just haven’t done it yet) and hurt people I love. The guy in the US who has just been sentenced for killing his wife and little girls and I’m desperate to find out why he did it. I know there can be many reasons, but I’m really struggling to understand how something can lead you to do that and I’m so worried that that could happen to me, and something could trigger me to do something awful. :( what Would you guys do in these situations?

I can’t fathom why they would do heinous acts. Then I wonder why they don’t go after animal abusers. Then I picture myself as the victims. How scared they might have been. If you were a murderer in making, you wouldn’t feel awful about your thoughts.

Yes that’s what helps me because I do feel awful about them, but then sometimes I don’t feel ‘as awful’ so am like oh well I must be a bad person because I’m not feeling bad about these thoughts. Or if you feel slight emphatic toward a violent person but who has had a traumatic upbringing for example - which makes me then feel like I’m agreeing with them :(

Ugh that case in Colorado really has me hooked. I want to know why he did it too! It didn’t trigger me I’m just very curious about it. I think the simple answer is killers have no conscience. I’m Not offering reassurance but you obviously have a conscience if you’re so worried about it. I’ve had harm OCD myself and I got over it. Now I’m addicted to crime documentaries.

It’s also to important to remember that many times killers do have a conscience, they are just psychologically damaged and very lost, broken people. This is many times the reason why they do what they do

I just mean psychopaths generally do not have a conscience because they may lack empathy.

Also some lack guilt.

I feel the same way :(

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy would say “I may never know why this person killed the other. I am going to have to learn to live with the uncertainty”

The bottom line that you have to try and accept is that not every killer is a psychopath, psychotic, delusional etc. the fact that you don’t want to commit these acts and do not have plans to is all you need to know to convince yourself it is indeed OCD. From there you can try and resist the compulsion to find a motive and face the anxiety head on

>gets Vietnam flashbacks to when my Charles Manson obsession was messing with me >be literally consumed with anxiety for years yet for two tried to justify as an autistic special interest >thanks to parents it finally clicked that it was a problem and still working on it >*insert Zap Brannigan voice* “Ah yes, True Crime and OCD. A deadly combination...”

I have harm ocd and used to do this a lot when I was in the worst of it. It is a compulsion to try and make yourself feel better by convincing yourself you’re not like these people. Try your best to resist doing this. It can end up backfiring and make things worse. Sometimes there simply is no explanation that makes sense, and you will tear yourself apart trying to figure out a motive.

Exactly what Francis said! That’s the point I’ve been trying to get across. Thank you! Lol