- Username
- cwllms
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I've struggled with this before. Ask yourself if what you're doing is in response to anxiety and your obsession, and if you're doing it in order to feel relief from your anxiety. The compulsion that was so difficult for me to notice was ruminating and over analyzing. I had just thought that it was part of my obsession, but I realized I was taking part in it as a compulsion and how unhelpful it is. I would try to think my way out of my obsession. Repitive googling sounds like a compulsion (I've done this one before too) but I don't think it matters if it's classified as pure or physical. If it's a compulsion, it's a compulsion and trying to resist it while doing exposures can be helpful.
I totally relate to this!
ahhh thank you so much
think of not doing what you think may be a compulsion. if just bu thinking of not doing it causes you distress/anxiety then it's a compulsion. also anything that makes you question whether it's ocd or not just treat it as OCD
I’ve had a hard time with this too. I think a good way to realize if what your doing is a compulsion is if your thoughts or actions are purposely being done to reduce anxiety OR to help find certainty. A lot of my compulsions aren’t done to know my fear isn’t real but instead to be certain that my fear is or isn’t real. Compulsions aren’t only done to make you feel better but just to find KNOW whether something is real or not. So instead of constantly trying to find answers or make the thought go away try to let yourself think and feel whatever your body happens to experience and leave it at that without intentionally pushing the envelope even more.
ah this is really helpful to me! i think most of my compulsions are more to find certainty than to abate anxiety if you get me? like i google and i ruminate and i seek reassurance when i’m doubting that i have ocd at all (which is irritatingly regular) i’m currently between therapists and struggling without that concrete pillar aha
@cwllms I’m the same way and totally get it. I actually posted something similar on here a little while ago looking for the difference between an obsession and mental compulsion and someone responded saying obsessions create anxiety and compulsions decrease them and I just didn’t know if that was always the case. The next day I actually watched a YouTube video with Chrissy Hodgens and John Hershfield (both of whom I abosloutly love) and he explained that sometimes compulsions are used to find certainty and not just to make us feel better. It was a huge Aha moment for me. If you suffer from pure o I highly recommend checking Chrissy hodgens out, she really gets it. https://youtu.be/yWjb6O0OmLA here’s a link to that video I mentioned, you may find it really useful!
If you ever feel like I need to do xyz to prevent abc from becoming true, It’s usually a compulsion.
what are some of your mental compulsions? I have relationship OCD but I can’t think of many compulsions I have, so does that mean I have pure O?
So I have intrusive thoughts that drive me nuts. BUT. I don’t know if I have compulsions! I don’t have to touch things a certain amount of times. I don’t do a ritual really. I just inside my head freak out. Is this OCD? I read about OCD, and it’s all about doing repetitive things but all of mine is inside my head. It’s making me believe I have something else wrong with me and it’s scary as hell! It’s convincing me I am a narcissist or sociopath but what’s weird is I deeply care about people in real life and I’m actually a people pleaser? I really just have a hard time understanding why I have dark intrusive thoughts based on my personality and how I interact with others. It feels like hell and since I’m not doing rituals or visible compulsions, my OCD (if I have it) is now convincing me “what if” I don’t have OCD. I do ruminate and I’m obsess over the thoughts and want to know “why”. Is that in itself a compulsion? The actual rumination? I guess this type of OCD is never talked about in movies/books so it makes me feel ALL ALONE.
What are some examples of mental compulsions and how can you identify them in yourself? I am struggling with what counts as a mental compulsion since it’s not as black and white as a physical one.
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond