- Date posted
- 5y
- Date posted
- 5y
Er... "should"? Who on earth has the emotional capacity to be constantly offended or disgusted by something? Even having an initially strong reaction to something shocking or that you find disgusting doesn't last forever for literally anything if you're exposed to it all the time. Your body is literally built to feel, process and then move on from feelings, it's a physiological process. Do you still find a joke funny after hearing it 100 times? You might be fully aware it's a funny joke and that it made you laugh and maybe still does occasionally and that other people would find it funny etc etc. But do you actually have the same physical or emotional response you had the first time you heard it and laughed until your sides literally hurt? Similarly the happiness level of people in suddenly terrible life circumstances (amputees) and people who win the lottery have happiness levels which quickly go back to the set level that is completely normal for them before the thing happened (https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/meditation-modern-life/201709/your-set-point-happiness). There is no "should". The problem here isn't that there's something suspicious and psychological and twisty about this scenario. The scenario is completely normal. Your anxious interpretation of it is OCD, is the problem, and is what's making you miserable- as always, accepting that you feel (or don't feel) some kinda way without getting sucked into "what that could mean" is the answer. Treat this with ERP by exposing yourself to the worry and the idea that I'm wrong, and then preventing all these analysing and ruminating mental compulsions even though it makes you feel unsafe to not dwell on it. As you do ERP for this worry, the theme it's about and all the other branches of it, hopefully you'll have an easier time taking on board this principle that you can't control emotional responses, only behaviours, and that emotional responses are a reflection of normal physiological process, not of beliefs or some kind of inherent morality, and that you don't have to feel what you have decided are perfectly "appropriate" responses to stimuli 24/7 in order to be considered an acceptable person.
- Date posted
- 5y
I feel so bad cause Im so numb. I was thinking of my son and a thought just popped in my head that said "I want him dead" and idk if Im emotionally exhausted that Ive had numerous panic attacks all week but I didn't have the reaction to it I normally do. I had a much smaller amount of anxiety but now Im concerned that it may be true. I don't understand what is going on. I feel like I can't even look at my son in the face. He is not with me right now, he is with dad in another state. I wanna be with my son but my ocd makes me believe I wanna hurt him. I know I don't.
- Date posted
- 5y
Thank you so much
- Date posted
- 5y
I think part of that might be because you are so used to having intrusive thoughts that they are not as surprising anymore. They don’t catch you off guard anymore, they just induce anxiety because you know they always do.
- Date posted
- 5y
I know, but its scary. Its scary to have them and its scary to not react to them as much. Ive had panic attacks all week, idk if Im just exhausted and that's why I don't have such a strong reaction or if I actually do like the thoughts.
- Date posted
- 5y
I can relate, I need answers on this too
Related posts
- Date posted
- 20w
Does anyone else’s OCD convince them that bad thoughts are not actually that bad…. Like I know they are so why do I feel like they arent😭😭
- Date posted
- 20w
(Trigger warning) So recently I’ve caught myself being more content with these thoughts…and due to the fact of me not freaking out is making me freak out because I also have this weird little birdy in my thoughts that just say “do it” I’m not sure if I’m the only one and I’m ofc scared of that but please tell me this is normal…I can’t even cuddle my boyfriend or anything right now.
- Date posted
- 12w
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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