So yesterday my therapist asked me if I identify my thoughts revolving around my ocd theme as ocd thoughts or just regular thoughts. I told her most of the time I see them as ocd thoughts but when I’m spiraling bad sometimes I can’t help but fear they are real. Anyone else experience this? Honestly for the last day I’ve been scared whether she was actually asking if my thoughts are a reflection of my actual self and my desires or if they are ocd. Like she herself was unsure. Can anyone relate?

Dianaaa

Date posted: 5y

I am not sure your therapist has dealt with many ocd clients in the past. Keep that in mind. Also, identifying thoughts as "just ocd thoughts, dont worry" is a form of reassurance. If we keep thinking the disturbing thought is the problem, we can never recover. We must go beyond the thought, and realize ocd is using an intense emotion or sensation (guilt, disgust, pain, panic, etc) to keep us captive in the ocd cycle. But we can learn to sit with the anxiety, to realize we can handle it, and that an emotion, no matter how painful, is just an emotion. That is what helped me recover, we are all with you and beside you in this journey

wegotthis

Date posted: 5y

She specializes in ocd and it did cross my mind that she seemed to be diving into the thoughts to refrain from giving me reassurance. Granted she didn’t try and figure out why I had the particular thoughts. Idk I know anxiety is part of the process but like i said I couldn’t help by be freaked out about it.

wegotthis

Date posted: 5y

@wegotthis Thank you though I really appreciate that ❤️

Dianaaa

Date posted: 5y

@wegotthis Of course, I understand. Anxiety feels very uncomfortable. But if we can accept our thoughts and stay with our anxiety, and realize we can handle it, life can get a lot easier :)

wegotthis

Date posted: 5y

@Dianaaa I’m trying trust me, but it’s a working progress. I’m sure it’s that way for everyone, gonna just take it day by day

Dianaaa

Date posted: 5y

@wegotthis oh of course its a working progress. Its very very very hard and took me a decade. But it still is true for all cases of ocd, just trying to help

Mike1234

Date posted: 5y

I’m not a therapist but she might be asking you questions to identify the ocd. This is what Dr. McGrath mentions in his book. It’s a great source of information on ocd and I recommend everyone download it (Amazon 9.99) to learn more. Excerpt: Something escalates to the realm of an obsession when it is intrusive and inappropriate, and a random thought typically does not reach that level. Further, people with OCD typically attempt to somehow neutralize an obsession, whereas individuals who experience a random thought just try to get rid of it and typically think nothing of it beyond it being a thought. Individuals with OCD give more credence to their thoughts than do people without OCD—believing that having had that thought makes them a bad person or that now that they have had that thought, it is likely to come true. THE OCD ANSWER BOOK Professional Answers to More Than 250 Top Questions about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder PATRICK B. MCGRATH, PHD

wegotthis

Date posted: 5y

This was very helpful, thank you so much for the information! I’ll have to maybe get the book

Mike1234

Date posted: 5y

You should download the ebook it’s the price of two fancy Starbucks $9.99 or grab a paper copy. I downloaded last Wednesday after his webinar and have enjoyed reading out of it everyday since. It’s an eye opener. I hope someday he writes: “The Emergency Handbook on OCD” a quick reference guide for ocd patients that helps them when they are in crisis and deep despair.

wegotthis

Date posted: 5y

that would be an amazing book lol. Thank you though, I have a few books on ocd and they are some of my most helpful resources

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