- Date posted
- 6y ago
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Yes. Because you’re reassuring your obsession, resulting in a temporary relief, therefore it is a compulsion. A huge misconception about OCD is that a compulsion is always physical (counting, checking, cleaning, etc.) but it can also be a mental or emotional compulsion. I struggle from a reassurance compulsion and i think that what you’re describing is quite similar. To defend the other side, there is a possibility that recognizing and obsession could be a form of therapy and reduce the anxiety that comes with an obsession. I think it depends on how often you’re using the phrase “it’s an OCD thought...” because that could be what defines whether it’s a compulsion or some sort of overcoming the disorder! Hope that helped!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
My pleasure! My reassurance thoughts are after an intrusive thought has passed. I have POCD and i recently just started getting these awful thoughts, and I also have some other types of ocd. Anyways, I work with children as I have for quite some time, it’s such a fun job and I truly enjoy it! But, the POCD has been recently attacking me, and it always tells me that I have hurt either an adult or child (mentally physically) for example if I accidentally touch a child it will say I have molested them or something to that affect... its very harmful and has made me want to quit my career in education. The intrusive thoughts tell me I’m an awful person and then my reassurance thoughts tell me I’d never hurt anyone let alone a child. They help temporarily but after every reassurance compulsion comes severe anxiety that always uses the “what if” statement. It’s like a toxic pattern, i have an awful obsession, try to combat it with a compulsion, then end up in a deeper, darker hole. OCD sucks. And I think reassurance compulsions are deceptive, as they seem useful in the moment, but afterwards they make you feel even worse. Reassurance compulsions are perceived as a way to help recognize ocd but I think (depending on the person) it can harm more than help. Thanks for reading all this. And we will fight against OCD.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Nafisa thank you so much! I will definitely try that technique
- Date posted
- 6y ago
But my ocd thoughts are never true. They never are, so it’s not a doubt that’s literally the truth....
- Date posted
- 6y ago
You know @nafisa? I’m just wanting a second opinion, all thoughts welcome ?
- Date posted
- 6y ago
What are your reassurance thoughts after your intrusive thoughts?
- Date posted
- 6y ago
That’s great insight Nafisa. It’s just hard to not use the actual real truth to help my ocd. I would never do any of my ocd thoughts but they tell me I would and they are always so wrong and never true...it’s complicated ?
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Diana, I know it’s impossible! And thank you for the comments! But the OCD just makes me believe it so much, that for some reason the reassurance element makes it worse. For example, it will tell me oh you’ve hurt this child and I’ll say “it was by accident.” And then the thoughts will go into “but what if it wasn’t” and then I will literally sit there for hours over analyzing it and overthinking. I think to some degree you’re completely correct. I just think it matters on the person. I think that if you recognize them as intrusive thoughts and it reduces anxiety for a long period then that’s awesome! But for me, personally, recognizing them makes my anxiety 100000x worse!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
@nafisa I don’t have POCD but harm ocd so yeah it’s different than the contamination and checking ones bc my thoughts are just so false but I believe them no matter how wrong they are. It’s so hard! Thank you for responding, I guess this was why it wasn’t really getting gone it was just getting better slowly, bc it was a compulsion even though it’s truth I’m using as a compulsion!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Diana, I’m sorry you’re going through this as well! I saw from your previous comment son this post you’re going through harm ocd, and I understand I also struggle with it. It sucks. And you seem so genuine and sweet, and just from briefly talking with you, I have no doubt in my mind you’d hurt a soul. I think people with OCD, sadly are the most gentle, cautious, and caring people. We fixate so much, that we have to be extremely cautious. This is one of the worst mental health disorders out there. You deserve better Diana! And I promise you with the support of myself and others we can all get through this awful disorder.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Diana I think we’d be friends too! And I didn’t know that, but it really does help, kind of like a security blanket! I really hope we get over this disorder and end up like those people, symptom free! We all deserve it! And thank you it’s very difficult, but I’m trying my hardest! You’re an inspiration Diana and thank you for all you’re intelligent insight, and kind words! I believe in you! And if you ever need anything let me know!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
@bellarose Thank you! So in essence, it is in reality the truth, ocd thoughts are never true or reflective of your actual personhood. They are never true. But using that truth as a reassurance is misusing the truth?
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Thank you for typing that bellarose. But I mean, it is impossible that you are a child molester or molested a child, like your intrusive thoughts are completely wrong so isn’t it the truth to tell yourself that all thoughts relating to your ocd aren’t real??
- Date posted
- 6y ago
@Bellarose I’m so sorry you are dealing with this, we are such good people and worry about such terrible things it sucks!!! That helps. So my thoughts are always not true as in they are only trying o scare me to get me to believe them, but using this fact as a compulsion will not help.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
You deserve better too! Thank you, I have no doubt we would be friends if we knew eachother - we could vent so much haha! ? what helps me to realize is that ocd is apparently the most treatable mental health conditions out there if you get help for it which is comforting! People who have recovered apparently are symptom free and know how to prevent getting stuck in stressful times which sounds like heaven!!! ? we can achieve this, together!!!! Thank you for your replies! You are doing great work with children, pushing past it, etc., know you are doing amazing despite this it’s impressive!!!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
You as well! Even though our themes are different it’s the same. Please do NOT hesitate to message me on this convo I will always respond and always try to help. I know how much of a hell this can feel. Please PLEASE do not hesitate! I will let you know as well!! You are wonderful ???♀️??♀️
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Bellarose12 it’s so hard isn’t it. Feeling like every time I walk past a child in the street I get an intrusive thought. How do you find that being around kids all the time? Does anyone else find that when they try to distract themselves watch a movie etc it makes you more anxious and want to cry because you just can’t seem to focus on any good activity?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 9w ago
When I was a child, before I knew this was OCD, I struggled with constant "magical thinking" compulsions (don't step on the crack or mom's back will actually break, etc). When I later learned this was OCD, it almost immediately solved it. Any time I got a magical thought, I would say to myself "that's just an OCD thought. ignore it." and it just stopped coming! Like seriously it fixed the magical thinking stuff forever. But of course the OCD has resurfaced in other ways. So naturally, I've tried to use the same strategy since I had so much success with it previously. But I wonder sometimes if telling myself "that's just OCD" is almost functioning as a reassurance compulsion? I hate how meta this gets. For example, I have ROCD that comes and goes. So sometimes I'll get a thought like "what if i'm still in love with my ex?" and then I'll tell myself "that's obviously just an ROCD thought" and will feel relief, almost like reassurance. But it comes back. So is telling myself that it's OCD a reassurance compulsion ?? It's just so weird because it worked so perfectly as a kid with the magical thinking thing.
- Date posted
- 8w ago
I’ve been thinking a lot about how OCD changes the way we see ourselves, but I recently realized that I am not my thoughts. Just because a thought pops up doesn’t mean it’s true or that it defines me. I’ve started learning how to see OCD for what it is—just a disorder trying to trick me—and I’ve become stronger in dealing with it. Has anyone else here had a similar realization? How do you handle these thoughts when they show up?
- Date posted
- 7w ago
I know the truth deep down but I am just doing compulsions to try and convince myself that I have OCD. I try to look up and find things exactly the same and me in experiences how I feel and everything else and it becomes worse when I can’t find the same person as me. I know people do compulsions to make sure they love there partner but I feel like I do compulsions to CONVINCE ME it is ocd
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