- Date posted
- 4y ago
- Date posted
- 4y ago
You cant stop the thoughts from popping up. These are the intrusive thoughts. But getting stuck in "figuring it out", or mentally checking to see what you feel/think is ACTIONS. Therefore behaviour and compulsions and not thinking in the way we think of thinking. Considering some thinking as actions helped me.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I totally get that, it’s just a lot of times I don’t know how to stop it. Also, do you ever think something when you’re trying to “figure it out” and that thought is distressing so it kinda becomes an intrusive thought? If that makes sense?
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@MegB I have the same problem, Im finally gonna get professional help. So I hope they have some better answers. Not sure if I understood the last thing you said. What helps me is that I DO other stuff. Im often like "WAIT life/bf/anything, I just have to THINK" and then I stop everything to just DO thinking. But if I dont let myself sit down (i cant stand up!) but keep going, keep doing whatever it is quite hard to DO thinking. If that makes sense.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@asdfghj I find it’s just as easy to ruminate while doing other things. The only way I can stop is if someone starts talking to me and even then it’s like pulling teeth for me to actually become engaged in the conversation cause I’m so distressed. What I meant by the last thing is ruminating is not a pleasant experience for me, so sometimes I’ll be trying to figure out the OG problem and I think of something that makes the distress worse. So, let’s say it’s ROCD and I’m ruminating trying to figure things out and I think of something factual like idk “my boyfriend does this thing I don’t like” and then I’m more distressed because “oh no my boyfriend does this thing I don’t like this must mean he’s not good for me and I’m going to break up with him” and then I keep thinking of that one thing he does that I don’t like and it comes up a lot in my thoughts from then on. That still might not make sense, but I tried 🤷♀️.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@MegB So if we actively think something then we cant ruminate. So if we think "maybe it means he isnt good for me, maybe he is good for me, maybe he isnt" on and on and on and on. Maybe that could help us not trying to figure it out. Saw someone post this article about how to stop ruminating. A lot of the time I think it feels impossible because a part of me believes its important and I make up excuses like "this time its important" to keep doing it.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I get this!!! Lmao I just told my counselor this. I'm supposed to let my thought just sit and not think about it but then I find myself trying to think ab other things. So this is what he taught me - you say to your intrusive thought - I could (insert thought) but I don't want to (insert thought) - even if I feel like I want to (insert thought) I don't want to (insert thought) then go about your day. This has helped me a ton.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Oh that’s interesting. Thanks for sharing!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@MegB Anytime!! Hope this helps!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I heard this somewhere else I believe and it has helped me. I just think of the thoughts as waves washing over me. Don’t struggle against it, just let it flow and then continue what you were doing. I basically try to get my mind to be bored of the thought(s). I feel like it’s feeding off the reaction you give it, so if you give it little to no reaction, you’ll eventually starve it. That being said, sometimes the “waves” really knock you around, so be kind to yourself and know that sometimes it’s more of a struggle than others. But you’ll get there.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I KNOW. How do you not think to avoid over thinking?! How do I tell if its OCD or me?! I'd like a refund on my brain
- Date posted
- 4y ago
It’s awful! Mental compulsions are like a minefield. Physical (or noticeable or whatever you want to call them) compulsions are like okay so we just don’t touch the phone. Obviously, still very hard to do, but at least you know exactly what not to do!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 17w ago
Guys I need help. I feel so alone . Basically I have this compulsion where I feel the need to write everything but this stems from me being anxious about EVERYTHING. Like my mom came in my room and I was irritated and snapped, immediately regretted now I keep writing “don’t be mean to mom next time” but I keep thinking about it. Then I think about how I finally left my house today and all the surfaces I touched that could’ve been contaminated and now I’m writing “next time don’t touch this and this”. Then I think about all the things I need to be doing for this week and I’m writing “don’t forget to do this and this” even though I’ve written it 5 times already. This is what happens everyday btw. My brain always thinks about something I need to be doing and making me anxious that I’ll forget it which is why I write it down on my notes app. I’m sooo mentally exhausted I need help pls!! Anyone have any advice ? I used to think I need to stop the writing but really I need to stop the anxious thoughts coming into my head . People say I need to accept the thoughts and let it go but that’s too hard for me
- Date posted
- 13w ago
I struggle so bad with intrusive thoughts. They can be so bad that I'll cry because I KNOW that's not how I feel or want to do. (Too embarrassed to say what they're about) I'll constantly try to figure out why I have them, and constantly figure out what they mean, causing me to constantly circle around and around. I had to get on anxeity meds, which helped a little but the thoughts still happen. How do you help yourself with this? How do you know that you're just not some physcopath? 😅
- Date posted
- 11w ago
Two things are happening: I get thoughts that just keep looping. They almost feel like song stuck in my head. Also, I’ll imagine something and I feel my stomach drop. Then as the seconds go by I keep getting fragments of the this thought but with different details. For example, it’s kinda like how a “vision” is portrayed. I’ll get a glimpse of the thought and then it’ll rapidly expand into something worse every few seconds. I don’t know if I’m causing this or if it’s just an automatic thing like any other intrusive thought. It feels unavoidable, idk if this is a compulsion or if it’s just another manifestation of an intrusive thought. Apart from that remembering an intrusive thought triggers the full thought again and then it just keeps looping or expanding. I don’t know how to stop any of this. Help?
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