Advice for how to know a thought is OCD or not? This is going to sound super stupid but I just closed my blinds & I had the thought, "Oh what if there's a dead body outside, you should look down at the ground before shutting the blinds & make sure there isn't" because my apartment looks out to a wooded area that's honestly a little creepy 😅. & I figured that's sort of a silly thought. But now I'm worried becuz even though it's not plausible for anything wrong to be outside I still feel weird. Like every time I do or look at something just wanting to "double check" that I'm not missing something important. Does this happen to anyone else or is this not OCD at all? I overthink & second guess every single thing in my life. I just never trust myself, even with small things, it's very frustrating. Every decision is an argument in my brain. Now I'm stressing over whether to look out my window only after seeing the ground & then shut the blinds. But I also don't want to in case it's my OCD & a compulsion. Sorry if this sounds dumb.

Daws0213

Date posted: 4y

Not a professional but I have done research.Also speaking from personal experience. If the thought is making you uncomfortable or worrying you it's ocd. Any thought that causes worry or anxiety or guilt is an intrusive thought. The fact that you have been overthinking it and stressing is the obsessive part. You are perfectly normal. I have done countless things like this.

Shabax

Date posted: 4y

Typical OCD symptoms...feeling something isnt right without any logical explanations..OCD can make you believe anything!

mt12

Date posted: 4y

That’s great advice! Thank you so much

mt12

Date posted: 4y

Yes I completely agree, it’s soo hard because I feel like it’s almost a part of me now. And I’m constantly trying to reassure myself because then I will get thoughts like if I just let the thoughts pass and not think if it’s my ocd or not, I then feel so crappy because then I don’t know what’s me and what’s not me. And then I feel like I’m disconnecting from myself too. Lol I don’t know if that makes sense but it’s definitely a whole mess in my head

JMSquared

Date posted: 4y

Yes! I feel that too! Like there's 2 versions of me. One that's OK & another that is literally seeking reassurance every single moment of every single day.

Shabax

Date posted: 4y

Makes a Lot of Sense, when you are in a obsessed state, your vision is blurred, thoughts are really non-stop there, and you must wonder i have these thoughts so frequent they must be true and this is me, this is really OCD, get therapy combined with meds, than you soon find out that obsessed state dissappears, thoughts are not non-stop there anymore and the real you appears again. Tip for you is that you shouldnt identify yourself with your thoughts. Your thoughts don't decide who you are, but your actions do

JessieJoy

Date posted: 4y

The doubting and the questioning is the OCD

Mj197

Date posted: 4y

It’s ocd. Ocd is always there to make you second guess and doubt yourself. Don’t believe it

mt12

Date posted: 4y

Sometimes I get scared that it’s not my ocd because I get to the point where I’m so used to the uncomfortable thought that it doesn’t even bother me anymore.. so the fact it doesn’t bother me makes second think that it’s not my ocd anymore

JMSquared

Date posted: 4y

I get that too. Now I'm calmer & most of my anxiety has passed but then that makes me think "Hmm...was it OCD after all?" Cuz I have a lot of doubt/hard time determining what are OCD thoughts & what's not.

JMSquared

Date posted: 4y

@JMSquared & then when I post its like "Oh...but am I asking for reassurance now???" Ugh....it's an endless hamster wheel.

Shabax

Date posted: 4y

@JMSquared Yeah i recognize the struggle, the Magic trick is not trying to find out Which thoughts are OCD or not and just let them pass, so you avoid the reassurance behavior, and the thoughts will reduce a Lot, this is very difficult and you need help from a therapist to support you

JMSquared

Date posted: 4y

@Shabax Thank you for this. I hadn't really thought of not trying to dissect the thought to pin it as OCD or not.

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