- Date posted
- 4y
- Date posted
- 4y
I usually try to respond to those intrusive thoughts with the grandiose conspiracy theory that would have to be going on for this to take place. For example, I run a DND game for middle schoolers as a part of my job, and sometimes I let them stay on after class for a few minutes and we all hang out and talk. Sometimes OCD says this means I am predator, because I enjoy talking to my students. So I say to OCD: Yes, this has all been a long con for you to groom your students. You are truly evil and despicable human being. No other teachers have fun talking to their students, and the fact that you do crosses a boundary. The fact that you have never experienced attraction to these kids is an illusion and a lie you tell yourself so you can continue to groom them in a guilt free way. And then OCD is just kind of like... Yeah okay fine I sound really ridiculous right now.
- Date posted
- 4y
That's a good way to deal with this, making the OCD look as silly as it really is.
- Date posted
- 4y
I think it’s more along the lines of “Okay this is a thought I’m having. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything about me, thoughts come and go in everyone’s minds. On the off chance that this one is true, how does that make me feel? Am I able to cope with this discomfort? I’m going to sit with this feeling without performing compulsions, and eventually it’ll go away. Next time the thought comes back, I can brush it off with a little less pain/discomfort.” I guess it’s not about accepting the possibility that the thought presents so much as accepting that these thoughts will always come (because they come to everyone, not just people with OCD). And acknowledging that performing compulsions around a thought doesn’t affect the probability of it “coming true” - so your job is to sit with the feeling it causes, with the knowledge that you can cope with it without compulsions. I don’t think it’s “maybe I am” so much as “no matter how minute the possibility, all things are possible”. I guess it’s about embracing Uncertainty The Concept (as the only universal constant) rather than trying to accept any/all possibilities. Just my two cents!!
- Date posted
- 4y
Definitely a much better perspective, but reality is that if one of the thoughts IS true, it wouldn't only be a discomfort but rather a huge disaster, which is why responding to the thoughts with "so what if it's true" and "I shall never know" just seems like it would make things worse you know?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w
So how would I know if it’s truly ocd or not? Like by accepting uncertainty, will I eventually realize if it was false or true attraction and if it was actually ocd or not? For example I was out today, right after my therapy appointment, I saw a kid that looked exactly like this girl my age that I was into. I felt a sense of attraction and I immediately went into the restroom to hide or smth I don’t remember, but when I came out I think I avoided looking at the kid. Idk if it was false attraction or not, I hope it was but I’m not sure. I can’t really tell. FYI I was never formally diagnosed with pocd before, but my therapist said that I have it but I still don’t believe it. I still feel like it’s not pocd because of the attraction feelings, I can’t tell if I like the feelings or not. I don’t feel any of panic, worry, distress, guilt or shame after any of those feelings. I did start crying when I got home tho idk why or what for, but I went to take a nap for a while and when I woke up it kind of became clearer if it was real or false attraction, but it’s still really unclear, I don’t get why I would feel that way towards a literal child, is it bc she looked like this girl my age that I was into? I hope it was false attraction, still can’t tell.
- Date posted
- 21w
I know the solution is to always say “yeah that could be true, but I am choosing to live my life anyway.” However, I feel like my biggest issue is my brain always assuming that it is immediately true when I do that. Like if I say “maybe I’m attracted to teenagers, it’s possible,” then my brain INSTANTLY starts rationalizing that thought and defending it and being like “oh okay so you think this now and it makes sense because xyz, and now that’s who you are and your real desire is now and always will be teenagers.” I feel really alone in this area of feeling like my brain “accepting the thoughts” means my brain immediately accepts them as true. I obviously don’t want to think they’re true but I feel so stuck now.
- Date posted
- 21w
I’ve been getting stuck in my understanding of OCD lately. When I have intrusive thoughts, although I have OCD, I’m not supposed to label them as part of my condition? Instead I just say maybe/maybe not? It feels like it takes the wind out of my sails a bit in recovery? Like having cancer, but when I go to chemo, I’m supposed to say “maybe I have cancer, maybe I don’t.” Would anyone be able to speak to this and increase my insight and understanding? Thank you!
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