Need tips on battling intrusive thoughts.

You don’t have to necessarily agree with them deep down. You just have to acknowledge that they are there and let them pass through you without giving them any attention. It’s hard. Especially when the intrusive thoughts and feelings feel so real. I just had to do this- I struggle more with intrusive feelings than thoughts and I had to accept the uncertainty rather than ruminating over it to see if it meant anything. Thoughts and feelings are just that- thoughts and feelings. They do not always mean anything. They do not always represent truth. Just let them pass through you. Hang in there

@Moving Forward it doesn’t matter if the thoughts are wrong or not. It’s more about accepting the uncertainty of them — maybe it is true, and maybe it’s not. Either way, just accept the uncertainty of the thoughts without giving them a reaction. You don’t fight the thoughts. That’s the opposite of what you’re supposed to do.

Remember that you can not stop having intrusive thoughts. You can change the way you react to them.

I’m just going to leave you with this article that personally I find to be very helpful: http://beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/ten-things-you-need-to-know-to-overcome-ocd

When I have a thought that really scares the crap out of me I say in my head “thank you ocd for that thought” it sounds stupid but when you acknowledge that it’s ocd the thoughts seem to quiet down. Medication also helps the thoughts to not be so loud.

Jen22 .. I suffer from feelings as well .. it’s so scary

@jen the feelings or urges I feel are with the ocd . They are then accompanied by hot and cold sweats and gagging from anxiety

Example HOCD made me feel I was happy to be attracted to women or make me I was excited when I wasn’t . Intrusive .. can be feelings , urges , sensations , thoughts , emotions . It can be very scary. When I was having the harm ocd I literally felt intrusive feelings of excitement about stabbing my dog .

@jen22 , your not . I actually thought I was going crazy . I saw a video on YouTube of a psychologist and she said intrusive can be anything that makes u feel uncomfortable and give u anxiety .. it’s very scary .. after I eat I feel I have the urge to grow up and I just sit and shake .. it’s horrible . I think I shook for 2 hours straight one day. I have had it 14 years and am just now learning to just sit with it and not ask for reassurance or so a compulsion .. I try not to avoid what I’m afraid of . It helps when I can relate !

Agree with them. Once I agree with them they just seem to quiet down

Agree with them?! but their all wrong

@pineaple @Critcrat @Jen22 If that’s how you solved them, alright, but as for mine, their is no uncertainty, just crappy thoughts that try to ruin my mind and create false feeling of uncertainty, the only thing that does help is knowing that they have no meaning, those intrusive thoughts.

I understand! It’s different for everyone! And I’m glad that helps you: the fact that you know they have no meaning. I hold on to that truth everyday

@Moving Forward, can you say what type of obsessive thoughts you have and maybe I can try to help better? Secondly, OCD is all about trying to find certainty. This is why we engage in compulsions in the first place. We can’t accept the uncertainty. The uncertainty is what causes a person to check that the front door is locked 20 times before leaving the house. Unless what you have is not OCD, it probably does indeed involve uncertainty.

I rarely see people talking about intrusive feelings! @Mikila I was scared for a long time that I was different from other ocd sufferers or that even worst, I didn’t actually suffer from ocd at all

I just assumed the feelings came with the thoughts. You mean anxiety right? I get that non-stop

@Cjx your right

Yes! @mikila that’s what I get too. False feelings of excitement, urges, sensations, emotions, etc.. you explained it perfectly. I’m so glad I’m not alone in this.

*throw

@Everyone. Or it feels like you have a sharp pain in your chest or stomach

I literally feel I cannot breathe when I'm trying not to check it when I'm doubting or when I'm even in the middle of doing a task which requires me to make a decision which I'm afraid of even tho a decision needs to be made. It's like a build up of excitement but I'm not excited in the slightest it just feels like I'm going to explode