BetterDays
- Date posted
- 3y
Maddiamber Maddiamber
- Date posted
- 3y
Ocd wants you to answer its question to wether it is ocd or not. Very typical. You don’t need to engage with these questions. Just observe them without going down the rabbit hole
BetterDaysBetterDays
- Date posted
- 3y
What if it feels to real? Like for me it’s hard to sit with the uncertainty because it’s like but what if I snap and hurt people and sometimes it feels like an urge and that’s scary. Any tips for just sitting because often when I tell myself maybe maybe not ny brain continues to ruminate on the what if’s.
Maddiamber Maddiamber
- Date posted
- 3y
@CHz Ocd wouldn’t be a debilitating illness if it didn’t feel real. You don’t want to ask yourself or others for too much reassurance because that just feeds the thoughts. Remember thoughts are just thoughts and we don’t need to engage with them. As hard as it is, practice saying “I don’t need to engage with this thought or solve this what if question.” You can do hard things and not let ocd bully you into answering its questions. Just accept the presence of the thoughts and they will pass on their own. Hope that helps
Maddiamber Maddiamber
- Date posted
- 3y
@CHz Thoughts, urges, sensations, images.. they’re all the same. Don’t latch onto the word urge. Anxiety makes intrusive thoughts feel threatening on every level, mentally and physically. Just sit with the discomfort and it will lose its power.
Brian K.Brian K.
- User type
- NOCD Alumni
- Date posted
- 3y
Hi CHZ, doubting whether or not you have OCD, especially when diagnosed, is definitely page 1 of the OCD playbook. @Maddiamber was on point with all of the descriptions of why OCD does what it does and has some very good advice. If it didn’t feel real, it wouldn’t cause us anxiety/discomfort and be causing it us issues in our lives. It’s also what makes it difficult to determine what is an intrusive thought vs something else. Try to remember that you are not your intrusive thoughts, you did not ask for them and they do not define you. As tricky as it is, as @Maddiamber said, try not to interact with your intrusive thoughts either by dwelling or trying to actively disprove as that will just make them more “real.” Sitting with uncertainty is definitely not easy, especially in the beginning but it will get easier with practice over time. Have you tried practicing ERP with one of your minor themes first, just to get used to it and get in more practice before tackling your more major themes? I had to start small and work my way up. I would not claim that I don’t still slip and indulge in compulsions or intrusive thoughts from time to time, but it is far less often and far less severe. As much as possible I try to flat out ignore my intrusive thoughts or note them and try to tell them “so what” or “maybe it will, maybe it won’t” statements to not give my OCD a satisfactory definitive answer and try to go about my day. Which I know is far easier said than done depending on the thought. Hang in there and stay strong, it will get easier, but it takes time.
dogluv13dogluv13
- Date posted
- 3y
So well said @Maddiamber !!! @CHz I don’t want to give you reassurance but please know that I have been exactly where you are and I am making progress with ERP. Stick with it, you can do this ♥️
Related posts
andrewt_
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 21w
Does anyone ever mimic/imagine harm OCD thoughts?
Does anyone imagine they are doing their harm thoughts during an action, making you feel like you acted on your thoughts? For example, someone gave me a hug and at the last second I imagined I was touching something I shouldn’t during the hug? I want to make it clear it’s something I have zero desire to do! But the problem is, I thought it on purpose and it makes me sick !! Obviously nothing happened but my mind is telling me that was me trying to do it. Even though it was physically impossible to do. Am I a monster or could this be OCD? I’m freaking out and don’t want to be here anymore. I feel like I’m the exception and that this isn’t OCD. I know I post about this stuff a lot but I’m struggling and don’t know what to do.
Anonymous 25#
- Date posted
- 19w
Anyone please?
Okay so I’ve dealt with harm OCD from the beginning. Started off with harming my kids, going to jail and then harming myself. The harm to myself stuck around for a long time. Then it went away and other themes picked up but it keeps coming back. This is like the third time it’s come back and every single time it comes back it feels worse. It feels like this is the time something is going to happen. Has anyone ever dealt with this? With old themes constantly coming back and feeling more real? Please any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 19w
Questions
There are times my harm ocd has me convinced that my feelings of self harm or suicide and harm are real and that any moment I could commit the act on myself or my family. Is there anyone who can chime in on this. I feel like all the time I want to leave run away or avoid my family because of these thoughts. Like I shouldn’t be around my children and I don’t trust myself.
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