- Date posted
- 5w ago
What do themes mean?
I have read many people use the word theme in their posts. I think I know what that means as far as OCD goes but could someone please confirm me??? Thanks!
I have read many people use the word theme in their posts. I think I know what that means as far as OCD goes but could someone please confirm me??? Thanks!
Hey there! OCD often tends to go after specific types of thoughts, such as fearing for the health of others or your own health/being overly aware of physical symptoms of potential illness (health OCD), fearing germs/being dirty/getting others dirty (contamination OCD) as has been mentioned a couple times (this is probably the subtype that people are most familiar with), or questioning sexuality (sexual orientation OCD). OCD doesn't necessarily always follow clearly delineated themes, though, and it is possible to struggle with more than one type of theme. It is also possible for OCD to "hop" themes, as well, so you may struggle with one theme at a specific point in your life but then may struggle with a different theme at a different point in your life. I hope this helps!
Mine started after losing 4 family members. I did not lose them it same time but acter losing the first one I started being very careful with my lite boy at the time. Then List another person and it got worse. Etc.... Do is that health ocd??? But how come I worry or focus on one thing related to my fears and then days later I am doing better with that but am worried about something else? It makes me feel lije I am.worried about everything around me that reminds me if the period of times when I lost them. I avoid, things, places, even peiple sometimes. Very hard to explain but I feel.like it has isolated me too having ocd cuz nobody understands it.
I guess I am asking if my OCD is done theme but that I sometimes worry more about one part of it (probably what is happening or what I am going through at that time) but it all his,to do with a fear of hoing through what I want through with the other losses but also....to be honest it is like I am worried about any memory or y is that brings me back to those times when I lost someone. I am afraid too touch certain things or visit other family.members, public places (stores certain restaurants) cuz they have some tie to that point in my life. I still wash my hands but not like when my ocd started. So it is like I get "better" with certain things but then I am focusing on another ...but it still has same "theme.
ocd tends to lean into themes or categories for example 'contamination ocd' relating to fear of substances, germs, illness. Or 'harm ocd' fear of hurting themselves or others. Rocd, pure OCD, and the list goes on.
Mine started after I lost family.members. I begin to worry that others around me would get sick so I'd make sure I would clean thoroughly, wash my hands a lot, etc. Years later I feel like it is still the same yet I wash my hands less or at least not so long and don't clean like I did before but I worry a lot. and avoid a lot. So I have not changed themes then right?
However, it does feel like I worry a lot about sfuff and then later I am worrying not ask mych about a,certain part of my fears but I worry about another thing....but they bith have something to do with each other. So...is that still the same theme?
OCD can attach to any thought but there are specific thoughts that are more common, such as contamination, harm, health, and others. As a result there are subtypes that have been identified. The theme is the subtype or type of thought you are having. Below is a great article on subtypes and themes from NOCD. I hope it's helpful. A Quick Guide to Some Common OCD Subtypes (Patrick McGrath PhD for NOCD): https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/a-quick-guide-to-some-common-ocd-subtypes
It started when I lost 4 family members but it did not happen it same time. After the first one I was sad, depressed, etc but I feel.like it got worse than just that. I begsn to get very careful with others around me. And then I lost my mom. After that, tjings got worse. Than I lost two more people AMD so I guess mine is a health ocd as I feared if I was not careful.enough someone else wouod get sick or something. Or i would But now years have passed and I am still worrging etc. I don't get it. Is thishealth ocd? I also avoid youching stiff from.that period of times.or anything that has a memory of that time...including visiting houses of people who had anything to fo with that time in my life. It is awful!
Hey, a theme is pretty much what OCD has attached to. For example, if someone has a fear of being contaminated there OCD theme is contamination.
Themes are different types of OCD obsessions. POCD, Contamination OCD, Real Events OCD, and Somatic OCD are all themes of OCD. Hope this helps!
Thanks. So it isnt a different theme if my fears or worries go from worrying ago it one thing to another as long as they are about the same thing?
@Anonymous - (TW FOR HARM OCD!) If it's the same general sort of obsession, yes, it's the same theme. Like, if you have a fear that you're going to lose control and stab someone, and then switch to being worried that you are going to accidentally hit someone with your car, than both of those are the same theme because they are centered around the same obsession, which in the case of the example is harm.
@needtoescapetheV0ID Thanks for answering!!!
I, like so many others, have had ocd for most of my life. I have had many themes throughout my life. I am a mom and have had harm and pocd as well. For me those have been the most difficult and most painful themes. I have seen many people post on this app and they have had some pretty horrible and disturbing intrusive thoughts or false memories and real events ect. much worse than mine and I have never judged anyone because I know how bad ocd and intrusive thoughts can get. I had someone comment on a post I made recently asking me if I even have ocd insinuating it’s not ocd and i’m a actually just a pedo. That upset me so much because anyone who has experienced pocd knows how horrific and disturbing the intrusive thoughts can get and how opposite of who we really are ocd is. Our ocd already makes us doubt ourselves so to have a fellow sufferer of ocd say something like that can be so damaging. So many people are afraid to seek help or post on apps like this out of fear of being judged so we have to be mindful of what we comment. This person, after reading their bio has never experienced that theme and so they have no idea what it’s like or how bad it can get. I am writing this post because I think we need to be more understanding of those who suffer with themes we haven’t and not be judgmental especially if we don’t know them or their ocd story and what they have been through. I beat my ocd and for years I was ocd free until a recent stressful situation in my life and it came back and has been relentless and worse than ever before. I have had so many kind people give me great support on this app and I give support as much as I can when I see posts of others going through similar things as me. Be kind and think before you comment.
so i was on instagram and it came up with other signs of ocd then someone commented this doesn’t mean you have ocd now im stressed that its not ocd background - i had so-ocd for a few years then got treatment for it but am now on the waiting list for further treatment for other stuff but i dont have another theme which makes me feel like its not ocd my day to day life consists of touching the door handle every time you go past it or someone will die, and inability to send emails without re reading loads of times and getting other people to check because im scared i wrote something bad but the what if it’s not ocd thought is triggering me now and i don’t know what do
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
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