(Trigger warning) So recently I’ve caught myself being more content with these thoughts…and due to the fact of me not freaking out is making me freak out because I also have this weird little birdy in my thoughts that just say “do it” I’m not sure if I’m the only one and I’m ofc scared of that but please tell me this is normal…I can’t even cuddle my boyfriend or anything right now.
Not feeling anxiety about what was once a distressing thought is literally the main goal of ERP therapy. If you aren't as anxious when an intrusive thought appears, that means you are making progress. However, it is very common for the fact that you are no longer anxious to become a new trigger for anxiety. Try and resist that. Try and be okay with not being anxious about it anymore. That is exactly what you wanted. Go do something nice and let the thought be in your mind until it is ready to leave. Don't pay it any attention at all and go do something you find valuable to do.
@Iceberg Climber this is really helpful 🙌
This is common. Chrissie Hodges talks about this. I think it was called the backdoor spike
@nyx32 Oh my goodness so this is normal 🥺
@dessy It is!💕
Yep. In fact, you WANT the thoughts to stop bothering you. That's the goal of treatment. When you do this, you are reinforcing to your brain that the thoughts are actually meaningless. You just want them to play in the back of your head like background music all day, without bothering you at all. You don't need to care if they are there or not. If you start feeling like they HAVE TO bother you, and that you have to muster us some disgust toward them--that can become a compulsion. In other words, it can be a compulsion to force yourself to freak out about the thoughts. So just decide to let the thoughts flow freely through your mind and don't let any of them bother you.
@Tea and Honey Thank you 🫶🏻
This is very common. As the anxiety goes down, the thoughts still linger so your OCD brain tries to make you think you want to do them. I have been dealing with Harm OCD for a while and this happens quite often. The treatment for it is the exact same as the other thoughts. It sucks but it gets better 😊
@MatiasP99 Thank you!
This is textbook OCD. Your brain gets used to being so anxious about the thoughts that once you start to respond to the intrusive thoughts like someone without OCD would (just shrugging them off as a thought is just a thought) your brain goes WAIT WHATS GOING ON?!?! It’s another sneaky way OCD tries to pull you back in. Keep crushing it at conquering OCD! This is a GOOD THING 👏 congrats!
@Stay.Fluid Thank you 🥺
Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with intrusive thoughts&images. At first i had intrusive thoughts around my partner, now it’s centred around me & I can’t be around window ledges or medication due to a story I read online(it’s too triggering for me) . Sometimes I feel like I can’t leave my bed due to the thoughts being so overwhelming I just break down and want to sleep. I aren’t taking any medication or therapy yet. I worry that if I don’t give my thoughts a reaction that my thoughts are true and not OCD. I’ve had these thoughts 24/7 for 2 months.
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.
Someone please help me I’m having intrusive thoughts of hurting my pets and I’m really scared of myself and I want these thoughts to go away. Can someone please help me I’m scared and I don’t know if I’m a monster
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