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Intrusive Thoughts


Guest Kelpie

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Guest Kelpie

Evening all. I hope you are having an OK day :)

I have a question about intrusive thoughts.

I have several types of thoughts and are generally about me doing something to me or to others.

But what confuses me are the ones where the thoughts is that someone is going to harm me. I always hear about intrusive thoughts about doing things to self and others but not the other way around.

Is this still the same? Or is this possibly trauma based? Even though the details of the thoughts aren't always about something that has happened. An example (without going into it too much and picking a random ie type thing) is I'll walk past someone, generally a guy and my thought is that they will throw their water bottle at me. It becomes a real fear and so I do avoidance stuff. It is so hard to get out of my head. Many are much much more distressing disturb me more.

They occur in the same way other intrusive thoughts occur. But I only hear about the ones that involve us doing things to us to others and not about us thinking it is about to be done to ourselves.

I really hope I am making sense. It is hard to talk about it so I am just rambling as it comes into my head.

I am having treatment right now which involves ERP (damn that is hard work!) and the therapist is really helpful but I haven't brought this up with her yet as it is hard to talk about esp' as some of the thoughts are about one of the treatment team :/

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Hi Kelpie. Totally normal. You are right in I think generally there are more people with intrusive thoughts about causing harm to others, there is an OCD theme where the thoughts are about others causing harm to you. It's still OCD as you are having intrusive thoughts that cause distress, which make you want to perform compulsions (like avoidance).

Do tell your therapist. There's no shame in it. It is what it is. You're not responsible for having such thoughts and who the thoughts target is completely out of your control.

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Guest Kelpie

Thank you. I have pretty much avoided men in certain professions as I just can not handle the thoughts and it is hard to be constantly asking for females to be available. But my head just won't shut up. To the point I freak out so much I have to leave. It isn't helpful at all.

Maybe I should write it down and let my therapist read it. I feel so fearful around people (men really) it is too much.

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Guest Kelpie

The fear is rather intense though. And how can I explain it to them that I am freaking out in front of them as I think they are going to hurt me? I am not sure how to do it, to not avoid. The action of not avoiding is obvious and simple in theory, but in reality. Who do I choose to test this on? I guess I should talk to my therapist on Thursday :/

Not something I'll find easy to say.

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Guest Kelpie

Just the thought of bringing it up with her makes me anxious. And I can hear the therapist's thoughts on that... "stay with the anxiety..."

Ugh!

I guess I have to do it though. I'll never get any peace if I don't speak up.

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Guest Hank79

My OCD is all about others harming me and based on past events. So, I can relate to what you're saying. As expressed elsewhere on the forum it's best to just let the thoughts come, breathe deep, tell yourself these are just thoughts and have no basis in reality and move on. Easier said than done, but...

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