megz150

Ok, I do get that. Please can u tell me though whether for a thought to be an OCD thing, things have to be completely false or can OCD also be an exaggeration/distortion of something true but not worth worrying about and it just makes u think it's bad/worth worrying over?

But is it right for me to pass it off as OCD (with the thought that it's not bad like OCD wants me to think it is) or is it not quite OCD?

Ok, but what's a good way for determining then when something is probably OCD and when it's not in terms of the thoughts and worries themselves? Can there be some reality to intrusive thoughts?

I suppose I get that. So does this mean it's not OCD? Sometimes it seems to be the case that I've said what I'm fearing I've said but it's really not bad like 'ocd' is telling me it is. Is this still OCD or not really?

my worries are all about whether I've said or implied bad things and although most of the time I'm sure it's all just a pack of lies, I do think there are times where I have said what I fear I've said, it's just it isn't saying or implying bad like I think it is'. So either way, it's nothing bad but it's in these instances I get really stuck and upset about whether I can let it go and pass it off as OCD or not

I have a lot of fears about whether I understand OCD correctly. One worry I'm struggling to escape from is whether OCD thoughts are always wholly false or whether they can have a bit of reality to them but still just aren't bad like you think. I am desperate to know the answer but at the same time I understand that this in an OCD question/fear in itself. Part of me thinks I need to accept the uncertainty and not seek to answer it but a very large part of me feels it's important to know the answer to this as it's about basic understanding of OCD. Struggling. Please advise. Thanks

Ok. Thanks both. Can either of you recommend anything I can read that is just simple and would provide me with the understanding I need? Maybe if I let go I'd realise I might know more than I think I do? Or it'll help me get a better picture because I won't be so full of stress and upset? there is one thing I HAVE read though that I really Just do struggle with understanding. Everything says 'intrusive thoughts have little or no basis in reality'. But the person who gets a thought 'maybe that has germs on it', surely it's not that there are no germs. There may well be germs, right? So it's the meaning they attach that has little or no basis- I.e. That germs will cause them to get ill or die. So it's not really true that the thoughts themselves always have little or no basis in reality. Unless it is that hat it's very unlikely there will be germs but I'm pretty sure that's not the case. I'm pretty sure there are germs everywhere it's just not likely to cause any harm Can you help me understand this? how can I understand this in a simple way?

How do I combat all the intrusive thoughts and misunderstandings I have about understanding ocd correctly? Where am I going so wrong? Can u tell me what I need to know? I honestly don't think I can look at a book again. I can't.

I really want to understand the thoughts thing as well. How ppl say intrusive thoughts are false and yet thinking 'that might have germs' isn't false. A lot of things have germs. Please help me understand what I need to know

I can't go and see someone. I have to do this myself. It's doable. It doesn't matter whether I'm listening to a therapist, reading a book, listening to my dad- I confuse everything. Sometimes I don't even know what the words are as they come out because I am so tense with anxiety. It really is like I know nothing. I'm distraught. If I'm uncertain, does that not make me dangerous, like when questioning my own lovely dad? They say the thoughts aren't true. But thinking 'there might be germs' isn't false. I feel like things contradict each other. And I hate thinking 'the book is lying' because I know it can't be and I feel out of control. I have so, so many questions. Also ppl always have worries about them or the environment causing harm, but I've had thoughts about whether my dad has done bad. I know he hasn't but I'd die if it turned out that OCD sufferers don't get thoughts like this and then ppl assume it's just true. It's not but can ppl see that it is ocd?!?!? I just want to scream. I can't explain how desperate I am to know and understand whether ppl with OCD believe their fears or not?!!!? im desperate to know everything

I understand that I get a thought and attach false meanings but please can someone tell me how this makes sense with the person who simply fears someone shaking their hand who hasn't washed them after going to the toilet? Which one is it- thought: they might not have washed. I could catch germs. False meaning: germs are bad OR thought: they might not have washed. False meaning: they haven't washed their hands. I thought as a general rule, the thought and meaning together are false or exaggerated. But u can't say it's false that the person hasn't washed their hands. Please please just explain this. One sentence is all I need. Which part is the thought and which part is the meaning? Which part is false? The thought or the meaning attached? How much do I need to know about the thoughts and meanings? I thought thoughts were supposed to be false. But getting a thought 'that might have germs on it' isn't false is it? A lot of things contain germs. It's just it's very unlikely they'll harm you. Please explain Having read books and articles in the past, it's confusing whether we know deep down that our thoughts are rubbish or we don't. What do u think? Please give me one or two lines telling me what to say to myself when I'm confused about the understanding of OCD. Please. I really need help to understand what I need to know about OCD to help myself get better. In simple terms. And I also need advise on what I can tell myself when in he throes of total mind confusion about the understanding of OCD. I'm begging here. Please

Ok thank you. Some books seem to say thought that we know the fears are irrational and some seem to suggest we don't. If we really do believe our fears, does that not make me dangerous? Because I get intrusive thoughts about whether or not I believe my dads done bad and I don't want to think that I ever really believe he has and might voice it. How can I overcome ocd when I feel I have no clue about it? Because I can misconstrue everything and tie everything up in knots ? I get so confused about everything :-( I'm scared. I can't stand this. Do I need to know everything? by stopping compulsions and accepting uncertainty, what is the goal? Sometimes I've read things in an ocd book and I don't get it or I misconstrue it or whatever and I think 'the book is lying'. So how am I meant to get better. As if having ocd isn't bad enough, I have to have intrusive thoughts about how to get better so that I don't have a clue. ?

I don't know how much I need to understand about OCD to overcome it. Everyone says 'knowledge is power' but I feel I have no knowledge ? I'm so frightened. My anxiety and fear makes me feel like I need to finish work, sit in my room and think about how to get better but I can't bare it. I'm so tired, so confused and so upset

I know it's rumination :-( but I truly feel like I know nothing about OCD because I confuse and misconstrue everything I see, hear and read. It's horrible. Whereas with other intrusive thoughts I can think 'accept uncertainty. Let go'. How can I do that when it's about understanding OCD itself? I feel so scared and out of control. Why can't I understand what is meant by 'uncertainty'? Whether it means we truly believe our fears or not, etc. Why can't I make sense of what part is the thought, what part is the attached meaning, what part is false. I can't see anything for what it is. I'm really scared and don't know what to do about it. Please help. By not giving in to compulsions do u suddenly see all clearly and understand what was said and meant (cos I feel that'll make me doubt again) or is it just the general understanding that it's fear and anxiety and not bad- without going into details? I feel like I don't understand or know how to deal with OCD and I'm scared. Is it that I'm not as confused as I think I am? Is it that if I let go and don't seek to know anything, I'll suddenly know things? What's the answer. I feel so so sad today. Please

Being unsure about whether I understand OCD correctly is scary. I get thoughts about what I understand, what I've read, what I believe and it all becomes so twisted. Is it really as simple as you say it is? I felt so angry with myself last night because I was thinking 'do sufferers know their thoughts aren't true deep down? Do we wholly believe them? We are told to accept uncertainty. Is this because we are confused? Or are we not that uncertain? Why do they say that we're uncertain then?'. I was so angry because I couldn't fathom it and still can't and that makes me feel out of control. I think- it doesn't matter. Don't pay any attention to your thoughts- what you've read, heard, seen. Itll all be distorted. By trying to know, You cant win. U don't need to know what uncertainty means.You're checking, seeking reassurance, ruminating. And the other part of me thinks 'of course you're meant to let go of thoughts but you're not supposed to let go of what OCD is and does you idiot!! Knowledge is power. U need to understand OCD to get better. While you have intrusive thoughts about ocd itself you're ********'. Of course you should understand uncertainty and how much of us is uncertain and how much of us understands. I thinking with ocd it's about accepting uncertainty and accepting feelings of anxiety, guilt, loss of control. And not seeking to answer any questions. This is so hard when it's about the understanding of ocd and not 'getting' what is meant by uncertainty and getting confused over how much we believe our fears. I want to know that I don't need a self help book or therapy to get better and more than that I want to know that I understand all in need to know about ocd to get me better.