paradoxer

You know what Caramoole, I've been mulling over your 'lecture'. One would think I'd never contributed a damn thing here, other that a blithe 'get over it attitude' to sufferers. I appreciate my bending the coat hangar back might not be for everyone ... but context might count for something. Anyway, not great loss, I'm out of here.

I hear you, though I thought a reminder that the OP wan't being ignored gratuitously was worth a shot. I think whatever contributions I have or haven't made to this forum might well reflect some awareness of others' conditions.

I don't think people are ignoring you ... it's just there's not much to say, you have an obsession, you post about it ... And ... ? Try not to jump to the tune of a mental disorder.

Bloody formatting!

Congrats, no small feat! And success begets success. The thought process is just typical OCD doing its thing. The very questioning in itself - now suddenly so terribly 'important' tells you how you should ... or make that, shouldn't respond. The siren call of ruminating will come, let it, but don't bite. Nip in bud. Cheers.

It's your choice not to wallow, it's you in the driver's seat. The secret truth is, that seemingly giant step is much smaller you think.

All right then, keep on wallowing in what your OCD says.

Yep, invariably your inner truth knows the answer.

Angst, there's nothing wrong with being aware or informed, but try to keep in mind, that life is a dangerous affair anyway, no one gets out alive, none of us. If it's not coranavirus, it'll only be something else ... take your pick, coronaries, cancer, crashes ... and that's just a few of the c's.

Excellent ... off topic as usual.

Misinformation and facts, erroneous or otherwise have nothing to do with the cause of one's OCD.

Same old partner ... BTW don't set yourself up to be the opposite of bad, it will never be enough, OCD will never be appeased. Only you care what you 'want', no one else does.

About being 'the most convincing thing on earth', when that dodgy brain chemistry kicks in ... ! It does sound as though you're on top of things.

Yes, you can. Your advantage you know its game plan.

I'm an OCD sufferer and it makes sense to me. At least, in the cold light of discussion, don't let the disorder mar your cognitive ability. What your OCD says is irrelevant.

Well, that's right, what might one say when a stranger is in the throes of an obsession? The reason it was unsettling for others, myself included, it's often unnerving to see someone out of control of their faculties. The man's checking, and pulling out books was fairly frenzied. Apart from sympathy, though that too, it reminds even the most rational of people how tenuous sanity is. I'd also say to someone without a particular insight into OCD such behavior can come across as hubristic or selfish, 'what's so special about you that a book has to be impossibly 'perfect'?' Re your pedantry about 'bystanders', certainly, if you're unhappy, merely substitute 'other people'.

No real paradox there, that's the 'sane' you coming through. ?

Perhaps I should have posted my last message here. Please see above.

I didn't get the impression that Phil necessarily meant that literally, there's no question that alongside prudent measures, there's a lot of paranoia out there. A coronavirus discussion on an OCD forum? No wonder the waters get muddied.

Today I dropped by a regular bookstore of mine. As I walked in I caught part of an exchange between one of the staff and a customer, the staff member was telling the customer that it was normal for new books to have marks, dents (whatever) due to storage, packing etc. Apparently the customer was unhappy with the 'flaw' and had returned a book. I could see that the staff member was a little exasperated, and slightly nervous of the man (he did came across as pretty intense) and fifteen minutes later, when I was on my way out he was still pulling books from the shelves, checking and replacing them. I thought about saying something, but decided against it. I mention this only as an observation on how unsettling his behavior was for others. OCD - tough on bystanders too. Loved ones - we know.

'I'm going to destroy with my thoughts ... take that!'

?

'Everything was fine for a few days until I got a thought ....' No one can answer with certainty, but the old adage stands, if you think it might be OCD, treat it as though it is.

Additionally, not wanting the thoughts to go away too much is the thing. Want the thoughts to go away, maybe for good? Indifference, even if it's feigned at first, is the key.

There's an old school movie actor, whose biography is titled, 'Baby, I Don't Care.' On more than one occasion I've invoked the same when a spike hits.