OCD and the law

[Punkdonkey]

Hi everyone

I am new to this form and I would like to say hello to everyone. I have suffered from OCD for about 20 years. The symptoms have changed. I used to think things that i bought were unlucky and I had to return them. I also in the past worried about the news and in particulat there being a nuclear war.

My latest obsession is about doing something and getting arrested. I am the most honest person I know and have never done anything but still the thoughts persist. For example I about to start an online business and the thoughts are what if someone gets injured through something I sell. THis is defintely affecting my life and I know I need to adress it. Can anyone tell me if they have come across this form of OCD before and any methods that would be suitable to get over it

Blessings

[Guest sweetie]

Hi everyone

I am new to this form and I would like to say hello to everyone. I have suffered from OCD for about 20 years. The symptoms have changed. I used to think things that i bought were unlucky and I had to return them. I also in the past worried about the news and in particulat there being a nuclear war.

My latest obsession is about doing something and getting arrested. I am the most honest person I know and have never done anything but still the thoughts persist. For example I about to start an online business and the thoughts are what if someone gets injured through something I sell. THis is defintely affecting my life and I know I need to adress it. Can anyone tell me if they have come across this form of OCD before and any methods that would be suitable to get over it

Blessings

Hi and welcome to the forum,

OCD manifests itself as fears and obsessions, doubts and self doubts, and the what if's in all sorts of ways. Whatever the subject of the OCD it is really all the same. It all involves the fear of something bad happening to yourself or someone else. Whatever the content of your OCD, you have to treat it the same way...as just thoughts. OCD knows how to wind you up and latches onto your deepest fears and doubts. This is why it is so difficult to overcome.

You know that you are an honest person. Don't keep reassuring yourself or seek reassurance. Just let the thoughts pass through your mind and pay no attention to them. Thoughts don't make you a bad person.

Good luck with your business.

Sweetie

xxxx

[Guest nuclearnight]

To be entirely honest, getting liability insurance is a pretty sensible thing to do when you're starting up a business, regardless of whether or not you have OCD. You may want to look into that if you haven't already

I can relate to the other stuff though. During one episode I completely convinced myself I was going to jail and everytime I heard a police car I was convinced it was me they were coming for. Needless to say I have never done anything to warrant an arrest :blushing:

I think it can be dealt with in much the same way as other spikes, acknowledging the fears for what they are, but don't try to resist them or engage in behaviours that will create a vicious cycle, however hard it is not to give in.

Welcome, by the way

~Michelle

[Punkdonkey]

To be entirely honest, getting liability insurance is a pretty sensible thing to do when you're starting up a business, regardless of whether or not you have OCD. You may want to look into that if you haven't already

I can relate to the other stuff though. During one episode I completely convinced myself I was going to jail and everytime I heard a police car I was convinced it was me they were coming for. Needless to say I have never done anything to warrant an arrest :blushing:

I think it can be dealt with in much the same way as other spikes, acknowledging the fears for what they are, but don't try to resist them or engage in behaviours that will create a vicious cycle, however hard it is not to give in.

Welcome, by the way

~Michelle

[Punkdonkey]

Hi

thanks to both of you for replying it is really appreciated and I am glad to be part of this forum

I agree with what you both said about this being like any other obsession and that they are only thoughts and have no realty in the world.

I also agree that I have to look more at the reality of the situation and that I am an honest person.

The one thing I do is that I tend to view my OCD as different from other peoples I see my thoughts as being real and that when I look at thoughts I have had in the past I would say that they are OCD and are not real but when I look at my thoughts with regard to the police i say They are real they are not OCD and they are worrie and can actually affect me. I hope I make sense lol Any tips on dealing with this and has anyone ever experience the same thing

[Guest legend]

Hi punkdonkey, the key in helping you to deal with ocd, is to accpet that it is ocd, however real it feels,

and the next stage, is to try and use techniques, in helping you to stop engaging with the irrational thoughts,

the four steps help with this, the link is in the helpful threads.

Its not easy, but ocd works in the same ways, whatever the flavour.

[Guest nuclearnight]

It probably feels real with the police thing because it's how your OCD is manifesting itself currently. I know that everything always feels real to me at the time, it's sometimes only after a year or so has passed without anything terrible happening to me that I'm able to think 'ok maybe that was just OCD after all'.

I often struggle with that when my OCD decides to manifest itself in a new way. I'll think to myself 'well I know I have OCD, but what if this time it's not OCD and I really am evil' and it creates doubt. If the thought processes behind the doubt appear to be the same as in the past, I try to reassure myself it's just the OCD, but I know this is easier said than done.

~Michelle