It's non stop.

[Haayleey96]

Does anyone ever feel like their thoughts are none stop? Like they can never get a break from them? This is what is making me doubt it's ocd as they are there all the time. 

Also, has anyone ever had 'voices' telling them to do things? 

I'm in such an anxious state at the moment it's horrible. 

[PolarBear]

Its still OCD. Chances are some of what you are experiencing is intrusive thoughts while the rest is ruminating. It can make it seem like your brain won't shut off.

As for hearing voices, its not entirely uncommon for someone with OCD to experience that.

So what are you doing about your anxious state?

[Rox]

I get the ‘voices’ telling me to do things too.  

[taurean]

I will repost my topic explaining what has helped me deal with constantl-repeating intrusions. Hopefully that will help. 

[Haayleey96]

13 hours ago, PolarBear said:

Its still OCD. Chances are some of what you are experiencing is intrusive thoughts while the rest is ruminating. It can make it seem like your brain won't shut off.

As for hearing voices, its not entirely uncommon for someone with OCD to experience that.

So what are you doing about your anxious state?

I am trying to just get on with life, get out the house to go for a walk, do shopping and meet with people, all in short term are making anxiety and ocd worse but I know In the long term they are helping to make it better by facing up to things. I have tried taking a herbal substance called St John's but I'm acrually not allowed to take it with other medication I'm on (non ocd related) as it 'overdoses' me if I mix them. I didn't know this and so have felt ill in myself due to it. So I have stopped that and I'm trying to think of something else I can use. 

[Haayleey96]

2 hours ago, taurean said:

I will repost my topic explaining what has helped me deal with constantl-repeating intrusions. Hopefully that will help. 

Thank you! That would be very helpful ?

[Haayleey96]

6 hours ago, Rox said:

I get the ‘voices’ telling me to do things too.  

I'm glad it's not just me Rox, it is terrifying

[Haayleey96]

I just keep thinking what if it isn't OCD though and what if I am going to actually crack? What if I do the things its making me think? I hate it. I just want it all to end. Do not want to be here. I'd rather not be here than have these thoughts in my head. 

[taurean]

It is. In my case, I get it in the form of constantly-repeating suggestions in my mental chatter. 

Since the normal way we think tends to be in words in our brain, it's quite normal I think for them to be voiced - so from that we can get voiced intrusions. 

[taurean]

2 minutes ago, Haayleey96 said:

I just keep thinking what if it isn't OCD though and what if I am going to actually crack? What if I do the things its making me think? I hate it. I just want it all to end. Do not want to be here. I'd rather not be here than have these thoughts in my head. 

You need to get to grips with an understanding of the cognitive side of CBT,then move on to the behavioural side, to change that thinking. 

It's CBT all the way to tackle that. 

[Haayleey96]

1 minute ago, taurean said:

It is. In my case, I get it in the form of constantly-repeating suggestions in my mental chatter. 

Since the normal way we think tends to be in words in our brain, it's quite normal I think for them to be voiced - so from that we can get voiced intrusions. 

I'm glad it's sort of normal. I've just hit a really low point and my head is going to explode. 

[taurean]

I have been there, and so has my sister. 

But when we understand how this illness works, and use the methodology from my topic to shift away from that overthinking, we can overcome it. 

[Wonderer]

Hey, Awk I feel for u, those relentless thoughts are so upsetting. I just want u to know that my son with OCD also “hears” voices telling him to do things, I put “hears” because I think it’s more his own thoughts manifesting in commands, I remember having a very similar thing happen to me at my worst but where my horrible thoughts would manifest in my own voice but in a horrible evil sounding way saying “hurt them” or “do it” sending my anxiety through the roof! Thing is, the fact that it produces huge anxiety is enough to know u aren’t cracking up and won’t do anything.xx

[taurean]

That's a great description of the manifestation Wonderer. 

When we learn it's all part of the OCD and that it's frightening because it comes through the normal parts of our brain, we can start to not connect with or believe it. 

Until we do that it will stay strong, and we react with distress and anxiety and awfulise like Haayleey is experiencing - it'll never stop, I can't cope. 

But when we understand what is going on, we learn to detach and not connect - then things will begin to ease - we have to learn to do this in order to weaken the power of the illness. 

 

[Rox]

I also have the evil sounding voice that wonderer talks about . It’s reassuring to know it’s not just me. 

[taurean]

It's horrible but it's just the way OCD is expressing itself. 

It's been a good thread. Take a look at my topic everyone - it's taken me years to come to where I am now on shutting down long periods of repetitive intrusions and I don't want others to suffer when I found something that at least works for me, so might help them. 

[Haayleey96]

It got that bad ive had to ring Samaritans as I didn't know what to do with myself. I'm outside in the pouring rain getting soaked as I'd rather be out here than inside my own home. It horrible. I will definitely take a look at it Taurean. 

3 minutes ago, taurean said:

It's horrible but it's just the way OCD is expressing itself. 

It's been a good thread. Take a look at my topic everyone - it's taken me years to come to where I am now on shutting down long periods of repetitive intrusions and I don't want others to suffer when I found something that at least works for me, so might help them. 

 

[CAH_05]

1 hour ago, Haayleey96 said:

It got that bad ive had to ring Samaritans as I didn't know what to do with myself. I'm outside in the pouring rain getting soaked as I'd rather be out here than inside my own home. It horrible. I will definitely take a look at it Taurean. 

 

How are you feeling now? Did the samaritans help?

ive had times when I've felt like my head is going to explode. What is the reason you don't want to be inside your home?

[Haayleey96]

18 minutes ago, CAH_05 said:

How are you feeling now? Did the samaritans help?

ive had times when I've felt like my head is going to explode. What is the reason you don't want to be inside your home?

Samaritans helped alot, it was just someone to speak to. They are ringing me back in the next 2 hours to see how I am and to see if I'm at home which I am. As I had been outside crying for 2 hours on the phone to them. Which is proof its OCD but I can't seem to believe that if that makes sense. 

 

The reason I didn't want to be home is because of the harm objects in my home- I know exactly where they are and was scared I was going to hurt myself or a stranger outside and urges to do so which is why I freaked out and ran outside. 

[bruces]

18 hours ago, Haayleey96 said:

Does anyone ever feel like their thoughts are none stop? Like they can never get a break from them? This is what is making me doubt it's ocd as they are there all the time. 

Also, has anyone ever had 'voices' telling them to do things? 

I'm in such an anxious state at the moment it's horrible. 

It is horrible Hayley I know,but your not in your own x 

[taurean]

It's all OCD Haayleey, but the constantly-repeating thoughts element does makes it much worse. 

But you aren't alone with this as you have discovered. 

That knowledge is helpful I feel sure - originally I never found anyone with the same problem, and people weren't sympathetic re the looping thoughts - but I think the message is getting through now that this is something from which a number of us suffer and it needs more than conventional CBT to tackle it and turn off the repetitions. 

[Haayleey96]

1 hour ago, taurean said:

It's all OCD Haayleey, but the constantly-repeating thoughts element does makes it much worse. 

But you aren't alone with this as you have discovered. 

That knowledge is helpful I feel sure - originally I never found anyone with the same problem, and people weren't sympathetic re the looping thoughts - but I think the message is getting through now that this is something from which a number of us suffer and it needs more than conventional CBT to tackle it and turn off the repetitions. 

It definitely makes it 100% worse. Exactly, I know that I am not alone with it. Yes definitely. It needs to be made aware of that some suffer extremely badly due to this awful illness and that it isn't as simple as someone without ocd thinks. 

[PolarBear]

Staying away from your so cslled harm objects is actually the wring thing to do. It's a compulsion and it's keeping you stuck. You have to prove to yourself that you aren't a danger and the only way to do that is to be around those objects.

[Haayleey96]

11 hours ago, PolarBear said:

Staying away from your so cslled harm objects is actually the wring thing to do. It's a compulsion and it's keeping you stuck. You have to prove to yourself that you aren't a danger and the only way to do that is to be around those objects.

I've just hit rock bottom with it PB. I've no energy to deal with it anymore. I'e No energy for nothing. For reading books, watching TV, for seeing friends. I could quite happily stay in bed asleep all day is how i feel at the moment. I'm totally and utterly mentally drained. 

[taurean]

 I can equate with that feeling when I was at my worst Haayleey. 

Whilst PB is right, I can tell you that you are just the third person I have come across with definitely a similar OCD experience to me (harm theme plus repeating intrusions in an episode) - though some others on the thread may be so too - but it's still OCD and I am doing really well now - and the other person has returned to work after four years. 

So however bad it seems to you just now, with CBT and help from us here you can do very well going forward. 

Harm is a common theme, the desire to avoid sharps and other items is normal with that theme. If you aren't in CBT put in for it - it will really help you, and we will too meanwhile. 

Edited January 5, 2018 by taurean
amendment