Jump to content

question about intrusive thoughts .


Recommended Posts

Why is it that some people , which is including me . When a Intrusive thought attacks us , its makes us believe that we actually acted on it ? 

For example my Obsession is cheating OCD alot of the time , 

I could be at a gathering and have some alcohol or not even have any . 

'The most recent one was at a family gathering and i had about 5 beers which is nothing , i felt a little tipsy , but the next day i had a image/vision of me having sex with this attractive lady at the gathering she was with her husband for christ sake . 

What i dont understand is even though how stupid the intrusive thought /story is OCD is trying to throw at you , you still believe it could of happened even thought your 99.9 % sure it didnt happen ?

Im fed up with it now but dealing with them alot better , some days i feel great and then days i feel really low . 

what really upsets me is , i cant enjoy going to social gatherings anymore , drinking alcohol , and letting loose now and again . i love my girlfirend to bits but i guess its OCD that latches on to what you care about alot .

Link to comment

It's the way the disorder works. It alleges we have, or could, act contrary to our core character values - in your case fidelity and love, in my case of harm OCD love and care. 

Yes it will demand certainty - but you can beat it by determining to accept 

Probability that it is OCD pure and simple, lying and fabricating. 

The advice of the worthy knowledgeable people on here 

The cognitive knowledge of how it works in this theme, as above. 

You can beat this if you stand up to it in this way. 

Roy 

Link to comment

Because you are revulsed by them, because they are attacking your true core values. 

You need to work through some structured exposure and response prevention, sitting with the response you get whilst reminding yourself why the intrusion is false. 

After several, but possibly more, sessions your brain will accept that it's all rubbish and the anxiety and revulsion will ease away. 

Edited by taurean
Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Not sure if I can chip in here. But I had a similar instance.

I am travelling on an official visit but had to make arrangements for my stay on my own. I am staying in a hotel, had gone to check for another hostel around thinking it would be more lively. The person showed me the place. He showed me the kitchen area, the dormitory room, washrooms. I feel he and I did something together. We did something. I feel sick. I have come back to my previous hotel. I came back to my hotel and decided to not stay in that hostel. But then in the past two days I am convinced I had sex with that guy. And it is making me immensely guilty.

But the way @taurean puts it may be it is about accepting that something like that happened. But how can a human being accept everything like that? I cheated on my husband that means, who by the way is calm about it. I am a cheater and a bad person.

Link to comment
2 hours ago, Pranjali said:

But the way @taurean puts it may be it is about accepting that something like that happened. But how can a human being accept everything like that? I cheated on my husband that means, who by the way is calm about it. I am a cheater and a bad person.

No. I don't go down the route of "accepting" something like that happened. 

Even though there may be only 0.001% probabiluty that something like that happened, OCD says it is enough to worry about. But that is, of course, ridiculous and we need to see it that way. 

And, for me, it gets a whole lot easier to "show up" what the OCD is doing, alleging "I was unfaithful, I cheated on my husband, that makes me a terrible person" etc. 

But the true character values would no doubt be "I love my husband, I would never cheat on him". 

See how such an allegation against those true core values, setting up repetitive thinking (the obsession) creates the compulsions (trying to remember, researching, asking for reassurance etc.) to try and ease the disorder (anxiety, distress). 

Link to comment
Guest OCDhavenobrain

It is because your head wants you to really focus on the threat it sees so it sees it ad justified to throw in some lies into the mix. Or it is not lies, more like "possibilities". Just to keep you safe from whatever it sees as a threat. You will feel really bad and anxious but that part of the brain have made a splendid job because it makes you aware of the threat.

Edited by OCDhavenobrain
Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...