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Can ocd convince you?


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I think I may already know the answer to this but can ocd actually convince you about doing something wrong or the thoughts being true rather than just worrying if they are? If at times during big ocd spikes you’ve thought the thoughts are probably true does it go beyond ocd? I’ve also convinced myself of doing some awful things not just thoughts and now I’m not as convinced I did anything but that’s maybe different than believing the thoughts could be true at times? For example I once convinced myself I sexually assaulted someone and was somewhat suicidal and thinking how to punish myself until after confessing to multiple people who said I didn’t do anything I started feeling a bit better and eventually thinking I probably didn’t do anything wrong. Or like some of my other posts on here and thinking I’m sick. 
 

Some people are able to say deep down I know it’s ocd and then others like me can’t say that. I can say deep down I know I have ocd to an extent at least, due to noticing how my brain works and obvious things like hand washing. But not with certainty that it’s not also more. Why is that? If I felt I knew deep down I’d probably be obsessing a lot less or at least that’s how it feels. 

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@PolarBear ok sorry I won’t message anyone. If you or anyone wants to know why I thought I did then I will post.

Sorry for being so confusing my anxiety levels are really high and I keep reading what I wrote over and over until it doesn’t make much sense then just giving up and posting. 
 

I guess what I was asking is if after a huge ocd spike, for example like one of my previous posts thinking I might be evil or might have done evil, but then actually saying to myself  this probably goes beyond ocd and very occasionally actually fully believing that it’s more than ocd and therefore something awful does that mean it’s not just ocd? People don’t seem to actually convince themselves (from what I’ve seen) they just worry which I do too but sometimes I actually convince myself for a while.

An example would be if I pet my dog then get the thought I’m doing it for the disgusting reason of my sexual pleasure. Then I actually start believing I did do it for that reason and thus did something terrible. Is that a normal ocd thing where instead of just worrying if you did you’ve actually convinced yourself? Usually after I’ve calmed down it seems like it was more likely ocd but I don’t know if I’ve seen people actually convince themselves of these things. It seems most people just worry about if they did which I do but sometimes I actually convince myself and maybe that means something?
 

I don’t think I’m making any sense sorry.

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8 minutes ago, Terriblethoughts said:

I guess what I was asking is if after a huge ocd spike, for example like one of my previous posts thinking I might be evil or might have done evil, but then actually saying to myself  this probably goes beyond ocd and very occasionally actually fully believing that it’s more than ocd and therefore something awful does that mean it’s not just ocd?

If worrying that our problem wasn't just OCD was proof its not just OCD then basically none of us would have OCD.
Or, to put it more directly, no, what you are describing is utterly typical OCD behavior, to worry that ones problems caused by OCD are not OCD.

Whether you believe your problem is OCD or not doesn't change whether it is, anymore than believing you are a winged unicorn with a rainbow tail actually makes you a winged unicorn with a rainbow tail.
 

12 minutes ago, Terriblethoughts said:

It seems most people just worry about if they did which I do but sometimes I actually convince myself and maybe that means something?

It means you are a typical OCD sufferer having typical OCD sufferer type thoughts.  Thats it.

 

4 hours ago, Terriblethoughts said:

I can say deep down I know I have ocd to an extent at least, due to noticing how my brain works and obvious things like hand washing. But not with certainty that it’s not also more. Why is that?

Because OCD causes us to feel doubt when we shouldn't.  OCD can make us feel that doubt about anything, INCLUDING about whether or not we have OCD.  Frustrating? Absolutely.  Abnormal? Absolutely not.

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20 minutes ago, PolarBear said:

Got it with the dog. Yes, perfectly normal. Ruminate hard enough and you can convince yourself of anything.

What if rumination isn’t always the cause of me convincing myself? What if right after I pet her while having or getting those thoughts I pretty much immediately believe that I’ve done it for the horrible reason and then start ruminating or obsessing trying to figure it out more and remember exactly what I was thinking and feeling after. I have convinced myself of things through rumination as well but sometimes it’s right after an event and then ruminating comes with it after. Does that matter?

I can barely even pet my dog or be near her at times. I definitely can’t give her belly rubs anymore either. 

Thank you Polar appreciate the responses and sorry you had to try and make sense of that.

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No, it doesn't matter. You're overthinking this way too much. It's caused by your overactive mind genersting obsessions that this isn't OCD. It's all nonsense.

Now give this a rest. Stick your nose in a book or watch a comedy.

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3 hours ago, Terriblethoughts said:

What if rumination isn’t always the cause of me convincing myself? What if right after I pet her while having or getting those thoughts I pretty much immediately believe that I’ve done it for the horrible reason and then start ruminating or obsessing trying to figure it out more and remember exactly what I was thinking and feeling after. I have convinced myself of things through rumination as well but sometimes it’s right after an event and then ruminating comes with it after. Does that matter?

Nope, doesn't matter.
Its not at all surprising you keep having these thoughts around/about your pet, its a big deal in your mind right now.
Whatever your intrusive thoughts are about, you are much more likely to think about those thoughts.
Worried about contamination? You'll view the world around you through a "contamination" lens.
Worried about getting sick?  Suddenly each and every bodily sensation is experienced as "oh no, is this a symptom of a fatal disease?!?"
Pick a worry, you can find ways it will be the first thing you think of in a given situation, ESPECIALLY if there is a direct connection to the intrusive thought.
You are worried about the reasons you are interacting with your pet, well, whenever you are around your pet THAT is what pops in to your head because THAT is what OCD and you have trained it to think is super important.  You break that pattern by interacting with your pet and ignoring (as much as you can) the intrusive thoughts.  OCD says don't rub your pets belly? Rub it anyway.  Maybe you aren't at that point yet, maybe you have to work up to it, but that should be your goal.  To treat these thoughts as unimportant, because they are.  Whatever "but what if..." you can think of isn't going to change that.Is it hard to change your thinking? Yes, it requires stubbornness and patience.  But you can (and should) do it.  You'll be better off when you do.
 

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23 hours ago, PolarBear said:

Except in exceptional circumstances, advice should not be given via PM.

 

That’s wrong again, people can use their PM for anything they want. Crickey, last thing the forum needs is PM police. 

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Handy, no one can stop you, however many users, including Caramoole and Ashley try to dissuade people from giving advice via PM.

There are several reasons why, including that if advice is given privately, there is no guarantee the advice is accurate, whereas on the open forum, we all monitor responses to insure correct information is given.

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3 hours ago, Handy said:

That’s wrong again, people can use their PM for anything they want. Crickey, last thing the forum needs is PM police. 

CAN use is different than SHOULD use.

PB lays out the reasons why PM use for advice issuing is discouraged.

A potential consequence of PMs being misused would be for them to be more limited or disabled entirely.  Suggesting people follow forum guidelines and behave in a responsible fashion is to try and protect that privilege.

Also, no the last thing the forum needs are people offering bad advice unchecked and harming peoples recovery.

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It's termed Emotional Reasoning. 

Emotional reasoning is a cognitive process by which a person concludes that his/her emotional reaction proves something is true, regardless of the observed evidence.

Therefore people with OCD believe that the emotional response they get to a worry/intrusive through must mean that the worry/intrusive thought is real......

How many people (without OCD) worry about getting on a plane in case it crashes? Compared with how many planes ACTUALLY crash?

Get the idea? 

Edited by MentalChecker
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  • 1 year later...
On 15/01/2020 at 01:10, dksea said:

If worrying that our problem wasn't just OCD was proof its not just OCD then basically none of us would have OCD.
Or, to put it more directly, no, what you are describing is utterly typical OCD behavior, to worry that ones problems caused by OCD are not OCD.

Whether you believe your problem is OCD or not doesn't change whether it is, anymore than believing you are a winged unicorn with a rainbow tail actually makes you a winged unicorn with a rainbow tail.
 

It means you are a typical OCD sufferer having typical OCD sufferer type thoughts.  Thats it.

 

Because OCD causes us to feel doubt when we shouldn't.  OCD can make us feel that doubt about anything, INCLUDING about whether or not we have OCD.  Frustrating? Absolutely.  Abnormal? Absolutely not.

Thanks for this man i've been getting anxious about this for quite a while thinking there was something wrong with me or if its just my ocd convincing myself but this clears it up a bunch. Thanks

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On 14/01/2020 at 23:58, Terriblethoughts said:

@Handy basically nothing. I’m a bit ashamed but I hooked up with someone at a party a couple years ago. I didn’t think anything of it until a year later when I started obsessing about it. I’ll message you in more detail bc I’m embarrassed to post it.

 

On 16/01/2020 at 00:09, Handy said:

That’s wrong again, people can use their PM for anything they want. Crickey, last thing the forum needs is PM police. 

Actually, that isn't correct Handy.  We actively advise people NOT to use the messaging facility to approach other users for advice.  We do this for many reasons.  Firstly, so that we can ensure that the advice given is accurate, much of it isn't.  It can also put the recipient under great pressure.  It may start off with good intent but sometimes the recipient finds it overwhelming, especially if someone is very distressed or becomes dependent.  We don't moderate the forum with a heavy hand but if we think that the PM facility is being abused or misused we do reserve the right to disable it for individuals.  Over the decades I have seen many instances where we are approached by members asking for help because they've found themselves in situations where they are out of their depth and we have to intervene

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