What part is the ocd?

[Chris2020]

Is ocd the actual bad/intrusive thought or is ocd what you think/do next with that thought ie dwelling on that thought and giving it meaning and endless possibilities of disastrous outcomes?

I'm trying to look at this another way and hopefully make me understand better. 

Hope this makes sense

[AmandaG]

Those are both aspects of OCD. There are intrusive or 'obsessive' automatic thoughts/feelings, and they result in a compulsion to perform a physical act or ritual, or consciously run through thoughts, plans and possibilities, in an effort to escape or allleviate anxiety, mitigate against threat, seek reassurance, and prevent the feared outcome.

[Ashley]

1 hour ago, Chris2020 said:

Is ocd the actual bad/intrusive thought or is ocd what you think/do next with that thought ie dwelling on that thought and giving it meaning and endless possibilities of disastrous outcomes?

Hello Chris,

Amanda is right in that they're both aspects of the OCD.   The obsession is the unwanted intrusive thought (or could be an image or feeling or impulse), this creates anxiety and uncertainty, which we sometimes misinterpret, that can lead to emotional responses and physical symptoms sometimes (heart racing, body sensations) which then often reinforces the misinterpretation of the thought to actually mean something which triggers more intrusive thoughts and emotions.  Alongside that, any kind of physical or mental ritual, such as endless dwelling to give the thought meaning is the compulsion.  The compulsion feeds back into the misinterpretation of the thought, and contrary to popular belief, it doesn't always temporarily give relief from the anxiety, it can actually increase the anxiety. 

OCD is complex with many facets all feeding into the process of what is OCD.  I have a visual illustration of this process somewhere that I can dig out for you if helpful?    

 

[Chris2020]

Thank you both for your replies.

If you come across that illustration that would be great. 

Thank you