I hate OCD

[Winter1]

I have OCD and ADHD. With the ADHD my mind is constantly active and there are always thoughts or daydreams going on up there. This also means that for me, I find intrusive thoughts hard to shake because the ADHD wants to focus on it, feeding back into the OCD. 

However lately I've noticed that I get 'blank moments', where my head is fuzzy and I'm unsure of what I've been thinking. Though I have no control over this, this is leading to a spike in my anxiety as I end up worrying that the intrusive thoughts have been present and I haven't noticed, which leads to more anxiety as the intrusive thoughts then occur . I'm trapped in a loop.

As always, apologies for the rant .

Edited December 6, 2021 by Winter1

[alyssa07]

Hey Winter! Fellow ADHD and OCD-er here  

I completely get what you mean about the constantly active mind! I didn't actually realise till last year I think it was that not everyone has a constant stream of thought going through their heads 24/7. I also find the intrusive thoughts hard to shake because as you said our minds like to hyper focus and obsess over things and it does create this sort of loop that you can't escape, especially since the brain is so used to that pattern of thinking.

I don't know if you experience the same but I also find it really hard to refocus my ruminating because my mind can focus on multiple things at once - another thing I didn't realise was an ADHD thing till my therapist pointed it out to me. I can't say I've had much 'blank moments' more so just forgetfulness. Are you on ADHD medication? Personally I haven't ever been on it but if you do I wonder how it affects OCD and whether it helps or worsens it?  

-Alyssa

[snowbear]

41 minutes ago, alyssa07 said:

I didn't actually realise till last year I think it was that not everyone has a constant stream of thought going through their heads 24/7

Really? I'd say it was normal to have a stream of thoughts all the time while awake, and for the brain to be busy with 'dream-thoughts' when asleep. I've never heard of anybody who has significant periods of no thoughts going on. Even when meditating the mind isn't blank, it's just more focused and concentrates on one thing to the exclusion of all distractions.

46 minutes ago, alyssa07 said:

I also find it really hard to refocus my ruminating because my mind can focus on multiple things at once

Actually no brain in the world can focus on more than one thing at a time. If it feels like you're focused on several things at once the reality is you're switching focus continually between them. Which is, of course common to everybody who's ever 'multitasked' and very common indeed in ADHD.

What I'm saying is learning to focus (refocus away from ruminations) isn't easy for anybody, but it can be done. All it takes is practise and patience.

Having ADHD shouldn't be a barrier to overcoming OCD. You actually just have more to gain because learning how to focus/ refocus will help both conditions.

[ThomasOCD]

@Winter1 Hi, I struggle with OCD and other anxiety disorders and mixed personality disorders including Obsessive compulsive personality disorder, this feels like I have double OCD.