Compulsions before Obsessions - Preventative measure?

[Rachy]

Hi All,

I know the 'standard' OCD pattern goes like:

Obsessions (intrusive thoughts e.g. disturbing images, thoughts of something bad happening, which increase anxiety) -> Compulsions (actions that temporarily reduce anxiety) 

and my OCD has followed that trajectory...for the most part

But ive also found that sometimes I don't start with an obsession, my brain will just tell me i need to do something (no disturbing image, or thought) and I have to do it, if i don't i can either start to obsess over something or just get an intense uncomfortable feeling

at first i thought it was just habit e.g. I have to turn labels the right way in the fridge - i can't remember when it started but maybe it did start as a way to 'control' an obsession and then its become learnt behaviour

but is not just in the fridge, so if im in the shop, my brain will tell me i need to put the labels the right why - so okay maybe this learnt behaviour for this compulsion extends to other environments

but then ive also noticed it with completely new compulsions e.g. my brain can tell me that i need to flick the light switch on and off 3 times (again no obsession to begin with or reason as to why i need to do it) - sometimes these compulsions might just be one off (ive had to hop 3 times before) and sometimes they stick (e.g. i always click the light switch on and off 3 times)

so my new trajectory is:

compulsion ---> if compulsion not done ----> obsession over something bad happening or overwhelming uncomfortable feeling/anxiety

I feel like maybe my compulsions are now a preventative measure to obsessions rather than a 'temporary cure' - so my mind makes me do compulsions to stop the obsessional thoughts or anxiety before they have even begun to prevent them from starting, rather than using compulsions as a way to stop an obsession that has started

Its possible its because last year my OCD was quite severe, i had a lot of 'pure O' symptoms which really affected me, I ended up with depression and it was basically just horrible, and it mainly followed the 'standard trajectory', i don't know how i turned a corner but since my symptoms have become milder ive feared it getting worse again, and so maybe this is my brains way of coping - if i do this then the obsessions won't start, and the obsessions were what made my OCD more difficult to cope with

I was just wondering if anyone else experiences ocd like this? I know there is something called 'just right' ocd where there may not be identifiable obsessions but if you don't do something or get something just right you feel intense anxiety and i can turn into ''i need to get this just right otherwise i will have overbearing anxiety'' 

thanks everyone!

Rach

[PolarBear]

It's just OCD. Nothing weird about it. If you want to delve into it, your mind told you to turn the cans a certain way, which is the obsession. Followed by doing it, which is the compulsion.

A good test is try not turning the cans around. If your anxiety spikes, it's OCD.

[Gemma@OCDUK]

Hi Rach,

Obsessions vary and can come in the form of urges, which is probably what you're experiencing. So your obsessions are still present, but it's just more of a feeling to do something rather than thoughts. You then have the compulsions, like turning cans around, and then the worry if you don't do your compulsion, like something bad happening. 

I hope this is helpful,

Gemma

 

 

[Angst]

I had embedded learned behaviour when I had a set of compulsions revolving around checking that the front door was locked. The checking was taking more and more time as it became more ritualistic.  Purposively, not doing the compulsions resulted in consciously revealing the obsession to my mind.

A compulsive behaviour can transfer to another environment, for example, compulsively checking a front door at another property.

You write ‘my brain can tell me that I need to….have to’ when there is no rational reason to do do these things. It could be the speed of mental processing collapsing the time between obsession and the initiation of a compulsion.

On the basis of my experience and the advice of others I would not do the compulsions. It is likely that you will have temporary feelings of unease from not doing them.

[northpaul]

4 hours ago, Rachy said:

I know the 'standard' OCD pattern goes like:

Obsessions (intrusive thoughts e.g. disturbing images, thoughts of something bad happening, which increase anxiety) -> Compulsions (actions that temporarily reduce anxiety) 

In my Cognitive Behavioural Therapy I learned that doing compulsions (eg: multiple door checking) actually perpetuates the anxiety.  This in turn perpetuates the checking and a vicious circle starts.  I learned that not doing the checks results in what Angst has descibed below.  Yes, there will be anxiety when you dont do the checks but each time you practice not checking then the anxiety reduces little by little.  Eventually I have managed to get to a point now where mainly I only do a basic check then move on.  I try to concentrate on the task I am going out to do after I lock the door.  I find this helps to reduce that anxiety.

18 minutes ago, Angst said:

On the basis of my experience and the advice of others I would not do the compulsions. It is likely that you will have temporary feelings of unease from not doing them.

 

[Rachy]

Hi Everyone

 

thankyou for your replies

it seems maybe i was just thinking too much about it - not uncommon for myself

but interesting to see how it doesn't necessarily fit neatly into categories - not that i thought something like ocd would, as seen by the forum, it is experienced in so many different ways

I have tried cbt before, although at the time it was very difficult to continue as my obsessions tended to be of mistakes i had made, so i thought i was undeserving of taking up a space in doing cbt, however, the use of techniques such as postponement made my ocd more manageable, and i think i need to start stopping myself from doing the compulsions as ive noticed my ocd getting worse the past few weeks

I understand what you mean about compulsions actually making anxiety worse - i remember learning that a compulsion might work but then it almost acts like a drug, sooner or later it no longer works as well and the compulsion develops and you need to do more - but also some compulsions in themselves create anxiety - when i obsessed over past mistakes, my compulsion was actually to go through those memories in fine detail and I would have to keep thinking about it, i needed to constantly feel guilty and bad, and basically torture myself with guilt, otherwise, if i didn't keep thinking about it or moved on, then i would be an even worse person who was unapologetic - so the compulsion made me feel horrible, but it was better than the feeling of not doing it

I hope you are doing okay

thankyou again for your replies, really appreciated

Rach