Jump to content

Is there a definitive link?


Recommended Posts

I hope this is OK to post.

I've been wondering where has this OCD come from? Why do I suffer from Intrusive thoughts and anxiety? Why me?

I've always been anxious, even as a small child.  I put so much on myself.  I am my worst critic.  I don’t have much self confidence.  I grew up in what I consider a toxic environment.  I’ve been in toxic relationships in the past, stayed because I thought I deserved to be treated this way. It was somehow my fault and I should do everything to make it better. 

Im not sure where i’m going with my post but do you think it’s possible that past experiences on life, upbringing can cause OCD?

I've had all different themes.  I cannot shake it.  I’ve tried so hard.

i guess the problem is me.  It all came to a head about 14years ago, and steadily got worse.  Especially the last seven years have been an uphill struggle.  I can find techniques that work, feel fine and my brain finds a ‘new worry’ and I’ll obsess over it for weeks days - the current obsession I’ve been worrying about for the last three years as an example.

i feel so lonely.  I feel afraid.  

Last night I had a horrible anxiety that I was real and I died and was ‘dreaming my existence’. I felt ‘out of body’ for about twenty minutes or so... I cried, sat with my anxiety and fell to sleep.  

I just don’t feel “right” at the moment and it’s hard to put into words what I’m feeling, truly feeling, because I cannot explain how my mind is making me feel?  I feel scared. 

Link to comment

Hi Ebbieflow,

I can understand how you’re feeling right now. OCD will make us question a lot of things in life and we then fall into the trap of trying to figure out our OCD. You have been through a lot and it is okay to feel sad when you think about things from the past or scared when you can’t quite understand what’s going on but you do need to be careful that you don’t spend time trying to escape these feelings or thoughts as OCD loves it when we fight with it. The best thing to do in this moment is to just accept where your thoughts are going and trying not to engage with them. When we engage then that shows OCD that we’re afraid and so it will keep bringing up new obsessions. 

There is a possibility that OCD might be caused by trauma from the past or how we were brought up but realistically this sort of information doesn’t help us in the end. What we need are tools to recover from ocd and these may include acceptance, mindulness, CBT, medication and of course a lot of self-compassion. Living with OCD isn’t easy, we need to hug ourselves a little more for what it tries to put us through. 

Bismah ?

Link to comment

It’s your amygdala at work. Your primitive brain. Probably triggered by something & you created some maladaptive coping mechanisms, of which OCD is one. 
 

At age 25 we get a new brain thing, a neocortex.  
 

You might have depersonalization as a theme sometimes. You’ll age out of it when your neocortex forms, I hope.

Link to comment
29 minutes ago, Handy said:

It’s your amygdala at work. Your primitive brain. Probably triggered by something & you created some maladaptive coping mechanisms, of which OCD is one. 
 

 

30 minutes ago, Handy said:

At age 25 we get a new brain thing, a neocortex.  
 

 You’ll age out of it when your neocortex forms, I hope.

There's a bit of contradiction in those two statements Handy :(

My observations have been nothing of the sort.  I can't think of any examples I've come across where people have spontaneously "grown out of it" aged 25 ish.  The opposite generally, that untreated, unchallenged it generally tends to become more entrenched

Link to comment

Back to the original question.  If you grew up in a toxic household where you didn't feel safe, it's not surprising that you developed anxiety.  It's also not unusual that you started using compulsions to try and avert/control that anxiety/your situation.  The more you attempt to control things by these means, the more the obsessive fears multiply & intrude in fear of not doing them.  The good news is that you can learn to view and deal with these fears differently, especially with new insight and an adult understanding of how they occur

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...