Ocd and intrusive feelings

[Ma29]

Hello..

im feeling trapped again and need some advice please.

i have been dealing with the intrusive thoughts the best I can. 

This week is proving really tough. I may be sitting or lying idle with m baby and and all of a sudden I get this intrusive feeling that I will do what I’m fearing -  This is always focused on the groin area and specifically moving my groin towards baby.  

Can ocd produce unwanted feelings?

For example make you feel like something bad is going to happen OR make you feel like you are about to do the thing you fear?

can OCD try to convince you that you even like what you fear - for example if my mums sitting next to me and ocd makes me feel like I want to touch her knee but then makes me feel like I will even like it if I do that?

Thanks

[Mini]

Yes OCD can do all those things. I just want to say how well you have been doing. Don’t forget how far you have come! Remember to congratulate yourself!

[Ma29]

Thank you for your kind words @Mini- I really appreciate it. I hope you are okay.

I’m just finding this all really tough.

Sometimes not always, when  I’m in close proximity with anyone but especially with baby the ocd gets triggered and the unwanted thoughts come in but more recently it’s presented as a ‘feeling of something bad is about to happen. It is always specific to the groin area as ocd has given the groin a bad meaning such as ‘nothing must touch my groin area and my groin area should not touch anything or anyone because it is only used for intimacy and so will be deemed as inappropriate’. I’m trying to be logical about this but need to know if I’m doing the right thing.

situation :- baby is lying down next to me, everything is fine but then the ocd gets triggered and gives the feeling that my groin is about to move towards his direction, or I’m about to do this purposely. As I think my groin is taboo and only used for a certain reason then there are intrusive feelings attached to this too such as if someone finds intimacy pleasurable then a pleasurable feeling comes in at the same time of the thought/initial feeling or if someone likes intimacy then this feeling of like comes when experience the initial intrusive thought or feeling but the only reason that happens is because of this warped meaning the ocd has given to the groin and because it causes me anxiety. And also because of the theme of ocd - no way do I want to be feeling this towards anyone, not my mum/sister/brother/baby! Does this make sense to anyone?

Im really scared -

Do those feelings come because they are feared too because of the ocd?
 

How do I tackle this?

 

[PolarBear]

You asked. You got an answer. Now that's lead to two more questions.

Leave it alone.

For your benefit, the definition of an obsession:

An obsession is an intrusive (thought, image, feeling, urge, impulse or sensation (or any combination thereof)) that causes distress.

You deal with an intrusive feeling just like an intrusive thought.

[Ma29]

@PolarBear I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have too

Anyone out there who can help me some more please - @snowbear / @Caramoole

[Mini]

@PolarBearis right. Let it go.

[snowbear]

13 hours ago, Ma29 said:

ocd has given the groin a bad meaning such as ‘nothing must touch my groin area and my groin area should not touch anything or anyone because it is only used for intimacy and so will be deemed as inappropriate’

This bit of interpretative thinking is key to your problems, Ma. It's because you think this way that anything to do with your groin catches your attention (your obsession) and makes you feel uncomfortable (resulting in compulsions.)

But the groin area isn't just for intimacy is it? In fact a far more pertinent and important function is giving birth! So a good approach would be to challenge the  'only for intimacy' interpretation that's keeping you stuck in this OCD cycle to something less triggering.

Next time you get an intrusive thought/ feeling reset your thinking to 'My groin moved because I'm subconsciously remembering pushing baby out when giving birth.' Nothing inapropriate or sexual about that.

Breaking the link you've made between thoughts about the groin region and ideas of 'sex only' will break the obsession (fixation) and remove the 'need' to make any further interpretations about inappropriateness.

Once it's no longer seen as inappropriate it becomes just a normal movement/ not worthy of further analysis or attention. It never was. Only the way you've been thinking has made it seem that way.

 

 

[PolarBear]

19 hours ago, Ma29 said:

@PolarBear I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have too

Anyone out there who can help me some more please - @snowbear / @Caramoole

Ah, but you didn't have to. 

This material has been covered previously. Many people have told you how to handle obsessions. You've raised many specific examples and we've always told you to do the same thing.

This time, like all the other times, doubt crept in. OCD led you to believe that this time is different. So you asked. In reality, it's the same old **** that OCD generates. You still deal with it the same old way.

Part of recovery is learning to stand on your own two feet. Don't worry, we'll be here if you fall. But you should be making some of your own decisions, like, this feels different but I'm just going to treat it like any other obsession.