Intrusive thoughts??: what do you do about... - OCD Support

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Intrusive thoughts??

what do you do about intrusive thoughts that just refuse to go away? I have had many and it has come to the point where I just don't want to think anything anymore because whenever I do one of these annoying, unpleasant thoughts comes to mind and it's all I can think about for the rest of the day. I hate it so much and I don't know what to do about it. Its pretty much taken over my brain and my mind always tends to steer back to these thoughts and fret over them for the rest of the day.. Sometimes the rest of the week. Anybody else feel like this??

Sorry if I'm being a bit dramatic,

-Jem x

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jemjemclem

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12 Replies

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8 years ago

I know it probably isn't much help, but I work the same. Sometimes a worry lasts minutes, others last weeks. The way I try to look at it positively is if I was genuinely a bad person/pervert/selfish pig/etc surely I wouldn't feel so disgusted/stressed/upset?

Take care, your not being dramatic.

Stevie

Embea• in reply to8 years ago

Do you find that while you've got one worry going around in your head, you don't worry about anything else, until that worry is sorted/gone, and then after a little while, chances are another one takes it's place. And then you worry about that one till it's sorted/gone. And on and on. Is that how it works with you?

• in reply toEmbea8 years ago

EXACTLY LIKE THAT!!! The current worry is the most important thing in the history of the universe. And I can ponder, and ruminate, and be perplexed for ages. Solving it always brings short term relief, but the paradox is this: once one worry's slaked, my mind will find/invent/fabricate a new one. But the sad part is if you've ruminated incessantly over a worry the precedent has been set that that's how to vanquish/beat a worry.

But no matter what I always say to myself "ah well, I'm still me"! Silly, but cheers me up!

Steve

Embea• in reply to8 years ago

It's good to find someone else who thinks like me! Thanks Steve. Do you mind me asking more? (Tell me to shut up if I ask too much!)

I was wondering if sometimes your worries feel like the end of the world for you (they do for me) - i.e. if the thing I'm currently worrying about turns out to be a 'valid' or 'true' worry (by my probably warped definition of course!) then it's the pits - it's the worst thing in the world, I'm dreadful etc etc etc. Do you find that too?

• in reply toEmbea8 years ago

Oh yeah, that's a common ocd trait: almost narcissistic, the sufferers worries hold the key to happiness, and the weight of the world is in your hands. Sure, Donald Trump or another world leader may not see the importance my 'confirmation worry' plays to world values, but "it's pretty darn important to me, Trump!!

Ask away, if I don't respond imminently it's not impertinence, I'll reply when I see my mail!

Stevie

Embea• in reply to8 years ago

So have you found any way of countering all this? I find it almost impossible to 'ignore' my worries - I can have a very good think about it, and decide that it's not worth worrying about, but my mind still knaws away at it, or I just carry on feeling crap anyway. Sometimes I can catch a glimpse of what it would be like to be free of these crushing feelings of guilt and awfulness, but the glimpse doesn't usually last long.

It's mad how, when I am worried about one thing (THE one thing I'm currently worried about, whatever that is), all other past worries are as if they never happened. Even though, at the time, I was very worried about them. It's only the current worry that matters.

• in reply toEmbea8 years ago

Unfortunately, after 25+yrs, I'm yet to find a steadfast way to 'rid' myself of the worry! But, like you, when beaten the next one replaces and makes the previous seem superfluous. I suppose, I put credence in the fact I 'HAVE' a condition, thusly, giving me a little mental reassurance that I'm not a bad guy. E.g. I can laugh at my sexual deviant worries now, and my unfaithful to wife worry, as the past few months have been consumed by the 'am I breaking the law when driving' worry; albeit, I've been told many times by the DVLA. my car meets with my medical requirements- I was very poorly physically awhile back.

I know it sounds cheesy, but the one thing I always say to myself is 'ah well, I'm still me'. Yeah, I'm quirky, different, bizarre, but no matter what: I am who I am! Or I remember a great line from Shawshank Redemption: Get busy living.

Embea• in reply to8 years ago

I like the 'Get busy Living' quote. We need more quotes like that. And the ability to laugh at ourselves - that must be healthy too. It's pretty draining all this worry!

jemjemclem• in reply toEmbea8 years ago

That's exactly how my thoughts are!! It's Iike a repetitive circle, except with different thoughts/worries each time!!

Embea• in reply tojemjemclem8 years ago

Good to find out we're not alone! How do your worries work - and have you found any ways of getting over them?

jemjemclem• in reply toEmbea8 years ago

Agreed, it is so much better to know you're not alone!! Glad I found some people that are in the same sitauion as me ((:

Actually, my thoughts have been getting a bit easier to deal with lately as somebody gave me a trick of getting rid of the thoughts. It goes like this; think of 5 things that you can see in the room, think of 4 things that you can feel (e.g the floor on my feet) , then think of 3 things that you can hear, 2 things you can smell , and 1 good thing about yourself.

Doing this really helped to distract myself I think, from what was going on in my mind and forced me to think about other things - OUTSIDE my mush of a brain. You guys should try it too, it might help ((:

Bird-678 years ago

Oh how I feel for you as I have had the same sort of thoughts since childhood and I am now 66. It does help to know you are not the only one with this terrible soul destroying illness.

I have been on medication for 31 years now and had cbt and counselling but nothing has been enough to rid me of these awful scary thoughts. Good luck.

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