If You Have Obsessional OCD, Then You Experience Scary OCD Thoughts
They are intrusive, scary, annoying at the very least. They come out of nowhere and make you feel crazy. For some people they are debilitating. Here is what some OCD thoughts sound like:
- You really feel like you have to jump off this building, right now!
- What if you just cut yourself up right now?
- What if you just go crazy and run into traffic?
- What if you kill your dog?
- You’re going to hurt someone!
- You’re going to have to commit suicide!
Many times the thoughts are not verbal, rather images or sensations in the body. Some people may see themselves cutting their wrists or feel their bodies being pulled in the direction of the edge of the cliff. They feel like they actually have to resist the force that is driving them.
Well, I’m here to tell you that these thoughts are harmless.
Just to put your mind at rest, studies have been done on these thoughts, and out of thousands of people studied, nobody had ever acted on the OCD thought that they were so afraid of. NOT A SINGLE PERSON. Rest assured these thoughts are liars, and a result of fear, fear of the unknown, of loss of control.
OCD thoughts are not psychotic thoughts that people with Schizophrenia experience. Schizophrenics actually hear an external voice telling them to do this or that. OCD thoughts are not voices, they are just thoughts. People have unusual thoughts every day. Those with anxiety disorders place too much importance on their disturbing thoughts, and see them as dangerous. Most people have crazy thoughts from time to time, and they dismiss them as just that.
Imagine a large stamp, with big, red letters that say OCD, and stamp those thoughts with it. Make it so the letters OCD overwhelm the silly little words underneath.
Don’t take these thoughts seriously. Don’t buy into them, or analyze them. 3 Steps to deal with them are:
- Let them come.
- Call them what they are: OCD thoughts.
- Let them go.
Some of my clients who have been receiving treatment for OCD thoughts dialog with their scary thoughts by saying:
“Eh, whatever.”
“This is just a thought, not a reality.”
“This is OCD, not me.”
“Ok, sure, right, I’m going to jump off the cliff. ”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…”
“Not now, OCD, I’m busy.”
Give it a shot. I know these thoughts are really frightening, but they won’t hurt you! Don’t try to get rid of them. Just let them be there. If you ignore them long enough, they will go away. Don’t open the door and the unwanted guest WILL stop knocking eventually.