My OCD Makes Me Believe I Am

[liverbird3980]

I have had OCD since I was 14 and now I am 31 years old. I also have anxiety disorder really badly which I take meds for.

Last night, I had really bad intrusive thoughts that got me actually believing I am a stalker all because I was searching for a long lost friend whose name I wasn't sure how to spell so I typed in both and my OCD told me "you're now a stalker".

I know in my heart its the bully OCD, I don't like to call it "MY OCD" cause I don't want to own it.

OK my question is, when you "feel" it cause you think of your one, does that come into it intrusive thoughts, thinking as well as feeling?.

Sorry if my post is confusing and for any misspelled words.

 

[Daniel E.]

Feelings can certainly be false messages from the brain:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder For ... - Charles H. Elliott, Laura L. Smith - Google Books

 

[David Baxter PhD]

See also:

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/16992-ocd-thinking-the-unthinkable.html

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/obsessiv...ocd/25926-those-darned-unwanted-thoughts.html

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/obsessiv...our-steps-dr-jeffrey-schwartz-brain-lock.html

 

[liverbird3980]

thanks it really helps to know I am not a stalker, I do know sometimes I am NOT one cause they are bad but the ocd makes me actually believe and feel I am one and its so hard to stop me thinking it.

 

[Daniel E.]

and its so hard to stop me thinking it.

Of course, trying to stop intrusive/unwanted thoughts is counterproductive. It is like trying not to think about a white bear or a pink elephant.

And the way people with OCD try to cope with intrusive thoughts is often by ruminating. So if you are referring to ruminating, then it is a matter of practice of delaying or minimizing that compulsive behavior, such as the mindful refocusing mentioned in Brain Lock.

But it helps to be really, really fed up with the OCD or else ruminating or seeking reassurance will seem like no big deal, not unlike a drug addict wanting another hit. In acceptance and commitment therapy, being fed up in a good way is referred to as creative hopelessness:

In order to develop what ACT calls ?creative hopelessness,? a person must conduct a thorough evaluation of the strategies that he or she has already used to cope with fear and anxiety. After doing this, the person often recognizes that all of these strategies have been unsuccessful or actually made the problem worse. This is because these strategies are actually attempts to avoid and control feelings of fear and anxiety, which can never be successful. For example, a man who attempts to control his fear of contamination by excessively washing his hands actually develops a worse problem, as does a woman who tries to avoid her anxious feelings about being imperfect by continually checking her actions over and over again. But rather than just being hopeless, this stage of treatment is also creative because it allows the person to begin exploring new, more successful ways of coping with fear and anxiety.

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/acceptan...997-getting-your-act-together.html#post172762