New here: Law of Attraction and OCD

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

Hi I am new here (Captain Obvious I know)

So will bad things come true if you accidentally say (words or thoughts) something bad not meaning (and what if you mean it??) it? What do you think??

Because I have this irritating OCD symptom that make me think "if I do this,X will happen". That or when I think of something then I thought of something awful, then I immediately say in mind that these two things have no correlation but I feel that subconsciously I might have said the thing its just that I did not think of it consciously. Intrusive thoughts. I am scared it might be equivalent to cursing something or using the Law of Attraction to make something happen, hopefully not.

EDIT: I am a chinese and we have a taboo that we curse someone that a bad thing will happen to them, if it does happen we are partly to blame (not sure if other culture has this thing as well), besides what do you guys think about the Law of Attraction??? These two I think are among the main reasons I have this problem. thnks.

The most serious example I am currently facing is this scenario: one day my friend came over my flat, and I was watching a youtube video about some video game character and suddenly i think i was overwhelmed by by OCD "seizure" and thought of something like "will he go to hell if I play this character", and then suddenly i thought of an image of me or someone saying yes, which i respond by thinking an image of a person (I think, I don't remember 100%) saying no, and this "program" has transmitted over some other characters too, I am afraid of possibility of LoA somehow indirectly affect the outcome.

Any ideas??? I heard that thought is creative power, I guessed my condition took advantage of that phrase. I pretty sure I won't caused any to go to hell DIRECTLY but is that possible for indirectly channeling that power via LoA ???

Besides, I have also think things that happened is G-d or some spiritual beings trying to show me a sign, sometimes I counteract my OCD by saying "ok if so-and-so happens then there is no such ocd deals or anything like that".

Thnks~~~

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That does sound very much like OCD-style worrying. Thoughts are not facts, and thoughts are not actions. They are just worries.

 

[AmZ]

Welcome

 

[Daniel E.]

And if you do have OCD, the ideal to find a therapist/psychologist who specializes in OCD. Most therapists who have only a master's degree do not have enough experience with OCD. For example, in the rural area where I live, schizophrenia is more common than OCD, and my psychiatrist -- who has a good knowledge of OCD -- has only a few OCD patients.

One way to start getting treatment (or to resume treatment) is to see a psychiatrist, who can provide a diagnosis and a referral to a therapist/psychologist.

More info:

Finding a Therapist for OCD

 

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

Uhm I describe my situation as OCD-like because I have not seen a psychiatrist etc.,but what do you think about the LoA part??Thnks anyway!

Cheers~~

 

[Daniel E.]

but what do you think about the LoA part??

Do you mean you want reassurance? If so, that's often a symptom of anxiety/OCD.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I describe my situation as OCD-like because I have not seen a psychiatrist

We are not diagnosing you (we don't permit that here) but whether or not you meet the criteria for OCD the inbtrusive thoughts and worries are very OCD-like, as I said above:

That does sound very much like OCD-style worrying. Thoughts are not facts, and thoughts are not actions. They are just worries.

 

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

Ok,I don't really care whether I have OCD or not,I mean they are just labels ,getting rid of the problem is my concern of course,I think I need to do more research on LoA,it is one of the major causes imo.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Ok,I don't really care whether I have OCD or not,I mean they are just labels ,getting rid of the problem is my concern of course,I think I need to do more research on LoA,it is one of the major causes imo.

That will probably make it worse. There is no "Law of Attraction", really. It's simply something invented to sell books and DVDs. "Researching" it will only lead you to all sorts of "testimonials" and claims that will aggravate the problem for you.

 

[Daniel E.]

I think I need to do more research on LoA,it is one of the major causes imo.

Often, the unwanted mental content that seems problematic and anxiety-provoking has nothing to do with the solution. It's the lack of acceptance that is the problem, such as not accepting the uncertainty of not knowing. So mindfulness/acceptance is part of the solution as opposed to trying to get rid of the anxiety. (Trying to get rid of anything mental or emotional often just makes it worse -- "if you don't want it, you've got it.")

For example, even hundreds and possibly thousands of years ago, Catholics and other religious people with OCD had obsessive thoughts about going to hell. And since they had OCD, they coped with these unwanted thoughts in ways that just made things worse -- such as doing more rituals like reassurance seeking with their priests (which just reinforced their low tolerance of anxiety).

So, at least with something like anxiety or more specifically OCD, it is more likely that the problem includes some or all of the following:

Low tolerance of anxiety/uncertainty (anxiety sensitivity) which motivates reassurance seeking ("need to do more research") and rumination (which is often a form of emotional avoidance associated with being less active socially and in general).

Anyway, a popular therapy for common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression is cognitive behavior therapy, in addition to medications such as SSRIs. Lifestyle changes such as socializing more or exercising more can also help in significant ways.

 

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

So you want me to ignore all my intrusive thoughts and avoid basing my actions on them,no matter it is saying " do this or that will happen " or " don't do this or that will happen"?
I have excessive daydreaming,could this be a cause of my problems??


Thnx(you two) for replying btw~

 

[Daniel E.]

So you want me to ignore all my intrusive thoughts and avoid basing my actions on them,no matter it is saying " do this or that will happen " or " don't do this or that will happen"?

which is going to be difficult, quite frankly. So in the beginning, especially, the goal is just to postpone compulsive behaviors like ruminating for a little while. Even now after 17 years of having OCD, I wouldn't have as my own goal to stop ruminating -- but rather to continue to minimize it (or to increase the space between the ruminations), such as refocusing on projects, going out more with friends, etc.

So it helps to have a therapist and have "training wheels" in the form of a SSRI like Prozac, Luvox, or Lexapro.

 

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

The another thing is how could I be sure it won;t have any effect??? It could be easy for someone else who doesn't think the same way to somewhat downplay the "severity" of another's OCD program,but I feel like when the supposed "outcome" is very bad(die etc.),I became quite scared to do something at times.

 

[Daniel E.]

but I feel like when the supposed "outcome" is very bad(die etc.),I became quite scared to do something at times.

Yeah, I know. In a way, it helps to be really frustrated with the way OCD (or whatever) is ruining your life so that there is more motivation to take the "leap of faith." One of my favorite movies is As Good As it Gets -- which isn't tht great of a movie, but the guy with OCD (played by Jack Nicholson) is motivated to overcome his OCD in order to keep his girlfriend. That is the Hollywood/romantic version of the truism that it helps to have some larger project to sustain oneself in difficult times. (A more accurate, less sterotypical movie about OCD is The Aviator starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who himself has OCD tendencies that were triggered by making the film.)

 

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

Ok,do you think there are other ways to get help online for this type of Metaphysical OCD????Because I am in foreign country right now,it is not practical for me to see a psychotherapist.psychiatrist



Cheers~

 

[Daniel E.]

The OCD Center of Los Angeles provides online therapy.

I don't know how much they charge, but they have a sliding-scale fee:

OCD Center of Los Angeles

 

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

Law of Attraction and OCD

I posted a similar thread on introductions,I posted here just to see other people's opinions

 

[PlaneswalkerZacron]

Ok,checking if I have any logical fallacies:

So do you think the below statements are true(as in my logical reasoning is correct and consistent ,not on whether there are suchpowers in the universe or not) :

1)Thinking that doing something would caused something bad to happen to someone,because the action is accidentally "Cursed" by an earlier thought and associated emotions is equivalent to a group of people thinking a certain action is a taboo and would cause bad luck,and feels strongly about it,but other people (not belonging to this religion,society etc.) do it and accordingly those people are at risk due to what the earlier group of people thought?

2)Thinking(by own imagination) of someone saying doing X would cause Y is the same as recalling someone saying doing X would cause Y??(And is basically the same?)And assuming LoA is true,it has no way to discern between both of it?

p/S:You know any therapist that are accustomed to treating people with "magical thinking"?Thnks.

 

[Daniel E.]

You know any therapist that are accustomed to treating people with "magical thinking"?

Well, therapists who specialize in OCD should be aware of "thought-action fusion," which is one form of magical thinking:

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/24305-key-cognitive-errors-in-ocd.html

Most of the cognitive errors or tendencies in OCD, such as awfulizing, are not unique to OCD but are similar to those of general anxiety, phobias, depression, etc.

 

[Daniel E.]

More info on magical thinking:

Magic and superstition are as old as the human race. They have represented a way for us to try to explain the normally unexplainable, and to try to control the seemingly uncontrollable. They have, therefore, always held great allure and attraction. One might go as far as to say that there is a human tendency to think superstitiously. Just look, for example, at people playing their ‘lucky’ lottery numbers, or reading horoscopes to guide their lives. Clearly, OCD does not have a monopoly on such thinking.

There are limits, however. The average person can find a place for a little superstition without it taking over and causing them to be unable to function. Even members of primitive societies, where magic dominates most important decisions, can tolerate its presence without becoming paralyzed by it. It is used as a tool and a guide. In OCD, we see magical thinking run amok, and out of control. Once it establishes itself as a symptom, it can grow like a cancer, starting as a way to relieve anxiety, and expanding to become the sufferer’s chief occupation and the cause of even greater anxieties than it was supposed to relieve...

In terms of what can be done to remedy magical obsessions and compulsions, I recommend, as usual, the two-pronged approach of medication plus behavioral therapy...

Very Superstitious | OCD Chicago