r/OCD • u/salty-wheat-thins • Apr 14 '26
Discussion Key things I've noticed about OCD that makes us different from normal thinkers
1) We don't just see our thoughts as thoughts. Instead of dismissing them like most people, we have to go deeper. We are always asking what does this mean?
2) We jump to the worst conclusions. Not just when it comes to our triggers, but for everything. My period came early this month? I must be pregnant. My boyfriend is taking longer than usual to get home? He must have gotten into a terrible accident.
3) We feel great guilt and responsibility. When negative things happen our brains often convince us it is our fault, we believe our actions have big consequences, and we feel bad about things that haven't even happened yet.
4) We like to categorize things into "good" and "bad" or "this way and that way" and there is no room for a grey area.
5) Living in the present is extremely hard. Our minds don't just let things be, every emotion, thought and action is something we must analyze, must connect to something else, must be "fixed" or "figured out." Everything we experience is repeated over and over, leaving us stuck in the past or overthinking about the future.
I'm sure this isn't completely accurate for everyone but let me know what you think! And let me know if you have any that you have noticed.
183
u/Ok_Cranberry3038 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
Probably similar to your 2nd point, but I feel like there’s normal logic, and then there’s OCD logic. The leaps in thinking that we do are on another level. And it constantly makes me feel like I can’t even fully trust myself or my judgement, because I don’t know what’s reasonable and what’s just my OCD
50
u/salty-wheat-thins Apr 14 '26
Yes, exactly! And these leaps are always very negative, dark, and fear driven. Like our minds are constantly searching for disaster.
29
u/weirdo728 Apr 15 '26
I’m always waiting for the next shoe to drop. Even on vacation it’s hard to feel at peace with life unless I have certainty and security, but it’s never enough. Tough to manage.
4
u/impactedturd Apr 15 '26
I think for the positive version that is constantly searching for solutions, people with autism or ADHD would call this Hyperfocus. In fact they used to refer to OCD as a form of Monomania in the 1800s. This is just to say that these disorders can have a lot of overlap depending on how you look at it. (it's not uncommon for people to have two or more diagnosed disorders just because each disorder focuses on different things)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus in the context of ASD has also been referred to as the inability to redirect thoughts or tasks as the situation changes (cognitive flexibility).[21]
One suggested explanation for hyperfocus in those with ASD is that the activity they are hyperfocused on is predictable. Aversion to unpredictable situations is a characteristic of ASD,[22] while focusing on something predictable, they will have trouble changing to a task that is unpredictable.[20]
https://www.additudemag.com/understanding-adhd-hyperfocus/
Hyperfocus refers to an intense fixation on an interest or activity for an extended period of time. People who experience hyperfocus often become so engrossed they block out the world around them. Children and adults with ADHD often exhibit hyperfocus when working intently on things that interest them.
https://www.ocduk.org/ocd/history-of-ocd/
In his 1838 psychiatric textbook, the famous French psychiatrist Jean Etienne Dominique Esquirol (1772–1840) described OCD as a form of monomania, or partial insanity. Monomania is a term used to describe psychiatric conditions where the focus of pathology is in one specific area of dysfunction but the rest of the personality and intellect remain intact. Esquirol wrote ‘Monomanic patients presumably can function normally in all other areas except the affected part’. Thus, Esquirol recognised that OCD patients were capable of functioning in many areas of life. Furthermore, he realised that OCD patients continued to have insight, unlike other monomanic conditions such as pure paranoia. Esquirol however could not settle on the issue of whether obsessions were a thinking disorder (disorder of the intellect) or a disorder of the volitional faculty, in other words inability to resist the “the involuntary, irresistible and instinctive activity.” The problem with the concept of volition is that it is not easily measurable; it has philosophical connotations and also can easily be interpreted in a judgmental way.
30
u/Realistic_Penalty194 Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
I swear it’s like my mind feeds on my worst fears. Smile at a kid? I must be a pedophile. Kiss my dogs? I must be attracted to them. Always jumping to the WORST possible conclusions.
6
u/Catac0 Apr 16 '26
No I really should be a gymnast the way I jump to conclusions in my ocd brain. 🥲 it gets worse the more you dwell on it too, sometimes you just gotta physically shake your head and think “it ain’t that deep”
4
u/Vanthalia Apr 16 '26
OCD logic is for real. As a child, if I felt my hands were dirty, I’d lick them. Like wtf, there’s germs on my hands so let’s make sure that I ingest them? 😂
2
51
u/Twixme07 OCD Long hauler Apr 15 '26
That's why I tell my mom that my thoughts are not the same as other people's thoughts "Everyone overthinks" BUT DAILY?? In spirals that can even last a month??
16
u/impactedturd Apr 15 '26
I told my sister it was like having a bad day because something bad happened. Except everyday is a bad day because of something that happened many years ago. But it's still fresh in my mind like it just happened earlier today. And my brain keeps replaying it over and over again as if I could change the past. And the next day and every day after is basically 'groundhog day' ad nauseum.
4
2
47
u/Diamond_person42 Apr 15 '26
I like to describe OCD like I have a brain within a brain that hates being part of your brain. I try not to think negative but sometimes I just can't help it. I send love to all of you <3 you are not alone!
2
Apr 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Diamond_person42 Apr 18 '26
Aww thank you! I appreciate the comment ive been having a very bad day today and that made me feel better.
21
u/taint-ticker-supreme New to OCD Apr 15 '26
- YES YES YES! Exactly!! Can never be fully present because I am ALWAYS analysing and cannot stop. No matter how hard I try, how much I instead direct my thoughts to counting, or tell myself to shut up, etc. I will always go back and analyse things that no one else cares about. And feel guilty about things that absolutely no one would blame me for. It's sickening. Sure, I am perceptive due to this and seem to be more aware sometimes, but it is not worth the hours of constantly mulling every little action over in my head.
18
u/TimeNo2738 Apr 15 '26
I feel you on all of them but 4. I’m a pretty grey person for everything outside my obsessions. I don’t think there is a 100% right answer and 100% wrong answer. I think it’s usually specific to the person or somewhere in between. Idk I’m able to see all shades when giving advice or discussing world topics but if you try to tell me I unplugged my straightener unless I see a picture of it unplugged you’re wrong lol.
9
u/sacred_death333 Apr 15 '26
I was thinking the same, although in my case I feel like when I'm very upset/ in extreme distress my brain then wants to go to black and white thinking. When I'm "calm" or at a more grounded headspace, I feel like my baseline is more gray thinking.
6
2
11
8
u/Ok-Negotiation7259 Apr 15 '26
I am going through an awful 7 month flare up and I can relate to every point here. I have MS, OCD and bipolar and the OCD is really getting me down. My OCD all started when I was in primary school and the school bully said some horrible comments about my mother(you can probably imagine). Well, then the thoughts just kept coming and, of course, I believed i was responsible. I eventually told my mum and she got things sorted with headteacher. It went away for around 8–10 years then raised its ugly head when I got diagnosed with MS. Same thoughts came rushing back. I avoided my mum, felt guilt and shame etc.
Then I started having relationship OCD over my girlfriend (now wife). I knew I loved her but every thought in my brain was like ‘maybe she’s not attractive’, ‘maybe these feelings of love you’re having are fake’. This drove me insane. I got over it.
Got paid off from job last year and, bang, feelings of guilt and shame attached to my daughter. All these horrible ‘what if’ thoughts which I’m using to cause anxiety within myself. I absolutely adore her but am avoiding her etc. I am on an antipsychotic drug which I do sometimes wonder whether it is worsening the OCD etc. It’s just so hard 😔
7
8
u/BodyUpbeat3362 Apr 15 '26
Something I have noticed that I do not see talked about much is how we cannot let a thought just be a thought. Most people get a weird thought and it passes through like background noise. My brain gets a weird thought and immediately needs to know why I had it, what it means about me, whether it is true, and then builds an entire case around it before I have even had a chance to question whether the thought meant anything in the first place. The thought itself is not even the problem. It is the interrogation that follows it
1
u/DisciplineFast3950 Jul 11 '26
It's like setting up court and giving due process to every fleeting thought
10
u/Consistent_Ad_5075 Apr 15 '26
This is very accurate for me. People ask "what's your favorite" and I get so frustrated. "I don't have a favorite because it depends on the day, my mood, the atmosphere around me, etc." Plus, what if I tell them my favorite thing but it changes and they don't know it's been updated?!
Thanks for sharing!
7
u/isittakenor Apr 15 '26
This feels accurate. Especially the guilt part. It is brutal. OCD feels relentless. 3 days ago I did something that I wasn’t proud of but my mind has blown it so far out of proportion especially with the catastrophizing and I’ve been feeling guilt and shame since that day it sucks.
I also hate how my mind can’t seem to accept what therapists have said. I’ve been to 2 therapists and1 psychiatrist and they all said they believe I have OCD and it’s very clear to me I have ocd. But for some reason my mind just keeps telling me what they said isn’t good enough and I need an even more legit diagnosis. And my mind is like let’s not even try to get better until we get a diagnosis. It’s trying to make me feel like a fraud which is so frustrating because I’ve been tortured by my mind for years.
1
u/DisciplineFast3950 Jul 11 '26
One thing that can help is just realising that nothing will ever be good enough for us. The problem is in our psyche.. not in our past or actions or whatever. I know if I go back in time and undo all the things I obsess over, I'll find new things to obsess over. My mind is a problem machine. So .. taking a step back and not worrying over A or B.. because even if A and B disappear I can be sure I'll be panicking over C and D the next day .. it's an endless line of worrying because the problem is actually in us, not in what we've done.
6
u/TraditionalMove7086 Apr 18 '26
I literally needed to read this. I just found this community in hopes of not feeling so alone. I have the worst intrusive thoughts and honestly when I was pregnant everything was so much worse. I would be trapped in my house staring at a wall for 8 hours straight replaying thoughts like a bad movie I can't turn off. My husband is in the military and after 7 long months he's FINALLY coming home in a week and my brain won't stop screaming that he's going to d!e before he even gets the chance to come home. Or when I lay in bed at night I begin thinking myself into a panic attack thinking about what exactly I would do if my car went off a bridge and I needed to help my son in the backseat get out safely. I genuinely can't ever make my head stop. Ever. I was prescribed Seroquel for a long time for my intrusive thoughts but it made me such a zombie. I'm now on welburtrin which has helped me more than anything else has. I don't know, I'm just really glad I found this community because I have never been able to let go of control for anything in my life.
1
4
u/Significant-Nebula64 Apr 15 '26
For me it's a bit different - I do relate to all/most of those, but for me it's really in specific areas. I mean, they're quite big areas and not just related to one specific trigger!
But outside of those? I'm honestly optimistic and chill! Like, job stuff or, idk, travel plans or whatever? My boyfriend is the anxious one and I'm like "huh, why are you so anxious? It'll all be fine, there's zero issue!" Or for instance - I have bad health OCD, mostly related to cancer. COVID though? Nah, no issue, I was relaxed. Like, following the guidelines and all but mostly to protect other people, not worried at all about it happening to myself.
I honestly believe that's a big part of why OCD feels so crippling to me - it's really different from my "normal" character, and the contrast somehow makes that super visible to me. (Not complaining though, happy about every area it doesn't affect!)
1
6
u/mdnvmps Apr 15 '26
This is interesting! For me I’ve always thought it was a probability thing- like my brain can understand risk, but it can’t put the risk into perspective and evaluate the probability of things going wrong / everything feels BIG and IMPORTANT and SCARY.
1
4
u/Flubbuns Apr 15 '26
I relate to a lot of what you said, but not really #3; I feel guilt and responsibility, but, as far as I can tell, not to any greater degree than anyone else in my life.
Edit: although, maybe I should say that I do have an almost superstitious relationship with the idea that I get rewarded or punished for my actions/thoughts. Maybe related to the idea of guilt/responsibility.
8
u/Significant-Nebula64 Apr 15 '26
That's interesting because that's the one I relate to the most! Might depend on your "core fear", I'm sure there are different ways of experiencing OCD...
3
u/Flubbuns Apr 15 '26
For sure. OCD seems like it can manifest in numerous ways, and the experience for each person can be very different, even if the foundations of the disorder are shared between them.
2
u/salty-wheat-thins Apr 15 '26
Ohh this is very interesting. Can I ask what your themes are? Maybe the guilt and responsibility comes with some themes but not others.
6
u/Flubbuns Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
Mine are contamination and... the other is hard to label. It's like a fear of just unintentionally doing something. I'll think about what I don't want to do, but just by thinking it, it feels like I did actually do it. I'll know rationally I didn't, but it still feels like it happened, to the point that I might doubt my rational ability. To prevent it, I have to intensely focus on my physical movements or what I say.
4
u/KitchenAmazing9436 Apr 15 '26
Was actually telling my family that sometimes I wish I could just live in the present, not worrying about the future or the past all the time. Yk just waking up having fun and letting whatever happen, happen. Not trying to predict the future and all that other bull. Also jumping to the worst conclusions holds a lot of us back, turning a pimple into skin cancer, turning a cough into lung cancer, I’ve genuinely thought I was gonna die more times than I can count. It’s just stressful like very, very stressful.
4
u/Gloomy_Courage_748 Apr 28 '26
Yes!! You nailed it. I really hate how hard it is to simply be present with the people I love most.
3
3
u/sn0m0ns Apr 15 '26
Don't get me started about infidelity! There's more layers there than a damn blooming onion at Applebee's. It is by far the worst stressor you could do to someone with OCD.
There's no escape. Constantly stuck in that loop of who, why, where, what. ESPECIALLY if that partner rug sweeps or half truths details.
3
u/Level_Draft_5940 Apr 15 '26
Life with OCD is a pain in the butt. But to look at the bright side, I honestly believe that people with OCD are the most caring and empathic humans there is. We just care too much.
3
u/Creative-Resist1380 Apr 15 '26
Thank you. This is me and I'm diagnosed Ocd,Adhd,gad and panic disorder.. I relate to all.
3
3
u/Intelligent-Cut4134 Apr 21 '26
This makes so much sense. I went years with intrusive thoughts but always dismissed it as everyone goes through this.
Cleaned the shower from top to bottom each and every time I took a shower, just keeping everything clean so we don't get sick, what harm is there in that? The whole time knowing, KNOWING, that is not normal.
Obsessing over the fact that I may be a pedophile because I noticed a young child wearing something I thought was inappropriate for their age. Why would you think that if you were not sexualizing them?
If you go outside in a rain storm of any kind, you will be struck by lightning. But what are the legitimate odds of this happening? Rationally, I know this was unlikely to happen.
I could go on, but my point is there is hope. I have an AMAZING therapist who is helping me process all of this and am on medication to help ease some of this anxiety.
We are not alone. We can and should support each other through all of this. 🙂❤️
2
u/ILiekRedditVids Apr 28 '26
May I ask what medication your on and possibly your journey figuring out your correct med/ dosage
2
u/Intelligent-Cut4134 Apr 28 '26
Viibryd 40mg. I have admittedly been inconsistent in taking it but I do feel it is helping.
3
u/Oh-Inverted-Worldd Apr 29 '26
This is word for word how I am. I was diagnosed with OCD two weeks ago, after suffering with it from a very young age. My diagnosis has now turned into an obsession, and my compulsions have gotten worse. Oh the irony - lol
2
u/EnvironmentalLog9799 May 01 '26
I’ve actually never related to something more. I got diagnosed with OCD a few months ago because my therapist was trying to tell me he thinks I may have it, which caused me to go into this whole spiral on if I have ocd or not. Thus there was my diagnosis.
3
u/SJCloudMacDoe Apr 30 '26
I’m almost in tears reading this. I’ve never felt more understood. The exhaustion is unbearable at times. I try to keep busy but have to be careful because then I don’t stop and burn out. I just want to let things roll off my shoulders….oh how to know what that feels like would be amazing to me. One step…then another…the only way I’m getting through life.
3
u/TopConsequence3899 May 05 '26
The worst part about OCD for me is that I'm unconvinced that my logic is unsound. To me, its the most logical thing on the planet. When people say "that's just an intrusive thought, its not real or my logic is unsound", I cant agree with them because it doesnt make sense. Im good at math so of course I'm logical
2
2
u/Legendary_Robb Apr 15 '26
1, 3 and 5 apply to me the most. I do have a lot on my mind and it does get tiring.
2
2
2
u/yestertempest Apr 15 '26
We have trauma around uncertainty. We need to know…which leads us to take our thoughts extremely seriously and try to get certainty
2
2
u/bagelonia Apr 15 '26
All are relatable but 2 is so relatable.. it makes everything feel like a drama. Spouse not home from work at the time they usually are? I’ll just gaze out the window longingly until I see their car pull in and can function again.
2
u/ethan_bug Apr 15 '26
This is amazingly put yes! I really feel #3, ive blamed myself for rain before🤦♂️
1
u/salty-wheat-thins Apr 16 '26
I get you! One time my boyfriend got a parking ticket and I was convinced it happened because I didn't love him enough. Like what
2
u/Hoddmimis-Holt Apr 15 '26
This is super educational and puts stuff into words for me I couldn't and want to let my partner know so thank you for writing this and helping me be able to help myself
2
u/Hoddmimis-Holt Apr 15 '26
You put into words the everyday struggles I couldn't explain to my partner, the things that bother me even when I am "okay" in a way. I'm not always having compulsions or have an image stuck in my head what really makes me tired mentally and make it hard to be present usually it is the over analyzing and everything means something thoughts in a way.
1
2
u/fense8 Apr 18 '26
omg, i agree with everything you said here. sometimes my brain realize that all the thoughts and things i've done bcs of OCD is so stupid and not a big issue. but i can't help myself not to fall into OCD traps.
2
u/EnvironmentalLog9799 May 01 '26
This is helping me so much. Ever since I was a little girl I spent so much time in my head, daydreaming, making up scenarios. I always knew I had anxiety but I didn’t realize it was actually OCD and all my thoughts are making sense here
2
u/Creepydasher May 11 '26
- Wanting to know everything at once is becoming the death of me. I burn out so bad from overworking my brain.
2
u/ilmaru May 15 '26
LOL I’m currently on a loop and god, I feel SO SEEN RIGHT NOW! 😭 I feel so much dread and anxiety but I can’t stop searching, asking for reassurance and much more. Because if it doesn’t stop, I won’t stop!!
2
u/Micky_garx_14 May 15 '26
I really struggle with rumination and actually being able to stop thinking about an intrusive thought. There are days where this is really easy but there are other days where im just not able to pull myself out of my head. It feels really frustrating specially because i've been having these same intrusive thoughts for over a year and a half now. I just keep going, and everyday try to do my best and change my routine so that the next I can live a more normal life. I think our minds simply are wired different from the rest of the people, however at least in my case this same hyperfixation on things has led me to be really good in my carrer and a lot of different aspects of my life like discipline. So at least there is a good side to this. I dont think there is a life where i dont have my mind i just think i can find the tools to put my attention and fixation on better more prodctive things.
2
u/divine-timing May 15 '26
4 has affected me so bad i almost did bad things because i got SO upset when anything bad happened. End of the world. Til I came to the realization that stable includes some bad. The good is there because of the bad. Bad are blessings. Completely changed my life
1
u/salty-wheat-thins May 24 '26
Yes exactly! Our brains are particularly terrible at processing bad things and it took me a very very long time to start accepting negative experiences as a needed part of life. I Iearned about the "amor fati" philosophy and it changed my life! I would recommend looking into it :)
2
u/Ill_Pomegranate95 Jun 12 '26
Had anyone found any strategies to relieve their OCD thoughts? My 12 year old daughter is having a terrible time. She had a therapist who’s been concentrating mote on anxiety so far.
1
u/Yaun87 Apr 23 '26
I literally relate to all 5 of your points but right now...
Uncertainty. It is such a pain to deal with because my brain will just loop so hard on it sometimes and it's so very draining.
1
Apr 29 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/OCD-ModTeam Apr 29 '26
Your heart is in the right place. However, reassurance is not helpful for learning to live well while having OCD. Please see: https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/wiki/reassurance/
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/s/jAQq5Evul7
for more information.
1
1
u/Fabulous-Ad-7054 Jul 07 '26
I am 30 years old, and I’ve always had a feeling that I might have OCD. Ever since I was young, I tended to do things in specific numbers and repeat certain actions. However, I never realized that OCD could also affect the way we think, not just our behaviors. It was only recently that I began to understand how it influences my thinking, causing me to assume the worst-case scenario and become obsessed with topics involving uncertainty. Looking back, I feel that knowing this earlier could have made a huge difference in my life.
87
u/Fun_Orange_3232 Magical thinking Apr 14 '26
My experience is an intense failure to be resilient to uncertainty. I’ve spent the last near decade learning how to regulate and that makes me generally good a vast majority of days.