OCD Action

Unregistered

Does anyone here experience pure obsessions with no actual compulsions? or none that are carried out ritually. I sometimes experience pure obsessions about an event in my life. I want to know if anyone else has obsessions all day.

Fri Mar 19 2010 1:37:11 #
swan
Member

I have the same, dont have time to reply properly now but will try and reply at the weekend.
Teresa

Fri Mar 19 2010 8:57:51 #
Unregistered

I'll put some time into my reply too.

Fri Mar 19 2010 10:02:16 #
swan
Member

Hi,
I can go over and over events sometimes this can lead to delayed reaction and the conversation that went well can make me really angry the next day. Events from years ago can still effect me. I can become really angry or obsessed about sonmething and ruminate about it to point where I just cant handle things anymore i usually then have to take extra medication.
Hope this helps, pm me if you want.

Fri Mar 19 2010 17:41:57 #
Unregistered

Thats exactly how I feel Teresa. I also imagine getting payback and then I have this strange thought about how I evade the police constantly. Actually many of my events that I imagine involve beating somebody black and blue or killing them and then performing ridiculous stunts to evade police capture.

I guess with pure-o, it depends on the type of symptoms you have. Me, my condition makes me wonder if I really am OCD or an actual pedo. A couple of times the pressure has got so bad that when I'm avoiding thinking about a trigger thought involving adolescents, and punishing myself, I had gotten curious and gratified myself - I didn't like it, but knew I could have stopped it.

Fri Mar 19 2010 21:27:31 #
aishah
Member

Hi, at the moment I have obsessions and no compulsions. This is only because I have had CBT for quite a while now and during that time have learnt not to clean and order every time I have intrusive thoughts, which is what I have always done in the past for maybe 20 years or more.

It has not been easy, as for the last three months I have been going through a relapse and the urges to clean have been quite strong. I have managed to resist them on the whole and I feel better for it.

I do ruminate still about anything and everything and have to stop myself if I can, it doesn't always work, but I try. If I don't then it can carry on all day too. It does depend on how anxious I am or if I am depressed it is harder to control.

Are you having CBT at the moment, if not then I do recommend it as it helps a great deal.

Bridget

Sat Mar 20 2010 22:44:01 #
Truddles
Member

CBT does help provided they don't stop it before you have had enough sessions to know what you're supposed to be doing

Sat Mar 20 2010 22:51:14 #
aishah
Member

Sorry Trudy, I'm sorry your CBT has let you down. Hopefully soon it will be sorted and you will get the help you deserve.

Sat Mar 20 2010 23:07:14 #
swan
Member

Im afraid I agree with Trudy, also depends on how long youve had ocd for, because Ive been told that my OCD is so ingrained thier is nothing that can be done.

Sun Mar 21 2010 15:29:08 #
Unregistered

Thanks all. I actually have tried CBT and did not have much luck. I am currently looking into some more relaxation techniques which calm the mind.

Sun Mar 21 2010 16:16:55 #
mama
Member

I think it is important in this case to distinguish between obsessions and compulsions. The obsession is the intrusive thought...you cannot control or stop those thoughts from coming...the compulsion is replaying, ruminating, 'what if I did this', 'what if it means that', 'no, I'm fine because', etc. Anything you think about after the intrusive thought comes to try and 'figure it out' etc...THAT iss the compulsion...you must try not to ruminate...its difficult to do, but you actually can stop ruminating by choice...

Mon Mar 22 2010 2:48:15 #
swan
Member

Mama you sound like two friends of mine who used to tell me that I chose to feel as I did and they did a lot of damage to me If I could choose not to ruminate I would I have spent years trying not to ruminate so would be grateful not to be given coments that condem. I dont have hte issues that others have with their medical proffessionals but boy do I have them with others

Mon Mar 22 2010 7:20:20 #
mama
Member

I am not condemning anyone...I think that the most difficult part of this is figuring out just exactly WHAT ruminating is...the lines get very blurred between obsessing and compulsion. If it was as easy as just 'choosing' not to do a compulsion, none of us would have a problem. What I mean is...we often feel that our compulsions are so all powerful that we cant possibly stop them by choice. First we must identify correctly what it is we are trying to stop...if we are trying to stop the obsession, we will continue the problem...if we can pinpoint what the mental ritual is around the obsession..we can stop ourselves from doing it. As I say...the hard part is differentiating between the two...I have many friends who have successfully found this the way to overcome harm and sexual obsessions...It is among the most difficult, but not impossible...I dont believe that statement is condemning.

Mon Mar 22 2010 14:10:49 #
mama
Member

You might find this reading helpful...it discusses how it is often difficult to detect what we are compulsively doing and gives examples of what we might be doing compulsively....you are right that you cannot stop the obsessions...and I would add that you need to pinpoint your compulsions and stop those. It is not as easy as just saying 'okay I'll stop'...first you have to determine what they are...as I said. anyway..you may find this helpful.

http://www.ocdla.com/obsessionalOCD.html

Mon Mar 22 2010 20:08:48 #