Question about OCD

by Noelle

Thank you very much for the last e-mail you sent. It helps to know that I am not the only person who has OCD.

I do have a couple of questions. I tend to not tell anyone about the obsessive thoughts because they are so disturbing. I am afraid that my family and friends will think I am nuts! should I tell them? or is it better just to tell only my therapist?

My main obsession is that I'll go crazy. I have thoughts telling me to do stuff that I do NOT want to do and that are completely out of my character. Is that an OCD symptom?

I also picture words in my head which really scares me....I had one word stuck in my head for about two weeks that kept going over and over again. I was just diagnosed with OCD so I'm still learning about it. Sometimes it gets a little better but stress definitely triggers it. I was always an anxious person, as a child I worried about the weirdest things but the obsessive thoughts are fairly recent (about four months now).

I am trying to focus on the positives in life and it is working..but I feel like the obsessive part of me or as I call it "the OCD monster" is constantly there, sometimes in the background, but always there...would appreciate some more advice! :)
thanks
Noelle

Reply from Sound-Mind.org

Hi Again! :)


Whether or not you should tell your friends and family about your obsessive thoughts, I am not sure. Only you can really be the judge of that. For me, it was easy to share my thoughts, especially with my husband because he knew me the best. I did tell a friend some of my thoughts in hoping to help her understand (afterall she was a councelor in her profession) but it did not go over well. I think I scared her. Haha...

I don't mean to make light of a hard situation, just use your own judgement and only share it with those you want to share it with. Just be prepared if they don't accept it like you want them to.

It is not uncommon to picture things over and over, or have certain thoughts ruminate. I shared the same fear... fear of going crazy. No matter how much you fear it, it cannot happen. Your therapist will even tell you that. People that lose their sanity, don't know it... and that's the truth! Promise!

btw - you are afraid of doing something you don't want to do? That's based on the idea that if you should actually lose your mind, then you would do something out of your control. But again, you control your world!

A great book that may bring you some reassurance is called, The
Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad
Thoughts

Take Care Noelle! Keep your head up! The best thing you can do is to convince yourself of TRUTH!

~Susan