Mental compulsion OCD/ compulsive thinking - please help me

[clompramineman]

Hello all, what a great forum this is!

I will try to explain my issue but may struggle to do so, hope what I say makes sense.

Since about the age of 7 I have suffered with 'needing' to compulsively think things through. For example I used to play a lot of soccer. If I scored a goal, I would 'have' to go through the sequence of events mentally until I felt that I had remembered things exactly as they were. Also, if bad things that had happened to people were reported on the news, I would 'have' to think through how I would feel if these events happened to my Mum, Dad and brother, and feel as though how I DID feel was exactly how I WOULD feel in those circumstances.

Down the years the compulsion has changed slightly but is similar. If, say, I remember a happy event fleetingly, I have to go through it and remember it as though it were real, often with use of certain words in a particular order as I narrate the story mentally to myself.

The really problematic part is this: if I think of something to do in real life, or a possible solution to an issue I face I have to think through until the solution feels 'right' and any anxiety which arises from the situation is dissipated.

If there is any anxiety present as I think through, I have to begin again.

A further problem is 'anti-OCD' OCD: if I feel that the thought has been processed with OCD features (such as having to use certain words) then I have to repeat it. The issue is that UNLESS I use these OCD features then the thought is processed with anxiety as a background feeling and so I 'have' to repeat.

How can I shake off these compulsions, and how can I decide what to do in everyday life if I am not thinking these solutions through because thet are OCD-driven?

I am at my wits end. (Oh, I am on venlafaxine and quetiapine for OCD and GAD.)

 

[PAULA120]

If you notice symptoms or suspect that they occur at home, you should contact a psychiatrist. It is not appropriate to postpone such a visit in time. First of all, the symptoms are very onerous, they impede functioning and cause great suffering, secondly, when they last for a long time, they can become permanent. This happens, among others because the person suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, in order to cope with unpleasant sensations, undertakes activities that bring only temporary relief, and which in the long run sustain and exacerbate some mechanisms of persistence of the disorder. Such activities include, for example, avoiding certain situations or engaging in rituals and activities to reduce mental tension. Taking the treatment allows to stop such a vicious circle, for example by using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In addition, promptly taken treatment minimizes the risk of developing complications, such as depression.

eco-thinking for compulsive thinking. This is meditation. In meditation, we are able to break the above-mentioned loop and compulsion to think about one thing by observing the mind and focusing on the breath. In this way, we divert attention from insistent thoughts. The mechanism is that the less attention and focus we devote to these thoughts, the less mental energy we deliver to them, and without energy, thought can not last.

This is how you can briefly describe the way in which meditation affects the release of us from compulsive thinking. If you want to experience the effects on yourself, start meditating, and if you are already meditating, maybe you have just learned about another positive effect of meditation.

 

[clompramineman]

Thanks for your detailed response. I do meditate, though I have lapsed a bit lately. I am doing the 8 week programme in this book: Mindfulness in Eight Weeks: The revolutionary 8 week plan to clear your mind and calm your life eBook: Michael Chaskalson: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store ( I also recommend it to other folks: whilst Full Catastrophe Living is a cornucopia of info I think it is written in a verbose, inaccessible way and is confusing in parts.)

I have a problem though making the leap: that is, when I get an OCD urge (which are every few minutes ATM) being mindful of it and moving on. I *know* this is the only way to lessen OCD's hold but it is as though I feel 'Just this one last time' when it comes to indulging it, i.e. doing what it 'commands'

I am in regular sessions with the psych and wonder if I need to change my meds a bit.

I might go back to Schwartz's Four Steps. I think he mis-summarises mindfulness in parts but I think the 4 step process is essentially sound.

Are there any other resources to keep an eye on?

Thanks again for your reply.

 

[LoveYourself]

I do the same sometimes. I suffer from brain fog/lack of mental clarity in general, i mean in a physiological way, so i try too hard sometimes to think clearly, think through even the most trivial things too much, trying to get it clear, but it often backfires. Mental relaxation is better, leave the mind alone. What i do is i try to realize that i actually dont need to think so much, we`re completely fine and functional without thinking most of the time. So i try to create a space between my awareness and my thoughts, thats what mindfulness is about i think. Relax and dont resist any kind of thoughts, just dont believe them, its just a trick and you do not need to think more than what is necessary.

 

[clompramineman]

Thanks, LoveYourself, some sage words.

 

[ConfusedNSad]

This happens, among others because the person suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, in order to cope with unpleasant sensations, undertakes activities that bring only temporary relief, and which in the long run sustain and exacerbate some mechanisms of persistence of the disorder. Such activities include, for example, avoiding certain situations or engaging in rituals and activities to reduce mental tension.

Oh my goodness...this sounds like me with my fire-starting. It is definitely an obsession, and a compulsion to light something on fire is overwhelming. I got a shock feeling in my chest when I read this.

I can SO relate to this.

 

[Rose2525]

Has anyone completely got rid of ocd?