I have Pure O/ intrusive thoughts AMA

[Jerryyyyyy]

After quite a stressful period in work about 5 years ago I started suffering with anxiety, intrusive thoughts and obsessive thinking. It was scary as the thoughts were upsetting and I felt so out of control. I didn't even know what to name it so couldn't describe it to anyone. My GP called it pure O - as in OCD without the compulsive behaviours. I had online cognitive behavioural therapy which helped loads and I can manage it much better when I'm triggered.

Can you please tell me more abojt this? What kind of thoughts? Wonder if I might even have this

Yeah of course. I generally have two lines of thought. One is as soon as I leave my house I panic that I've left something hot on and it will burn my house down. It only happens if my house is empty and I'm the last person to have been home. I then can't stop thinking about the iron, oven, hob, hair straighteners etc even though I won't have used any of these things before eating the house. I had to leave work once to check as I was on the verge of a panic attack. Another time I was on the motorway going away for a few days and frantically cling everyone I knew including my cleaners boss to see if they could go and check my oven.

The second type is more distressing. I have had (not so much any more as the cbt really did help me manage) sexual thoughts, sometimes violent, about people that I've not been able to stop. I was at a job interview and had couldn't stop picturing the interviewer pinning me down on the table. It was horrid. Had lots of things like this in the past.

I think it can come in lots of forms but as far as I know the main feature is that the thoughts are unwanted, persistent and irrational. Does that sound like what you're experiencing?

Like I said, I found it so hard to talk about a first as I didn't have a name for it so I felt very isolated and like a bad person.