Intrusive thoughts - Anyone else?

[BobbyBilliams]

Anyone else suffer from intrusive thoughts? Mine have got worse since my granddaughter was born. Everytime I hear of anything awful happening I imagine it happening to a loved one and my stupid brain goes into horrible graphic detail which makes me feel sick. The only way I can stop it is by looking at happy photos of that person almost like I have to remind myself of reality.

I get it a lot with my dog, DH told me an awful story about dog abuse and I started imaging someone doing it to my beloved dog, how she’d react, the sounds she’d make etc etc - then I get into a state as if it’s actually happened.

Same thing with my granddaughter which honestly makes me spiral into a pit of anxiety where I end up messaging my daughter asking if GD is ok.

I had a horrible one yesterday where my 95 year old grandfather was walking past me and I imagined kicking him over. If I’m stood on a train platform I imagine pushing DH on to the tracks. I then feel awfully guilty like I’m a horrible person. I’d never do any of it of course! Anyone else get this? Is it anxiety? OCD?

I’m be of my adult kids had had this since childhood. Diagnosed as OCD quite early in the piece.

@FavouritePJs

I’m so sorry this affects you badly. having been there, I really sympathise.

Have you tried medication?

It’s not coincidence how many of us find the thoughts worsen when children/grandchildren are born. It’s our brains trying to get our attention using the things it knows we would protect the most.

Gosh - Thank you for posting this. I've had 'horrible thoughts' since I was a teenager.

The 'pure O' makes so much sense to me. Most people around me would think I was chilled and relaxed - because they can't see inside my head. Those close to me see my extreme vertigo or acrophobia, or dental phobia but now I can see how it might link

@moderndilemma

i hope you can get some comfort from the thread.

One of ‘Pure-O’s elements is that that the thoughts are often the exact opposite of your core values… so if you’re a fiercely loyal, protective person, the thoughts could be around hurting the ones you love the most.

Then you get into an awful cycle of fear, horror, revulsion, because the ‘real you’ part of your brain rejects the thoughts so strongly,

please don’t suffer in silence. This is so treatable and more common than you know.

I was on medication years ago when I first had it (although wasn’t honest about what was going on due to fear my son would be removed from me). I haven’t had any medication for it since. I don’t have grandchildren yet but even now i
am fearful of it returning, which I fully expect it to.

I understand,

my general anxiety medication helps me immeasurably, as did the counselling it had when I was in the thick of it.

there’s so much more known about it now. I found being able to put a name to it was so helpful.

It’s good to hear that anxiety meds help you with this. I’ve often thought about seeing the GP and asking for anxiety medication rather than continually managing my anxiety myself, but I never have.
I hadn’t heard of the ‘Pure O’ part of OCD until this thread. It has been very helpful to read. 😊

Yes I get these and they have worsened since grandchildren were born. I recently told my GP about the thoughts I have and images I can see in my mind. She said they were intrusive thoughts and caused by anxiety.
I’m going to have a read about Pure-O part pf OCD.

@Pegsmum

really great that you spoke to your GP and they were able to help you.

ive been on Citalopram for anxiety for maybe 15 years now - my intrusive thoughts have all but vanished.

to anyone reading this thread and living in terror and anguish about this horrible, horrible condition - it’s not you, you’re not a monster, and there is a lot of help out there.

I have this every day and have done for decades since I was a child. I had a traumatic childhood and continue to have traumatic things happen to me due to a visible disability that results in me sometimes being verbally abused by complete strangers. Due to this, I'm hyper vigilant when I go out, even when bad things don't happen. I've recently opened up to my GP and I've been referred to Talking Therapies. I'm on anti depressants that help with my mood but every single day I visualise scenarios in my mind of bad things happening to me or my loved ones or imagine confrontations with people. I long to have a quiet mind.

I have GAD, and honestly this flared up for.me when my youngest was about 3, it tormented me, I honestly thought I was going mad and it meant I wanted to hurt her. I confided in my mum who didn't react in utter revulsion as I thought she might. She came with me to the gp who explained they were intrusive thoughts and he referred me for counselling. I was then diagnosed with obsessional thinking, a form of OCD. I was told (over 20 years ago) that everyone has these random thoughts pop up in their minds, but they are subject consciously dismissed. To an OCD brain though, they are 'caught' and we then try to analysis them, them panic over them which gives them more strength. I was told to let the thoughts come into my mind, and let them pass. The less 'thought'i give them, the less power they have. I still get them now but they don't trouble me at all anymore. It was debilitating at the time though so you have my every sympathy