I have never posted anywhere B4 ever so I do not know where this will go. I am 60 years and male and have suffered with about obsessive thoughts since early teens. I went thru thru program last winter while on medication and finished in early Feb 09 and was feeling SUPER and all the way thru summer as I always do until now. It always hits in the fall but I have had long years when I have been free of it.Burning headaches.Taking prog. now again. My wife thinks it is "SAD" seasons related. Always top of world in the summer sun. Pls anyone respond with similar suffering. I have wasted
so much of my life & I must overcome once & for all. GOd bless all. Dan
Violent thoughts towards wife & other family
Dan - I can tell you until I am blue in the face that you will not hurt anyone, but you must prove this to yourself. That's just the way it is. I can assure you that you will do no one any harm and I'd be right.
I highly recommend exposure therapy. You need to shut that scare voice up and there is nothing better that I know of than exposure therapy. Find someone in your area that does this. It works. It will help to read Freedom from Fear by Dr. Howard Liebgold. He is an excellent source on exposure. He's extremely knowledgeable in the area of ocd.
Look at your history, Dan. Have you ever done harm to any member of your family. I suspect not. You can trust that.
You need to practice allowing the thoughts to come and go without your emotional attachment to them. No, they aren't fun thoughts to have, however, it's also no big deal if you have these thoughts. This is the attitude you need to develop and with practice you will. When you no longer resist the thoughts they will cease to have any power over you. They may come and go but it won't matter anymore. They may come less and definitely without the intensity that you have them now. It doesn't even really matter why you have them at certain times of the year. The fact is that you have ocd and anxiety disorder. Learn to manage it so you don't have to resist any season or any reason. "It's just my ocd. It will pass." "It's no big deal." "Thoughts only thoughts." You come up with some soothing phrases as well. Your ultimate goal is to dismiss these thoughts unemotionally.
You are certainly not alone. We are born with the tendency to think this way. Learn to soothe and comfort yourself instead of judging yourself. You can manage this and feel whole again.
Learn that you may experience these thoughts throughout your life time from time to time. You have tools now to work through them. You know the thoughts are not real so it's no big deal.
Remember your breath. Always bring yourself back to your breath. Do not talk back to these thoughts. Don't haggle with them. Just practice dismissing them with the wave of a hand. Bring your attention to something in the present moment. Don't judge what you hear. Just gently bring your attention to the here and now. It gets easier. Practice. Start now.
I highly recommend exposure therapy. You need to shut that scare voice up and there is nothing better that I know of than exposure therapy. Find someone in your area that does this. It works. It will help to read Freedom from Fear by Dr. Howard Liebgold. He is an excellent source on exposure. He's extremely knowledgeable in the area of ocd.
Look at your history, Dan. Have you ever done harm to any member of your family. I suspect not. You can trust that.
You need to practice allowing the thoughts to come and go without your emotional attachment to them. No, they aren't fun thoughts to have, however, it's also no big deal if you have these thoughts. This is the attitude you need to develop and with practice you will. When you no longer resist the thoughts they will cease to have any power over you. They may come and go but it won't matter anymore. They may come less and definitely without the intensity that you have them now. It doesn't even really matter why you have them at certain times of the year. The fact is that you have ocd and anxiety disorder. Learn to manage it so you don't have to resist any season or any reason. "It's just my ocd. It will pass." "It's no big deal." "Thoughts only thoughts." You come up with some soothing phrases as well. Your ultimate goal is to dismiss these thoughts unemotionally.
You are certainly not alone. We are born with the tendency to think this way. Learn to soothe and comfort yourself instead of judging yourself. You can manage this and feel whole again.
Learn that you may experience these thoughts throughout your life time from time to time. You have tools now to work through them. You know the thoughts are not real so it's no big deal.
Remember your breath. Always bring yourself back to your breath. Do not talk back to these thoughts. Don't haggle with them. Just practice dismissing them with the wave of a hand. Bring your attention to something in the present moment. Don't judge what you hear. Just gently bring your attention to the here and now. It gets easier. Practice. Start now.
Dan, I had "obsessive scary thoughts" for years..PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR..Listen to Boon's recommendation.
It wasn't until I came to this StressCenter.com..and met a few people that struggled with the same thing..that I realized, this was all in my head and I would never act out, the fears that I had. It is 'anxiety" and we 'think" of the worse case scenerious..
It took 'facing" these fears and many MANY correspondeses to others, especially "Boon"..to help me figure this out!!! Believe me, She knows what she's talking about..
I've been a part of this group now for over 2 yrs..I now help others that struggle with these same issues. YOU WILL Be OKAY!!! Take these suggestions and allow yourself the freedom of true healing..
I will not give this program ALL the credit Dan..God lead me to this program..which brought me closer to HIM!
God bless you
Momof6
It wasn't until I came to this StressCenter.com..and met a few people that struggled with the same thing..that I realized, this was all in my head and I would never act out, the fears that I had. It is 'anxiety" and we 'think" of the worse case scenerious..
It took 'facing" these fears and many MANY correspondeses to others, especially "Boon"..to help me figure this out!!! Believe me, She knows what she's talking about..
I've been a part of this group now for over 2 yrs..I now help others that struggle with these same issues. YOU WILL Be OKAY!!! Take these suggestions and allow yourself the freedom of true healing..
I will not give this program ALL the credit Dan..God lead me to this program..which brought me closer to HIM!
God bless you
Momof6
Hi Dan,
I'm the same way. I'm SO happy in the summertime. Everything feels great and I feel like I don't have many symptoms..probably due to relaxing in sunshine at the beach =) But in the Fall I always get sick and depressed, it happens almost every year. Winter is a bit depressing too. I do know how you feel. I do also obsess over my thoughts. But the thing is, if you feel so guilty about them then you know you'll never act on them. So many of us have those thoughts. Don't worry =)
I'm the same way. I'm SO happy in the summertime. Everything feels great and I feel like I don't have many symptoms..probably due to relaxing in sunshine at the beach =) But in the Fall I always get sick and depressed, it happens almost every year. Winter is a bit depressing too. I do know how you feel. I do also obsess over my thoughts. But the thing is, if you feel so guilty about them then you know you'll never act on them. So many of us have those thoughts. Don't worry =)
Dan,
I am so, sorry you are going through these thoughts.
A very good friend of mine went through the same thing. I offer you this link to a thread on scary thoughts same as yours.
You are not along. You won't act on the thoughts. It's just an ugly, ugly form of OCD anxiety.
http://bbs.stresscenter.com/ev...472/m/4691056423/p/1
I am so, sorry you are going through these thoughts.
A very good friend of mine went through the same thing. I offer you this link to a thread on scary thoughts same as yours.
You are not along. You won't act on the thoughts. It's just an ugly, ugly form of OCD anxiety.
http://bbs.stresscenter.com/ev...472/m/4691056423/p/1