these thoughts are scarying me [Archive]

tricia56

13-04-14, 19:38

hi for a couple of days now ive been getting horrible thoughts keep poping up in my head like for instance I could be just be sitting doing nothing and I think to myself wat shall I do and bam I get the this thought kill myself and its scareing me to death as I don't even want to do that and I keep asking myself why am I getting these thoughts and ive got that scared over them ive foned up nopanic help line a few times and even thought about foning the local crisis team up butthen I stop myself from doing it incase the put me in a mental place as they wil think im suicidal which im not I don't want to kill myself I just want some one to tell me that ive no need to worrie they are just thoughts and they will pass as I all im doing is keep thinking why am I getting these thoughts and can these thoughts make you do something I don't want to do and just want them to stop.sorry for posting I just need some one maybe explain to me if they can if that they are just thoughts and cant harm me

MyNameIsTerry

14-04-14, 02:08

Hi Tricia,

Well one thing to consider is the fact that you know they are just thoughts and that you know that you don't want to do it.

When I went for CBT, I had to fill in a questionnairre so they can monitor my progress. In one section there was a question "Do you ever feel life is not worth living", which I always answered Yes to, followed by one that asked "Have you considered how you could end your life", which always got a No, followed by "On a scale 1-10, 10 being definately, how likely are you to end your own life" which always got a 1 and followed by "Why wouldn't you end your own life" to which I would always answer My Family and things such as because I know I can get better, etc.

So, how would you answer these? If you answer them like I did, you are not thinking about ending your life but are fed up (depression) or getting intrusive thoughts that have no meaning.

Now have a look at this from OCD Uk's website which will help you.

http://www.ocduk.org/types-ocd

Intrusive Thoughts - Intrusive thoughts, in the spectrum of OCD, are where a person generally suffers with obsessional thoughts that are repetitive, disturbing and often horrific and repugnant in nature. For example, thoughts of causing violent or sexual harm to loved ones.
Because the intrusive thoughts are repetitive and not voluntarily produced, they cause the sufferer extreme distress - the very idea that they are capable of having such thoughts in the first place can be horrifying. However, what we do know is that people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are the least likely people to actually act on the thoughts, partly because they find them so repugnant and go to great lengths to avoid them and prevent them happening.

Intrusive thoughts can cover absolutely any subject, but the more common areas of OCD related concerns covers the following sub- categories:

Relationships.
Sexual Thoughts - Fear of:
Magical Thinking - believing that:
Religious - believing that:
Violent Thoughts - fear of:

Violent Intrusive Thoughts – obsessive fears of carrying out violent acts against loved ones or other people. Intrusive thoughts include:

Violently harming children or loved ones.
Killing innocent people.
Using kitchen knives and other sharp objects (compulsion will include locking away knives and sharp objects).
Jumping in front of a train or fast moving bus.
Poisoning the food of loved ones (compulsion will include avoiding cooking for family).
Acting on unwanted impulses, e.g. running someone over, stabbing someone.
Thoughts about accidentally touching someone inappropriately, with the aim of hurting them.
Most sufferers with these types of fears often end up labelling themselves as a bad person, simply for having the thoughts. They falsely believe that having the thoughts mean they are capable of acting upon them. The constant analysing and questioning of these disturbing aspects of OCD becomes incredibly upsetting and because of the nature of the thoughts many sufferers are reluctant to open up to health professionals to seek help, fearing they may be labelled.
A person with these types of intrusive thoughts will avoid public places like shopping centres and other places, where social interaction may be required, to avoid coming into close contact with people that may trigger the obsessive thoughts.
To sufferers and non-sufferers alike, the thoughts and fears related to OCD can often seem profoundly shocking . It must be stressed, however, that they are just thoughts, and they are not voluntarily produced. Neither are they fantasies or impulses which will be acted upon.

Look at the one I've highlighted in red bold above. Doesn't that show that OCD sufferers can have intrusive thoughts to harm themselves or end their lives, yet whilst they are disturbed by them they have been found to be the least likely to take this course of action, as I've highlighted in blue bold.

Intrusive thoughts are very common with anxiety disorders.

Have a look at the OCD board because you will see loads of other people having issues like this. Some of them are very disturbing to them, well they would be to anybody but they don't want to think like that which further proves the thoughts aren't what tnhey believe - it's the subconscious, just look at the weird stuff we can dream.

I always recommend Mindfulness meditation because it's very good for all anxiety and it has helped me with my OCD. The intrusive thoughts get less and they are less powerful. You may still get them later but you won't pay any attention to them. It takkes time to learn to get the benefit but it's worth it and from early on it will help you to relax.