Psychology Today: Why Do I Have OCD?
Almost all of my clients with OCD at some point ask me the same question: "Why do I have OCD?" The answer gives important insight into not just the origin of OCD but how people recover from it.
While there is some genetic predisposition to OCD—if you have a parent with OCD, you are more likely to develop OCD yourself than someone who does not have a parent with OCD—it is not as if there is a single gene or set of genes we can point to as a true cause of OCD. Your genetic makeup can make you more prone to developing OCD, but it does not guarantee that you will develop OCD.
The truth about intrusive thoughts
Most people with OCD think that the reason they have OCD is that they have "intrusive" thoughts that other people don't have.
Many OCD thoughts center around taboo themes that can seem disturbing at first glance. Common OCD themes are thoughts about:
- Hurting other people.
- Inappropriate sexual desires like attraction to kids or family members..
- Thoughts that go against one's religion.
- Thinking you may be contaminated with germs, viruses, and could get sick or get others sick.
- Questioning whether you've done necessary tasks (e.g. locking doors) or whether you've done something horrible that you can't remember.
There are many more examples; the list goes on and on.
But research has shown that thoughts like these are actually not unique to people with OCD. In fact, pretty much everyone has these kinds of thoughts. There have actually been studies (like this one) in which researchers have surveyed people in the general population (meaning random people, not just people with OCD) and asked if they've ever had thoughts like the above—and 94 percent of people report that they have had thoughts like those above. Yes, really, 94 percent! And I always joke to my clients that I think the other 6 percent are just lying.
So why can pretty much everyone have these thoughts but only about 2 percent of the population develops OCD?
Because when most people have a thought about stabbing somebody with a knife, they think, "Oh that was weird, whatever," and then they move on with their day.
But some people have a thought about stabbing somebody and then think, "Oh my god, why would I have a thought about stabbing somebody?! That's horrible, how could I possibly think that? What does that mean that I thought that? I'd better never think that again!"
And guess what happens when you try not to think a thought? That thought becomes all you can think about.
That is how you get OCD: by treating thoughts as dangerous...even though, really, thoughts are just thoughts. They are not dangerous, and they don't have to mean anything.
The good news is that when you start treating these thoughts as no big deal, that is when OCD gets better. So the next time you have one of these thoughts, all you have to do is say, "Cool, there's that thought again...whatever, no big deal," and then move on with whatever you were doing in spite of the fact that the thought is there.
If you don't treat the thoughts like a problem, they eventually stop being a problem.
*As someone with OCD, I think it's really important to share the reality of it once in a while! 😊 It can be hard to understand OCD, but I think this article does a really great job of explaining! Everyone experiences these uncomfortable intrusive thoughts, but OCD is defined as someone getting stuck on these things and getting into this cycle where you can't break the thought process. With Exposure Response Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and sometimes medications, OCD is very possible to live with!*
Do you know anyone who struggles with OCD? Is there anything you don't understand about OCD?
#OCD #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #IntrusiveThoughts
Read the full article here! 🌞
@fruityPond7887
I have been interested in this topic for already some time and I think it is very important to talk about it. It seems to me that lots of people suffering from OCD believe strongly that other people do not have these thoughts and some treat themselves very harshly as the result.
@globalBraid3744 Oh yeah! When I first starting having these intrusive thoughts and I couldn't stop thinking about them, I felt so alone and I thought I would never get through it. I was able to find some articles about others who suffered and I felt better. Slowly, I realized that I was never alone and there are many other people out there who are on the same page as me. It's tough, but there's always someone willing to talk it out or share their story!
@fruityPond7887
I think it definitely helps to read stories of others to know you are not alone in it and there are people who understand what you are experiencing.
@globalBraid3744 I agree! I do have to say though that you have to be careful because sometimes you can trigger new fears when reading about others so it's definitely a fine line!😩
@fruityPond7887
People often say about sufferers of OCD to "just don't think about it!", "why does it bother you that much", but it's important to note that OCD sufferers will develop chronic crippling anxiety over their obsessions if the compulsion is not carried out. Additionally it's not like they want to do it, it's more so they want to prevent something bad that's going to happen so they feel like they have to take that extra step to make sure it doesn't. Understanding people and their perspectives is one of the hallmarks of understanding and helping people who struggle with a disorder.
@sunnyWriting4806 THIS!! 🙌 Thank you for understanding! You hit the head on the nail. My dad once told me to just not think about something and while he didn't mean it that way, I'll never forget it. A lot of people don't understand something unless they go through it, which is okay but it can be hard for them to provide that support when it's needed. Thank you for this!
@fruityPond7887 wow the 94% figure really shocked me!
@theriverissinging Me too! It's a big number!
