Intrusive thoughts

[Becky2785]

Any help with these plz been having what if thoughts for about 2/3 weeks about harming myself and my son I would never do any of the things that I'm thinking but it doesn't help I find myself checking my.boy in the night just to be sure he's ok hate doing that but it.makes me feel better I have always been so scared of everything and I worry about everything the more I read on here the better I feel I'm at the doctors tomorrow and I've spoken to my partner about it he is very understanding about it all didn't think he would be as the children are our world and more

Plz help

[Sarahjosephine]

It is extremely common! I've had this for many years on and off and you're not going crazy and wouldn't do any of the things you're thinking, the fact you feel guilt and anxiety about it proves that. There's a book called "imp of the mind" that really helped me and you'll see it's far more common than you realised.

Anxiety makes us question every thought, someone Without anxiety may have the thought and think "that was weird" but people like us obsess about it. I found flooding helped me (it's hard but it's actually thinking the thoughts more until we are desensitised and they no longer come because our brain doesn't have a physical reaction to it)

I wish you love and light and you will get through this xoxo

[Tardisbrain]

My ocd is based around my kids. I have a night time ritual that I need to do before going to bed which drives me insane but I can't sleep without doing it. I'm going through some sort of breakdown at the moment which makes things worse. At the beginning my sons dad left an axe in my house (hes a gardener) and it made me ill. I had horrible thought that I would snap and hurt my kids even though I know i would never! Each time that I thought that I would get that much of a shock that my eyes would be wide open. I hid the axe in the back of a cupboard and boom another thought that I'd wake in the middle of the night sleepwalking and get it. I eventually just allowed that thought to keep coming and it eventually stopped. I know my mind will replace it with something else as it always does but I'm getting better at understanding that my thoughts are not truth. I hope you get better soon. X

[Adywhu]

Hi Becky, That is exactly what I felt when I was on medication a few years ago, I have started my Panic /Anxiety again, and have told a few people about my experience, I liken it to when you are on a bridge and get thoughts to jump over( I hope thats common!!!).

Anyway I came off the meds, the harming myself was probably caused by knowing I would do that before I harmed my son, as others have mentioned it is quite common.

[Becky2785]

Thoughts relating suicide are this week's topic lol don't want to and never will do anything I have my whole life ahead of me and my 2 beautiful children and a.loving fiance but it's what if I do and then visualise all sorts I do try and let the thought be there but it's hard not to react thanks for all the advice

[mlondon]

Hi becky. How are you going now? I have these thoughts to and have to remind myself they are just thoughts and not truth!

[Bonnibelle]

So very common with anxiety. 3 years ago mine started, I was suffering anxiety after my brother attacked me. I was staying home alot, rarely going out and that was when mine began. They started as what if I hurt myself and then gradually developed a fear of what if I hurt my children or husband. Totally normal and they are just a product of high anxiety, nothing more. Once the anxiety calms so do the intrusives, but your dislike and fear of them is what keeps them coming.

I had therapy to face mine and now they rarely bother me but a couple still linger in the background but are more of an annoyance than anything.

I too used to wake in the night, I'd run to my childrens rooms to check nothing had happened incase in my sleep I did something. I was terrified. This too lessened as my anxiety calmed.

I recommened a book called At last a Life by Paul David. Also Brain Lock is a very good read if you'd like an OCD book that focuses on those type of thoughts.

I hope you're ok and everything went well at the GP.

B