Harm O.C.D.

[bahiano]

Hey everyone! I´ve been diagnosed with OCD and been dealing mainly with Harm OCD, stabbing others and loved ones, really scary... now a new obsession came along, it shifted from "What if i hurt others? to "what if others hurt me?", this one is really giving me a hard time, though i know its a silly scary thought. Has anyone else had this one, please reassure that i am not turning schizo, one of my biggest fears. My GP assured me though i am not Schizophrenic at all... still the thoughts bother me so much! Thanks for listening!

Thanks a lot for any reply.

Markus

[AntsyVee]

Very common with harm OCD. And no, you’re not schizophrenic. That’s also a common OCD fear.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Markus,

Your GP is trained to spot the signs of schizophrenia as they can get them to the care they need sooner. And there are lots of different signs they can pick up on. If a GP is saying he/she can't see any indication of this, that's a very good thing and it's worth trusting.

My harm OCD intrusive thoughts switched between harming loves ones and being harmed by strangers out of the blue (acid attacks when approaching a street corner was one and obviously fuelled by what had been in the media). OCD can include a level of paranoia, particularly when anxiety levels are higher I found.

And the common schizophrenia worries in OCD can easily combine with harm OCD thoughts (I remember thinking I was going mad, but for me earlier on it was my compulsions doing that but later I can remember the thoughts trying to ease their way in about losing control) when they may even be from the same core belief issues about loss of control, harming loved ones when you are the opposite of this in reality, being taken away, losing loved ones or losing their love/respect, etc. Chances are, you are devoted to your loved ones and the opposite of a violent person...because intrusive thoughts search for what shocks us the most. And remember, it's rare for OCDers to act out these thoughts.

[bahiano]

Thanks so much for reassuring guys, means a lot! It seems a quite common
theme in OCD, the schizo ones... the best thing my GP said was, if you fear it, you don´t have, just anxiety, and in your age the changes are below nil getting. That eased my mind a lot... still the fear did not leave yet.

[AntsyVee]

Your GP gave you very sound advice.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yep, we see Schiz OCD popping up on here quite a bit...and I'm yet to see anyone be anything other than OCD!

What your GP is what it says in leaflets our NHS put out - if you think you are losing your mind, you probably aren't.

[bahiano]

Yes, this was the first thing he mentioned, on top my age, so really very small changes to get... hope this helps others as well... i need to work on the anxiety, not on the topics of OCD, because they really don´t matter... if it was that easy, OCD would have a fast cure, wouldn´it? But i guess training makes perfect, thoughts are thoughts in the end.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think you have a good grip on this situation as you already accept you need to address the underlying issue rather than the theme. So many have to work towards getting to that stage initially so this stands you in good stead for your recovery.

You can make adjustments to address different themes, perhaps in counter evidencing them, but ultimately it is that OCD that needs the work or it can just come back out in another way later.

It's good to hear you understand how to treat thoughts as having no meaning. That will help you greatly with intrusive thoughts.

Good luck!