OCD Evolving and Worsening?

[Scottyboy]

Hi,

Just curious if anyone has had this experience.

I was diagnosed with OCD a few weeks back (you can search my post history to see some of the worries that impact me).

I've actually been doing better in the last month or so since I started working with a therapist, practicing CBT and ACT. I've also read quite a few books which have helped give me some perspective on my compulsions, worries and just my general disposition to the world.

I'm curious though... has anyone had worries that have evolved and worsened and worsened? For example, I used to fear contamination from animals so I would avoid animals. Now my fears have evolved to not only encompass animals but nearly anything outdoors (for fear of an animal having interacted at some point in the day with that object - i.e. a bench, sidewalk, lamp post, garbage can, etc.) I notice I even have intrusive thoughts about my shoes having been contaminated when I'm outside walking so I don't want to touch them when I'm taking them off.

The funny thing is.... I get those thoughts and I know exactly what they are. They're my OCD telling me to worry about contamination. It's odd because they've become more and more irrational, however, I am having long, extended moments during the day (like a few hours sometimes!) where OCD and intrusive thoughts are kept at bay (as in they don't take over my mind - theyre still there). It's great. I can focus on things I care about and enjoy watching a film or reading. It's been a while since I've done that. However, the OCD thoughts are way way way more out of touch with reality.

Has anyone experienced this or could provide insight? I'll ask my therapist this week too.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I would think quite a lot of us if not all.

The subconscious works by creating associations, it's all neurons getting connected where they are correct to be. The same process occurs in fears.

You may see a bear, a black bear. A fear is created to keep you safe. But what about when you see a brown bear? The subconscious needs to associate a brown bear with the same fear as the black bear. Then you see a white bear and the process continues.

What you are describing is exactly why a therapist targets the real underlying issues because otherwise all they are doing is firefighting and a new theme or association/object, a new twist, etc can always appear because the root issues are still there.

We have all these labels like HOCD, ROCD, POCD, etc and yet in medical manuals they don't diagnose based on this. Their medical names for the type of OCD are restricted to a few based on whether it's about more obsessions, compulsions or a mix of both. They obviously pay attention to the "themes" that we label because they can have nuances which need some tailoring for but ultimately they are still running via the same brain processes and the cycles are the same.

When you avoid, you create new reasons. The subconscious is observing what we do and if we tell it we need to avoid something due to fear it's logical next step is to start building that into it's knowledgebase. The same occurs the opposite way when we unpick our fears.

Programming & reprogramming. Core beliefs, good or bad. Same processes. Of course there are things like how the fear cycle expects only a relevant response in the process and that's why it can't understand the conscious mind deciding the fear is nonsense. It will learn through observation that it's not important and reprogramme beliefs towards new thinking but it takes longer because it doesn't expect a growling bear to ever become a cute cuddly bear, it's not how nature wanted it. But our problem is more that we have programmed a cute cuddly bunny to be perceived as a growling bear.