OCD, scared of thoughts coming true or just coincidences???

[amgi]

Hi guys,
I posted here not too long ago. My thread is "my bizarre ocd- pure hell"
Well this is my 2nd thread, here goes....

Things have gotten alot worse. I didn't think it was possible since my OCD was already very severe.
I have not read a single OCD story like what i am about to describe and it's worrying me that i am alone in this.....

Here is an example:

If i dont do a certain ritual then if what I'm thinking comes true sometime in the future, something bad will happen to me or a loved one. Confused?? Ok i'll explain it as best as I can.

A thought will randomly pop into my head... like "Someone I know will break their leg" If i don't do the ritual i'm supposed to and someone i know DOES break their leg then something bad will happen.

Then another thought will pop into my head like " There will be talk about a big ufo sighting" If i don't do the ritual i'm suppsed to and sometime in the next weeks or months there is a big ufo sighting then something bad will happen. And it just goes on and on one after the other where i'm literally doing rituals every second!

These are just examples.

The problem is, they are very specific and rare things. So I'm scared that if what i'm thinking does come true in the future then there will be doom and something bad will happen. It would be proof. I get soooo scared that i end up doing rituals all day long just in case these random events occur.

The problem is... lately a lot of the minor 'prediction thoughts' HAVE come true that i have severe anxiety. Now i think that had i not done the rituals then something bad would have happened. It isn't helping my ocd that these predictions or hopefully just coincidences are happening.

The ones that have come true are not as specific so it makes me feel better. I'm scared the more specific ones will come true, and what are the odds?? Wouldn't that be proof?? And i can't even wait and see because some are for the future. Example: If in 10 years so and so turns out to be gay then if i don't do ritual something bad will happen.

This is causing me such anxiety i can't sleep. I really believe these things will happen and it will be PROOF so i end up doing all my rituals which are EXHAUSTING. I walk in and out of my room in sets of two like 30 times a night sometimes! It's hard to hide from my family because no matter how quiet i am sometimes i make noise. Sometimes i even screw up and have to start over! This is killing me.....

How do i get over this fear? What kind of OCD is this?? I've never heard of anyone having it like me. I'm so scared these thoughts will come true because if they did they are so SPECIFIC, what would be the odds? Am i having delusions? Could this be schizophrenia?

I know you guys will say it's a coincidence, and what about all the times the thoughts didn't come true... BUT, my thoughts are very very specific and rare and IF they did come true just ONE coming true would be enough.

It's not like..Example: If next week there is a severe earthquake somewhere in the world and i don't do my ritual then someone will die. This is not rare or even very specific.


Im sure ive confused you guys but............ im falling apart...

I dont believe i can predict anything, i just believe that if these thoughts do come true it's like OCD saying HAHA told you im real, and then the bad things will come true if i didn't do the ritual......

[loulabell]

Hi there
I suffer from ocd and had a similar problem as this related to coincidences. I know its really difficult but it helped me to confront the ocd and take the risk. So therefore if i had a thought if i dont do this such,and such will happen, i decided to look ocd full on in the face and say get stuffed.(feel the fear and do it anyway). I also noticed lots and lots of minor coincidences and was terrified of anything with a massive coincidence happening but you have to take that risk and realise that if anything does ever happen, it is a coincidence it was nothing to do with your thoughts, lets face it with all the thousands of different thoughts that we had would it be that bizarre if you could make a link to something that then happened. Its more down to pure chance than anything else. I know this is very frightening and the anxiety involved makes you hypervigilent to notice anything in your surroundings that you can link as a coincidence.
Are you getting any help, ive found c.b.t helpful in the past. Take care, hope your feeling better soon.

[charlotte83]

It's just co-incidences, I promise. I have had OCD for over 11 years now and have had so many different forms of it, and I know that it will literally find any way in if you let it. I'd say the OCD you're describing is some form of "Magical thinking" OCD. I have a great book on OCD which explians all the different types, I'll have a look later to get the name and post again. Basically its sort of like superstitious thinking, where you might think for example "If I don't touch this bit of wood 15 times and count to 45, something really bad could happen to my family" even though that makes no sense. What you have described is just another form of that kind of thing. The best way to deal with it, is to just let the thoughts be there but try your best not to react ot them. You know that you can't affect whether something good or bad happens to someone by rituals you perform even if it "feels" like that. Don't listen to how you feel and listen to that logical part of your brain that is telling you it's not real. Even if the OCD is pushing its way in, don't let it! Good luck, you can do it
That is the only way I keep my OCD at bay now is by ignoring everything it throws at me and its tough at first but it does get to a point where the OCD becomes a mild irritant rather then a mighty monster, I promise you. Take care

[MajCinematic]

I have these all the time and am having one right now! What I try to do to comfort myself is look at OTHER coincidences that have happened that are NOT scary or OCD related and see how it is all just chance. I will have things happen where I will think something then somone will say something realted to it so I fear they are reading my mind... I then think of other coincidences that have happened that werte just as strong but had no real significance otherwise. Like one time I was looking up a movie by a certain director and I happened to cross his name on one of the pages in a TOATLLY UNRELATED MOVIE for something else!! This book was filled with everything and anything too so to happen to cross his name while looking for something else of his by chance was freaky, but becuz it instilled no OCD like fear I did not worry about it.

You just have to break it all down and really think it through before you let the fear take hold of you and rule yer life. I can say all of this stuff but I still suffer with it.

[emilshere]

This sounds similiar to my problem. I think a negative thought and it takes the form of a color in my thoughts. I have to then remove that color from the thought or else it will make something bad happen! I spend all day unthinkng colors. Its very difficult and keeps me in a state of panic constantly. My thoughts take the forms of colors and shapes its just how I see thoughts in my mind. I have to spend all my time removing the bad colors from my thoughts. Its exhausting.

[clarisse]

These thoughts are called Magical thinking.You will find plenty of websites discussing this on the internet.
OCD of this kind responds well to CBT. Discuss this with your GP as waiting lists are often rather long on the NHS. But private therapist's specialising in this type of OCD could be found privately,if you can afford to pay.
Always find a registered therapist as there are a lot of frauds out there.
Good Luck
clarisse

[emilshere]

hi clarisse, thanks for the reply. Im familiar with Magical Thinking. The problem with treating it is that I have convinced myself I will make these things happen by my thoughts and the ONLY way to prevent them from coming true and regaining control of things is to go thru this very difficult unthinking ritual where I must visualize things just right... and its next to impossible! So when I think of trying exposure therapy... I can only imagine freaking out in trying to resist unthinking the bad thought!

[sonoma]

I have the same issues! I do cognitive behav therapy and it has helped. Regarding the idea that if we think something bad, it will happen, well, I'm a pro at that one! For example, if I get a 'sense' or thought that a certain person will call, or I just think of that person..and they call...I totally freak! Because that sends me into the next stage of 'oh my gosh, if that came true, will it also come true if I get a 'feeling' or thought that something bad will happen??? This is magical thinking for sure, and it's having thoughts about our thoughts. Thoughts aren't real, even though we give them power over us with our minds. Another thing I do is, if I'm having particular thing I'm OCDing about, lets say I'm terrified of flying. Then everytime I open the paper, or turn on the news, there's something horrible about flying there..crashes, engine failures, etc. And I'm positive that's a sign that I'm not suppose to fly or that will happen. The counselor made an excellent point in that if that were true, did I realize how many people would die on a plane just because they, too, happen to see that story!! Hadn't thought of it that way! After all, why would I think that if millions of others would read the story, yet not have it happen to them, but it was meant just for me??! And one more thing that does help me is, if I have a bad thought such as, if I don't do "XYZ", then something bad will happen, try reversing it...if I don't do "XYZ" I will win the lottery!! Put a positive spin on it and see if just because you think something good will happen, does your thought make THAT happen?? Hope some of this helps...I still have a long way to go, but CBT can help!

[emilshere]

Yeah I must find someone who can give me a good exposure therapy and cbt treatments. I am so sick of having to unthink every negative image I see i my mind. All day long all I do is remove bad thoughts from my head.... and it very time consuming because my thoughts are very visually detailed and I have to think them just right... and it takes a lot of difficult concentration and effort! It really is killing me.

[Vivan.. .]

Just forget about it ,don't worry about.. .those things happening.. .It is not as easy as thinking it once or twice to make a thing happen.. .Magical thinking as in visualization are not that powerful.. .