Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypical OCD ThoughtsThought SuppressionSelf-Help Strategies

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Typical OCD Thoughts

Thought Suppression

Self-Help Strategies

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A coresymptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD) isobsessions, which are unwanted, distressing, and uncontrollable thoughts. The content and themes of these intrusive thoughts vary but are often of a disturbing nature.

Intrusive Thoughts: What They Are and How to Let Go

Each person with OCD will have a different experience with obsessions, but common thoughts or thought patterns include:

3 Simple Ways to Stop Worrying

Research has shown that strange, even disturbing, thoughts pop into most people’s minds on a daily basis. While the majority of people are able to continue going about their day without giving the thoughts asecondthought, the experience can be profoundly distressing, even debilitating, for people withOCD.

If you have OCD, you should know that there are many psychological and medical treatments that can effectively reduce the intensity and frequency of obsessions.

Along with therapy and medication, there are also self-help strategies that may be beneficial if you are learning to cope with and control obsession thoughts.

Find a Distraction

Try going for a walk, listening to music, playing a video game or reading a book for at least 15 minutes to take your focus away from your obsessive thoughts. Delaying your attention to them will help them feel less urgent. The more you practice shifting your focus, gradually doing so for longer periods of time, you may find your thoughts change or you become less anxious about them.

Journal Your Thoughts

Jot down your worries as soon as they occur. Seeing just how many of them there are, as well as the pattern of repetition regarding your thoughts, may improve your sense of control.

Practice Self-Care

Use Relaxation Techniques

Meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness exercises, or even just a warm bath are techniques that can help you keep your stress levels in check.

Join a Support Group

Being around others who have been through what you are going through and understand how you feel can help you feel less alone. Ask your therapist or doctor if there are local support groups for OCD. There are also online communities and forums, many of which offer useful resources in addition to a connection.

The Best Online Therapy ProgramsWe’ve tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain.

2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bouvard M, Fournet N, Denis A, Sixdenier A, Clark D.Intrusive thoughts in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and non-clinical participants: a comparison using the International Intrusive Thought Interview Schedule.Cogn Behav Ther.2017;46(4):287-299. doi:10.1080/16506073.2016.1262894Mckay D, Abramowitz J, Storch E.Ineffective And Potentially Harmful Psychological Interventions For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. International OCD FoundationAdditional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Pearcy CP, Anderson RA, Egan SJ, Rees CS.A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-help therapeutic interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Is therapeutic contact key to overall improvement?.J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2016;51:74–83. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.12.007

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bouvard M, Fournet N, Denis A, Sixdenier A, Clark D.Intrusive thoughts in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and non-clinical participants: a comparison using the International Intrusive Thought Interview Schedule.Cogn Behav Ther.2017;46(4):287-299. doi:10.1080/16506073.2016.1262894Mckay D, Abramowitz J, Storch E.Ineffective And Potentially Harmful Psychological Interventions For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. International OCD FoundationAdditional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Pearcy CP, Anderson RA, Egan SJ, Rees CS.A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-help therapeutic interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Is therapeutic contact key to overall improvement?.J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2016;51:74–83. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.12.007

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bouvard M, Fournet N, Denis A, Sixdenier A, Clark D.Intrusive thoughts in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and non-clinical participants: a comparison using the International Intrusive Thought Interview Schedule.Cogn Behav Ther.2017;46(4):287-299. doi:10.1080/16506073.2016.1262894Mckay D, Abramowitz J, Storch E.Ineffective And Potentially Harmful Psychological Interventions For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. International OCD Foundation

Bouvard M, Fournet N, Denis A, Sixdenier A, Clark D.Intrusive thoughts in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and non-clinical participants: a comparison using the International Intrusive Thought Interview Schedule.Cogn Behav Ther.2017;46(4):287-299. doi:10.1080/16506073.2016.1262894

Mckay D, Abramowitz J, Storch E.Ineffective And Potentially Harmful Psychological Interventions For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. International OCD Foundation

American Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Pearcy CP, Anderson RA, Egan SJ, Rees CS.A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-help therapeutic interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Is therapeutic contact key to overall improvement?.J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2016;51:74–83. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.12.007

American Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Pearcy CP, Anderson RA, Egan SJ, Rees CS.A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-help therapeutic interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Is therapeutic contact key to overall improvement?.J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2016;51:74–83. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.12.007

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