intrusive thoughts suck.

Greetings bugs and worms!

This comic is a little different than what I usually do but I worked real hard on it—Maybe I'll make more infographic stuff in the future this ended up being fun. Hope you learned something new :)

If you are still curious and want to learn more about OCD, you can visit the International OCD Foundation's website. I also recommend this amazing TED ED video "Starving The Monster", which was my first introduction to the disorder and this video by John Green about his own experience with OCD.

The IOCDF's website can also help you find support groups, therapy, and has lots of online guides and resources as well if you or a loved one is struggling with the disorder. It is very comprehensive!

Reblog to teach your followers about OCD

I do not usually make posts like this but recently I have seen a lot of content on Instagram, Twitter and I think tiktok too misunderstanding the meaning of intrusive thoughts, which may cause people experiencing them to be upset.

I have tried to shortly explain the difference of impulsive and intrusive and hope it will help people to understand and use the words correctly.

I’ve personally found that adding the “would that be fucked or what?” part in myself really helps put the more disturbing thoughts we sometimes get into perspective. Helps me say “yeah thar sure would be fucked up” and move on with my day.

How are paraphilias safely brought up with a mental health professional?

Seeking out support from a professional for paraphilic disorders for the first time can be a daunting task, but with the right resources and direction, this process can be simplified and less overwhelming.

normal: your knees/hips starting to twinge after climbing a big set of stairs

not normal: climbing stairs is hard for you, and you start to feel pain after a couple steps

normal: you wake up feeling pain after doing a lot of exercise the day before

not normal: you wake up feeling pain regardless of your activities the day before

normal: you are usually a zero on the pain scale

not normal: you cannot imagine what a pain scale zero would feel like

normal: when you experience pain, there is a direct reason for it, and it is able to be fixed with over-the-counter drugs (such as paracetamol)

not normal: you can’t figure out why you’re in pain, and taking over-the-counter painkillers doesn’t always work to fix it

normal: you do not spend most of your time in pain

not normal: you’ve spent most of your time in pain for over three months

normal: every so often, you pick up a knife and your brain thinks about hurting someone. you go “the fuck” and then continue chopping your vegetables

not normal: every time (or most times) you pick up a knife, your brain thinks about hurting someone. you actively avoid touching knives, and cannot continue chopping your vegetables

normal: worrying about someone’s health and well-being when you already know that they have a certain condition

not normal: getting intrusive thoughts about a certain person getting sick, and then planning out your day as if they are actually sick

normal: feeling the need to throw something off the edge of a high place any time you’re on a bridge or at the top of a building

not normal: refusing to go anywhere near a bridge or tall building in case you throw something off of it

normal: being careful in the process of turning off your oven, your heater, or other appliances

not normal: having to triple check the appliances, and then getting intrusive thoughts doubting whether you’ve turned them off or not, causing you to go back home to make sure

normal: getting the occasional strange or scary intrusive thought, and being able to shrug it off fairly easily

not normal: getting intrusive thoughts incredibly often (several times a day), and not being able to let go of them. changing your behaviour due to intrusive thoughts

illness doesn't dictate what rights or basic needs someone should have. it doesn't define how good or bad of a person someone is, or what they'll do. rights and basic care aren't conditional.

i wrote this webpage that walks u thru looking after yourself when you know a thought is making you spiral. deployed it publicly bc i wanted it on mobile and i thought other people might like it too

I don’t know if op is aware of this, but this is very similar to a method I know about from therapy. If you can’t pick out the flawed parts of the thought, you can say it in a ridiculous voice to make it seem less valid. It really works! (For me at least)

Separating yourself from the thought can also help. It’s sometimes easier to look critically at something when you’re not the one who said it. This also reminds of thinking traps, which have helped me tremendously with my social anxiety. 

my therapist and i spent a session printing out pictures of ben shapiro and drawing speech bubbles where he would say the bad thoughts i have about myself. VERY funny in terms of situations to be in but very effective in terms of therapy.