Obsession without the Compulsion

Hey guys. I'm just curious if anyone has OCD, but only the obsessive part?

I have obsessional thinking patterns, but no major compulsive habits...Well, unless you consider listening to only one type of music, or making a ritual of watching a TV show at the same time everyday (I dont do this anymore) a compulsion.

My obsessive thoughts can be very intrusive. Sometimes they are pleasant, but other times not, especially when I'm trying to focus on something else. My obsessions revolve around different themes. Many of these themes, I have called Passions, because I had gotten really into them, and obsessed with them. I still think about them, but not as intensely. Is this making any sense?

Here's how I like to describe it. Think of fire. Passion, at least for me, is like fire. If it gets out of control, it becomes obsession.

However, obsession isnt always a passion, as I am sure many of you know. I dont mind obsessing about something I love. When its something that bugs me, THATS when its really intrusive!

I have simular instances where my thoughts, and passions consume me and I can't think of anything else, its almost like a tv set in your head. If its not bothering you, or preventing you from doing daily tasks I wouldnt worry about it. But if it is causing you trouble, maybe you should get help. Some times its good to ask for a second opinion. Good luck!

I have obsessions and compulsions. Thoughts enter my head and they keep going around and around. The more I try to push them out, the stronger they return. I went travelling in Australia last year and got such a bad attack of the obsessive thoughts that I ended up physically shaking. I got really upset and ended up going to hospital because I just didnt know what to do. The thoughts always come at a time when I am supposed to be at my most happiest and relaxed. Something kicks in my brain, telling me I cant or am not allowed to relax, and the thoughts begin. It happens when ever I am on holiday. So the holiday turns into a mental chore. My thoughts tend to consist of things in the past. My brain reacts telling me that something terrible is going to happen. There is no reason why something terrible should happen, and I dont even know what this terrible thing might be, but the fear is there, stuck in my brain, until it eventually subsides. Then it starts all over again a few weeks later.

I think everyone gets their thoughts stuck and circling at times. I have trouble if I wake in the night, I'm sure I'm going to get sick, die, my husband is going to die, I'm going to be old and alone, I don't have enough friends, etc.

The thing that helps me the most is distraction but at night that's pretty hard to come by when it's dark and quiet, etc. The second best help is confronting a a fear or two, acknowledging it and and working to make it less of a fear. I'm working with my husband to help with our finances and investments so if/when he dies or becomes disabled I'm not clueless. I'm using the worst night fears to motivate me to do something about my health, to exercise (or put up with the fears in the middle of the night, my choice) and when my fears don't make sense, I look to see what really is happening in my life that it's easier to worry about nonsensical things than think about. When my husband use to go away on business trips, I'd suddenly be sure people were breaking into the house at night. Easier for my brain to have that fear that isn't likely to come true and will instantly go away when he comes back rather than think about my "abandonment" fears and my husband being away for real and me being "alone."

Grab a fear or three and look at it closely; they don't stand up to scrutiny. Make lists of things to do to help yourself so you don't feel as helpless and to make any real problems less likely and search for any "real" underlying fears to confront. Take thoughts to their logical conclusion.

The other night I had a wonderful experience in the middle of the night, I thought about times in the past where I've been awake worrying about other, different problems and wondered, why not just "trade" the worries; past middle-of-the-night worries are comparable to present ones aren't there? Since I've lived through the past ones and those problems have been resolved, if I had them now, I'd know what to do and so wouldn't worry, right? (No, I'm not any better at not worrying now than I was then :-) "Trading" made the whole worry thing look stupid. I was worried about getting work/having enough money, etc. and lived through that so I'll probably live through getting older and losing health and having my husband have problems, etc. If I were 30 again with those problems, I probably wouldn't do anything differently, just like now when I swear I'm going to start ____________ (exercising, eating better, studying harder, etc.) tomorrow. We do what we do and it all turns out fine; worrying literally doesn't help.

I understand fully what you are going through. I developed OCD when I was 11 years old and it last until i was 18, I suffered for 7 years in silence and it was hell because no one in my family knew what was happening to me. But at 18 I was able to get in under control by exposing myself to my fears, and overcoming them, in order not to do my compulsions.

But i am now 22 and I have obessions. Its so bad dont know what I can do.